Meta is rolling out a paid, ad-free subscription tier in the UK for Facebook and Instagram: users can either see ads and be tracked, or pay £2.99/month on web (or £3.99 on iOS/Android) to escape them.
In a piece for Performance Marketing World, Lewis Godliman, Senior Media Manager at eight&four, argues this is far less a strategic pivot and far more a regulatory workaround. European courts have pushed back on Meta’s use of personal data for targeting, so Meta is giving users a choice: ads + tracking, or pay to opt out.
Lewis notes that unlike in CTV, where ads interrupt content, Meta’s ads live in-feed and help fuel discovery. He points out that subscription models tend to appeal only to a small minority (seen similarly on X), and that Meta still depends on ads for ~98% of its revenue. The result? A slightly smaller audience might simply make the remaining impressions more valuable.
But the bigger signal, he contends, is in control. Platforms are testing how much power users really want over their experience. For brands, that means the mission becomes: create content so good it’s chosen, not forced.
In a world where ad-free is optional, relevance and resonance win. Meta may be navigating regulatory pressure, but for advertisers, it’s a creative stress test.
Read the full article here.
