Meta is adopting a new mantra for its UK users: “Your Feed, Your Choice.” However, there’s a significant catch—exercising that choice to remove ads from your Facebook and Instagram feed will require a monthly payment. The company is framing a new subscription service as an act of empowerment, albeit a commercialised one.
The choice is laid out simply: continue with the standard feed, which includes personalised ads, for free. Or, choose an ad-free feed by paying £2.99 a month on the web or £3.99 a month on mobile. This makes the “choice” over your feed’s content a direct financial decision.
This “pay-for-choice” model has been endorsed by the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The regulator agrees that this framework is lawful because it provides a clear opt-out from ad targeting. In the ICO’s view, the existence of a choice, even a paid one, is what brings Meta into compliance.
This philosophy is fundamentally at odds with the EU’s position. European regulators fined Meta €200m for this model, arguing that true choice cannot be conditional on payment. They believe this framework penalises users who cannot or will not pay for their privacy rights.
Meta’s new stance in the UK cleverly reframes a regulatory obligation as a consumer benefit. It offers the power of choice, but only to those willing to open their wallets, turning a legal requirement into a new revenue opportunity.
Your Feed, Your Choice (If You Pay): Meta’s New UK Stance
Date:
Picture Credit: www.heute.at