Meta has determined the price of peace and quiet for its UK users, placing a monthly price tag of up to £3.99 on an advertising-free experience on Facebook and Instagram. This move directly addresses legal requirements for an ad opt-out by turning the solution into a new consumer product.
The service, rolling out in the coming weeks, allows users to purchase a tranquil feed, free from the constant barrage of sponsored content. The cost will be £3.99 for mobile subscribers and £2.99 for web-based users, with a single payment covering both platforms for those with linked accounts.
This commercialisation of a peaceful user experience has received the blessing of the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The regulator accepts this paid subscription as a valid mechanism for providing user choice, thereby bringing Meta into compliance with UK data protection laws that had been previously breached.
This approach is fundamentally at odds with the EU’s stance. Across the Channel, the European Commission fined Meta €200m for a similar scheme, arguing that users should not have to pay for the “peace” of not having their data extensively processed. The EU contends that a less intrusive service should be a free, standard option.
The UK’s approval underscores its unique, “pro-business” regulatory climate. It allows a solution where digital tranquility is a premium feature, a concept that clashes with the EU’s vision of online spaces where privacy and a degree of peace are default rights.