Facebook May Start Charging in the UK — Here's Why Brits Could Soon Face a Shocking New Subscription Fee

The digital landscape is evolving, and UK Facebook users may soon find themselves paying for access. Rumours of a potential subscription fee are gaining traction, raising concerns over whether scrolling through social media could soon come at a cost.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has suggested that subscriptions may be introduced for UK users. The company explains that Facebook and Instagram remain free in Britain due to personalised advertising, hinting that this model could change in the future.

The Subscription Switch: What UK Users Might Face

This means the ads you see are picked to match what you like and what you've clicked on, aiming to make you buy something. However, Meta has now pledged to cease showing personalised ads to a human rights advocate who brought their case to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), according to a report by Metro.

Tanya O'Carroll took legal action against Facebook, arguing the company utilised her private information for direct marketing. The ICO confirmed her ability to challenge this based on GDPR. Tanya, who called the ads' surveillance ads,' celebrated her 'victory' and said she thinks this sets a precedent for people to fight against such advertising online.

However, a Meta representative stated the company 'fundamentally disagrees' with Tanya's claims, asserting that 'no business can be mandated to give away its services for free.' Meta currently offers an ad-free subscription option for EU users, and they might bring this same choice to the UK.

With the comment that Meta is 'pleased to draw a line under this long-running case,' the spokesperson also noted that the firm takes its 'UK GDPR obligations seriously and provides robust settings and tools for users to control their data and advertising preferences.'

Targeted Ads Under Fire

'Facebook and Instagram cost a significant amount of money to build and maintain, and these services are free for British consumers because of personalised advertising. Like many internet services, we are exploring the option of offering people based in the UK a subscription and will share further information in due course,' the spokesperson added.

Tanya responded to the ruling by saying, 'In settling my case, Meta has agreed to stop processing my personal data for direct marketing purposes. In non-legalese, that means I will no longer be shown surveillance ads on Facebook.'

'I believe this is a victory not just for me but for every UK and EU citizen as it paves the way for the right to object to be used to stand up to surveillance advertising across the web.'

'I applaud the ICO for their rational and principled application of the law in their intervention in my case and for publicly confirming they will back up other UK citizens who wish to exercise their right to object in the context of online targeted ads.'

Protecting User Data And Rights

According to an ICO spokesperson, Individuals possess the right to oppose the use of their personal data for direct marketing, and the ICO has consistently affirmed that targeted online advertising must be considered direct marketing.

'Organisations must respect people's choices about how their data is used. This means giving users a clear way to opt out of their data being used in this way,' the ICO spokesperson explained.

The representative clarified, 'If people believe that an organisation is not complying with their request to stop processing their data, they can file a complaint to us. We will continue to engage with Meta on this issue.'