The news: Meta is planning on offering UK users paid, ad-free versions of Instagram and Facebook in the coming weeks. Users will be able to pay £2.99 per month on the web or £3.99 per month on iOS and Android devices for an ad-free experience, or continue using the apps for free with targeted advertising.
The move comes after Meta faced scrutiny for launching a “pay or consent” model in the EU that led to a €200 million (USD $216 million) fine for violating the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). The European Commission requested further changes in July and warned that Meta could face daily fines after the company stated it would only make “limited changes” to comply with the DMA.
Will the UK deal face the same fate? So far, the move seems to have full support. Meta claims it had extensive conversations about the decision with the Information Commissioner’s Office, which said on Friday that it “welcomed” the model, per Bloomberg.