Meta is rolling out a paid option for Facebook and Instagram users in the UK to opt out of ads, marking a major shift in how its platforms operate under local regulation.
Starting in the coming weeks, UK users over 18 will be offered the choice to keep using Facebook and Instagram for free with personalized ads, or subscribe to avoid them.
- Pricing is set at £2.99/month on the web or £3.99/month on iOS and Android for the first account, with additional accounts costing £2 or £3, respectively.
Why we care. The move responds to guidance from the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), giving users more control over how their data is used while keeping advertising as the default. Meta’s UK no-ads subscription creates two distinct audiences – one still reachable through personalized ads, and another opting out entirely – which could shrink available inventory, shift targeting accuracy, and change how budgets need to be allocated for maximum ROI.
The big picture. Users who subscribe will stop seeing ads, and their personal data won’t be used for advertising. Those who stick with free accounts will continue to see personalized ads and have access to controls like ad preferences and “Why am I seeing this ad?” tools.
- Meta says the UK’s pro-innovation regulatory environment allowed for a clear choice model, unlike in the EU where regulators are pushing stricter limits on personalization.
By the numbers. Meta pegs the subscription price as “one of the lowest in the market.”
- In 2024, Meta claims its ad tech generated £65 billion in economic activity and supported 357,000 UK jobs.
- On average, every £1 spent on Meta ads yields £3.82 in revenue for UK businesses.
What’s next. Notifications will begin rolling out to UK users in the coming weeks, though initially dismissible to give people time to decide whether to subscribe.
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Anu Adegbola has been Paid Media Editor of Search Engine Land since 2024. She covers paid search, paid social, retail media, video and more. In 2008, Anu’s career started with delivering digital marketing campaigns (mostly but not exclusively Paid Search) by building strategies, maximising ROI, automating repetitive processes and bringing efficiency from every part of marketing departments through inspiring leadership both on agency, client and marketing tech side. Outside editing Search Engine Land article she is the founder of PPC networking event – PPC Live and host of weekly podcast PPC Live The Podcast.
She is also an international speaker with some of the stages she has presented on being SMX (US, UK, Munich, Berlin), Friends of Search (Amsterdam, NL), brightonSEO, The Marketing Meetup, HeroConf (PPC Hero), SearchLove, BiddableWorld, SESLondon, PPC Chat Live, AdWorld Experience (Bologna, IT) and more.
