Users divided as Facebook and Instagram launch controversial paid tier
Facebook and Instagram's new paid tier has divided users of the social media giants.
Over the recent years, streaming services like Netflix and Disney have been cracking down on password sharing and introducing subscription tiers for ad-free viewing. Now, Meta's social media platforms are following suit.
Facebook and Instagram users in the UK are now facing a monthly charge if they want to opt out of being bombarded with personalised ads. Over the next few weeks, users will get the option to pay £2.99/month on desktop or £3.99/month on iOS and Android for an ad-free experience.
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An extra £2 on desktop and £3 on mobile will be automatically charged for each additional account.
According to Meta, the higher price for mobile users is due to the fees Google and Apple charge for using their platforms. This represents a massive U-turn for Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who previously insisted Facebook would never make users pay to remove ads.
However, the tech giant claims that the change is necessary due to new regulations from the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), which require explicit user consent before their data can be used for advertising purposes.
Therefore, users who don't pay up will automatically be considered as consenting to having their personal information used to target them with ads.
"It will give people in the UK a clear choice about whether their data is used for personalised advertising," Meta confirmed in a statement.
All UK users over 18 will see a notification offering the subscription option to avoid targeted advertising on Facebook and Instagram.
While it can be 'dismissed' at first, Meta says this will give users time to think before 'a decision is required'. Users who refuse to pay won't see any changes to their service and will continue to receive targeted ads, just as before.
The ICO proposes that the subscription, which will cost up to £47.88 per year for a single account, 'provides UK consumers with a fair choice'.
Reddit users have been voicing their opinions about the change.
"My Facebook feed will be empty if there are no ads," one user pointed out.
"Bye bye Facebook," another user wrote.
"I save myself £2.99 by not using Facebook or Instagram," someone else commented.
"In all honesty this might be the nail in the coffin for me and many others," a fourth user declared in another Reddit post. "As I know many people will just opt out."
An ICO spokesperson stated: "We welcome Meta's decision to ask users for consent to use their personal information to target them with ads.
"This moves Meta away from targeting users with ads as part of the standard terms and conditions for using its Facebook and Instagram services, which we've been clear is not in line with UK law."