Meta is embarking on a new and controversial venture in the UK: the direct monetisation of privacy. By launching a subscription service that allows users to pay to avoid ad-targeting on Facebook and Instagram, the company is effectively creating a market where a user’s right to data privacy can be purchased for a monthly fee.
This new model will charge UK users £2.99 on the web and £3.99 on mobile for an ad-free experience across their linked accounts. In doing so, it establishes a clear price tag for opting out of Meta’s data collection and profiling systems. This move fundamentally alters the relationship between the user and the platform, turning privacy into a commercial product.
This approach has been sanctioned by the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The regulator views the subscription as a legitimate way to provide user choice, arguing that it aligns with UK law by offering a clear opt-out. This legal backing provides Meta with the foundation to build a business model based on selling privacy.
This monetisation of a fundamental right is, however, illegal in the European Union. The European Commission fined Meta €200m for the same model, stating that it violates the Digital Markets Act. The EU’s perspective is that privacy should be a standard feature, not an optional, paid-for upgrade.
The UK is therefore becoming a key case study in this new economic frontier. Legal experts note the “pro-business” stance of UK regulators is what makes this experiment possible. For users, it means the abstract concept of digital privacy now has a concrete monthly cost attached.
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