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Meta is rolling out its “pay or consent” ad model in the UK, months after sparring with regulators over the controversial plan. The move gives Facebook and Instagram users two choices: accept personalized ads or pay for an ad-free experience through monthly subscriptions.
The subscription price begins at £2.99 a month, roughly $4, for users signing in via the web. However, anyone using iOS or Android will pay more, £3.99 a month, about $5.33, because of Apple’s and Google’s app store fees, according to Meta.
The company has made the system uniform. Users must either subscribe across all accounts or keep ads enabled, with no option to mix the two. Each additional account adds another monthly fee of £2 on the web or £3 through mobile platforms.
According to the source, Meta introduced a similar model in Europe earlier this year, but regulators pushed back against what they called a “binary choice.” As a result, Meta warned users of a “materially worse” experience if they opted out of ads. Prices in Europe were also far higher than in the UK, starting at €9.99 per month on the web and €12.99 via app stores, equal to about $11.67 and $15.17.
The UK rollout marks Meta’s latest attempt to balance privacy rules with its ad-driven business model. While the lower price point may ease some resistance, the core dilemma remains: users must decide if avoiding ads is worth a monthly fee.
