TikTok is preparing to roll out a paid, ad-free version of its app in the UK. The new subscription announced today will be available to users over 18 “over the coming months,” according to TikTok’s announcement, and will cost £3.99 (about $5.40) per month. In exchange for that, TikTok will remove ads from the user’s feed, and promises to not use their data for undefined “advertising purposes”.
This “pay or consent” model is likely in response to the UK’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other privacy laws that forbid companies from harvesting personal data for advertising without getting explicit consent from social media users. The ad-free subscription is opt-in, meaning TikTok can argue that its users have a choice to avoid targeted ads. Meta implemented a similar approach for Facebook and Instagram users in the UK last year, after the same subscription model was rejected by EU regulators.
TikTok says that users who don’t sign up for the new subscription will still receive personalized ads, and the core platform experience otherwise “won’t change” for paid or free users.
“Advertising on our platform is already helping thousands of British businesses reach new customers, increase sales and create jobs, while our new ad-free option gives people greater control over their experience,” TikTok’s UK managing director, Kris Boger, said in a statement. “Together, this ensures we continue to deliver real economic impact while giving our community the flexibility to engage with TikTok in the way that suits them.”
TikTok started testing this ad-free experience in 2023, so it’s taken a while to officially launch. At the time, leaked screenshots revealed that some users were shown the option to pay $4.99 a month to not see ads, suggesting that TikTok may later expand this feature to the US. We have reached out to TikTok to ask about future availability in other regions.
