Meta’s Subscription Model Gets Green Light from UK’s ICO

Meta has received the official green light from the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for its new plan to offer an ad-free subscription service to Facebook and Instagram users. This endorsement is a major win for the tech giant in the UK, providing a clear path forward for a business model that has been heavily challenged elsewhere.
The approved plan will ask UK users to choose between the existing free service funded by personalised ads, or paying a monthly fee to remove them. This fee is set at £2.99 for web access and £3.99 for mobile. Meta has confirmed that one subscription will cover both platforms for users with linked accounts, ensuring a simple pricing structure.
The ICO’s approval is based on the principle of user choice. The watchdog stated that this model is an improvement because it moves Meta away from its previous position where accepting data processing for ads was a mandatory part of the terms of service. “This moves Meta away from targeting users with ads as part of the standard terms and conditions… which we’ve been clear is not in line with UK law,” an ICO spokesperson said.
This positive reception is particularly significant given the model’s failure to pass muster in the European Union. In the EU, the same subscription plan was met with a €200m fine and a ruling that it breached the Digital Markets Act. The European Commission contends that making users pay for privacy is fundamentally unfair and that a less data-intensive free version should be the standard.
The ICO’s decision underscores a growing divergence in regulatory approaches between the UK and the EU. Legal analysts suggest this is part of a deliberate UK strategy to create a “pro-business” environment that encourages growth in the digital economy. By approving this model, the UK is signalling a greater willingness to accept commercial solutions to data privacy challenges.