TikTok allows UK users to pay to remove ads

TikTok is planning to release a paid, ad-free version of its app in the UK. The new subscription announced today will be available to users over the age of 18 “in the coming months,” according to TikTok’s announcement, and will cost $3.99 (about $5.40) per month. In exchange, TikTok will remove ads from the user’s feed, promising not to use their data for anonymous “advertisements.”

The “payment or consent” model must comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other privacy laws that prohibit companies from harvesting their data for advertising purposes without consent from social media users. Ad-free subscription is opt-in, which means that TikTok can say that its users have the choice to avoid the ads they want. Meta used a similar method Facebook and Instagram users in the UK last year, after the same model was registered rejected by the EU authorities.

TikTok says users who haven’t signed up for a new subscription will still receive personalized ads, and the experience on the platform “will not 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 approach gives people more control over their experience,” Kris Boger, head of TikTok UK, said in a statement. “Together, this ensures that we continue to deliver economic impact while giving our community the opportunity to engage with TikTok as they see fit.”

TikTok started try this without ads in 2023so it has taken some time to be established. At the time, leaked images revealed that some users were offered the option to pay $4.99 a month to avoid seeing ads, suggesting that TikTok could expand this to the US. We’ve reached out to TikTok to ask about future availability in other regions.