Social media giant Meta has announced that users in the United Kingdom (UK) will soon have to pay a monthly subscription if they want to enjoy Facebook and Instagram without adverts.
From the coming weeks, British users will be given two options: continue with the free version where adverts are shown based on personal data, or pay for an ad-free experience.
The subscription will cost £2.99 (about ₦5,900) per month on web and £3.99 (about ₦7,800) on iOS and Android. For those with multiple accounts, an extra fee of £2 (₦3,900) on web or £3 (₦5,900) on mobile will automatically apply for each additional account.
Why the sudden change?
Meta says the decision was influenced by new rules from the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which require companies to get clear consent before using people’s data for targeted advertising.
Under the new “consent or pay” model:
Subscribers will enjoy an ad-free service.
Non-subscribers will keep the free service but must agree for their personal information to be used in advertising.
All UK users aged 18 and above will soon see a notification asking them to choose. For teenagers, nothing will change as adverts will only be targeted by age and location.
A U-Turn for Zuckerberg
The move marks a major shift for Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who previously told US lawmakers that Facebook would “always have a free version.”
But with the ICO pushing for transparency, Meta says it had to create a choice: “It will give people in the UK a clear choice about whether their data is used for personalised advertising.”
Regulators React
The ICO welcomed the change, saying it brings Meta in line with UK law. The regulator also revealed that Meta initially wanted to charge a higher price before agreeing to lower the fee for UK users.
At the current rate, one ad-free account in Britain will cost up to £47.88 (₦93,700) per year, nearly half the price charged in the European Union.
Source: With reporting from the Daily Mail.
Comments
Post a Comment