Meta to launch ad-free Facebook and Instagram to the U.K., amid E.U. regulatory standoff

Meta said Friday it will roll out an ad-free subscription for Facebook and Instagram users in the U.K. in the coming weeks, even as similar plans in the E.U. remain stuck in regulatory limbo.

The move suggests Meta may take a different approach in the U.K. than in the E.U., creating uncertainty for marketers around ad targeting, personalization, and regulatory compliance.

The U.K. subscription will cost £2.99 ($3.99) a month on the web and £3.99 on iOS and Android. Subscribers will not see ads, and their data will not be used for advertising purposes. Users who stick with the free versions of Meta’s services will continue to see personalized ads.

In the E.U., however, Meta’s plans have faced regulatory resistance. Earlier this year, the E.U. Commission declared Meta’s original “pay-or-consent” model, introduced in 2023, violated the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

The Commission also threatened “period penalty payments” if the company did not comply with the “DMA obligation to give consumers the choice of a service that uses less of their personal data”. Regulators have yet to weigh in on Meta’s revised model, introduced last year.

In a blog post, Meta said the “outcome sets the UK apart from the EU, where we have been engaged in similar discussions with regulators.”

The company also accused EU regulators of “overreach by requiring us to provide a less personalised ads experience that goes beyond what the law requires, creating a worse experience for users and businesses.”