TikTok is going ad-free in the UK if you pay 3.99 a month for it

Date:
Mon, 11 May 2026 21:30:00 +0000

Description:
TikTok is launched an ad-free service is in the UK, but would you pay 3.99
for it?

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Ad-free TikTok subscription is coming to the UK It'll cost you 3.99 per month It's rolling out now and
should be available to all UK users in the coming months TikTok is getting a paid subscription tier in the UK as it seems no streaming service is immune
to price hikes though a free with ads option will remain.

Its starting to roll out now to users who are 18 and over, and for 3.99 a month, youll be able to completely ditch ads while scrolling. Well, you wont see ads serviced by TikTok, but sponsored creator content (the videos often tagged with #ad) will still appear in your feed. If you havent seen an in-app notice about it yet, TikTok has said it will gradually expand the service to people over the next few months. Latest Videos From You may like Ad-free Amazon Prime Video gets a price bump and a rebrand in the US Furious US Netflix fans lash out over new price hike as other users look on with concern Apple debuts new annual App Store subscriptions with monthly payments

Alternatively, you can choose not to sign up and keep watching TikTok for free, but youll continue to see personalized ads in your feed every so often.

The company has been testing ad-free subscriptions since 2023, and it isnt
the first social media site to offer something along this line. There are services such as YouTube Premium, or Facebook and Instagrams ad-free tiers (which launched in 2025). (Image credit: Kenneth Cheung/via Getty Images) Non-social media sites have joined this consent or pay structure too, with
the plan being that it allows websites to comply with UK data protection law while still making money from users who want privacy.

Essentially, users have to be allowed privacy controls over targeted ads advertisements which use tracked data across your accounts and online habits to send you more personalized suggestions. The thing is, these targeted ads are more valuable because theyre more likely to convert viewers into buyers. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our
trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Under this consent-or-pay system, you can opt out of targeted ads by opting out of ads entirely and paying a fee.

The trouble with this system in privacy advocates minds is that it creates a two-tiered internet. Speaking to the BBC, social media expert Matt Navarra explained that "We are heading towards a two-tiered social internet. One version for people who can afford more control and privacy, and another version for everybody else."

A litany of new subscription fees feels especially difficult to pay right now as we see the cost of everything including more essential purchases rise
due to a mixture of global and national financial challenges. What to read next Google rolls out unskippable ads to YouTube's TV experience to lure more Premium users YouTube Premium Lite just got better with two new upgrades
we've been waiting a year for OpenAI is serving ads to free and paying users, and not everyone is happy

The counterargument is that these services are offered for no charge despite not being free to provide and maintain. In exchange for not paying a fee, youll see some ads; its a fair deal. (Image credit: Blackview) The thing is, the personal data fuelling targeted ads is incredibly valuable a lot more than we might realize. So it is a trade, but the fairness of the deal is up for debate.

Unfortunately, TikToks new subscription model is likely a sign of more to
come in the UK, where, increasingly, the only free data privacy method is simply to stop using these sites and services altogether. Though these sites are banking on the hope that it wont happen. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/tiktok/tiktok-is-going-ad-free-in-the-uk-i f-you-pay-gbp3-99-a-month-for-it


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