A new chapter is beginning for UK Facebook and Instagram users with the introduction of “the social subscription.” Meta is moving its platforms into the subscription economy, offering a paid tier that provides an ad-free experience and marks a historic shift away from a purely ad-driven model.
This new chapter will see users decide if they want to become subscribers. For a monthly fee of £2.99 (web) or £3.99 (mobile), they can join the subscriber class, enjoying a cleaner feed across their linked accounts. Non-subscribers will remain on the traditional, ad-supported service.
The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has given its blessing to this new chapter. The regulator agrees that a social subscription model is a legitimate way for Meta to comply with UK data laws, as it provides the explicit user choice that was previously missing.
This move has been blocked in the European Union, where regulators view it as a violation of digital rights. The European Commission fined Meta €200m, arguing that social platforms cannot charge for privacy, effectively halting the rollout of the social subscription model on the continent.
The UK is therefore pioneering this new phase of social media. The success of the social subscription in Britain will be a key indicator of whether this model is the next chapter for platforms worldwide, or simply a footnote in the history of the internet.