For most people, the experience will remain unchanged: Facebook and Instagram will still be free to use, with ads continuing to appear in feeds.

Meta is preparing to roll out a new subscription service in the UK that will allow users to pay to remove ads from Facebook and Instagram, raising questions about the future of ‘free’ social media.

Over the coming weeks, UK users will see notifications explaining the change. Those who want to avoid ads can subscribe for £2.99 per month on the web or £3.99 on iOS and Android, while those who continue using the platforms for free will still see personalised advertising.

Additional accounts will incur a slightly lower cost to add to a subscription.

Meta says the move follows guidance from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) on ‘consent or

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