Meta may charge UK users for ad-free Facebook, Instagram access

Photo : Reutera

Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram, is thinking about giving people in the UK a choice to pay for using Facebook and Instagram without seeing any ads. This means users may soon have the option to pay a fee if they do not want ads in their feed. Meta has not made a final decision yet, but they are looking into it.

This idea comes after a legal case in the UK. A woman named Tanya O’Carroll took Meta to court because she did not want her personal data to be used for showing her ads. She said Meta did not respect her right to say no to these targeted ads. The case was settled, meaning Meta agreed to stop showing her such ads, and there was no need for a court trial.

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After the case, Ms. O’Carroll said that her fight was not just for herself. She believes that many other people in the UK may now want to ask Meta to stop using their data for ads. The UK data protection office also supported her case, which could help others who do not want personalized ads.

Meta already offers an ad-free service in Europe. In 2023, they started a system where people in the European Union (EU) could pay to use Facebook and Instagram without ads. They did this because of new rules in Europe that protect online privacy.

At first, the cost of using Facebook and Instagram without ads in the EU was €9.99 per month for web users and €12.99 per month for mobile users. Later, in November 2023, Meta lowered the price. Now, web users pay €5.99 per month, and mobile users pay €7.99 per month.

Even though Meta is offering an ad-free option, they still say that ads help both users and businesses. They believe that ads show people things they may be interested in, and they help small businesses reach the right customers. Meta says that in the EU, over 99% of businesses are small, and these businesses depend on ads to find new customers.

Right now, Meta earns most of its money from ads. In its latest report, the company said that more than 96% of its income comes from advertising. If Meta brings the ad-free option to the UK, it could be a big change for social media users and how online services make money.