Meta Platforms (META, Financials) is exploring a subscription-based, ad-free version of Facebook and Instagram for users in the United Kingdom, as the company works to navigate increasingly strict privacy regulations.

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The suggested subscription would reflect a model now in use across the European Union. Initially costing 9.99 per month, the firm added an ad-free tier in the area in late 2023; it was then lowered to 5.99 ($6.50). The action was meant to follow data privacy regulations and provide consumers a choice to tailored advertising by paying for platform access.Meta is now working with the Information Commissioner’s Office of the United Kingdom to make sure the suggested U.K. subscription follows local data protection laws. According to the ICO, under its policies, consumers should not be pushed into allowing monitoring in return for access but rather should be given a “genuine free choice.”Several online platforms and publications like the Guardian, the Daily Mirror, and the Independent have chosen the subscription model, also known as “consent or pay.” The system calls for users to either agree to behavioral monitoring for advertisements or pay for a private, ad-free experience.Meta’s most recent quarter’s advertising brought in over 96% of its income, therefore stressing the possible effect of any change toward a paid model. Although the ad-free choice provides a different income source, some experts think its main goal might be regulatory compliance rather than income creation.Other sites like X, previously Twitter, Snapchat, and TikHub, have also started experimenting with such ad-free subscription systems.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.