LONDON: Meta announced Sept 26 that Facebook and Instagram applyrs in the UK will be able to acquire ad-free subscriptions, extconcludeing a model already in place in Europe, to comply with regulation.
Starting in the coming weeks, UK-based applyrs can opt out of personalised ads by paying a monthly fee of £2.99 (US$4) on the web, or £3.99 via iOS and Android apps.
The US tech giant stated the shift comes “in response to recent UK regulatory guidance,” noting that the subscription model gives applyrs a choice over whether to allow personalised ads.
The UK price will be lower than what is offered in the European Union, where ad-free subscriptions start at €5.99 (US$7) per month.
Meta first announced its ad-free option in the EU at the conclude of 2023 to comply with tougher regulation intconcludeed to rein in huge tech.
The company has long profited from selling applyr data to advertisers but this business model has led to multiple battles with regulators over data privacy.
The European data regulator last year notified Meta it must not force applyrs to pay for the right to data protection, pushing the company to tweak its model.
Meta on Friday criticised the “overreach” of regulators in the EU, where it must provide a version of its platforms with “less personalised” ads.
It meanwhile welcomed the “constructive approach” of the British privacy watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office.
The ICO stated the subscription option would allow Meta to comply with UK law. – AFP
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