TikTok is introducing a subscription charge for UK users who want an ad-free experience.
From next week, the platform will begin offering users aged 18+ in the UK the subscription for a fee of about $12AUD a month.
The move by the social media giant comes after it began testing ad-free monthly subscriptions in different markets in 2023.
@bbcnews Would you pay for ad-free TikTok? #TikTok #Subscription #SocialMedia #News #BBCNews ♬ original sound – BBC News
TikTok to offer ad-free subscription in UK
Kris Boger, TikTok’s UK managing director, said:
“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.
“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.”
Users who subscribe will still see content by creators who have been paid by third parties to post.
As more platforms such as Instagram have begun to offer similar options, the move has been criticised.
“We’re moving away from an internet where the deal was you use the app for free but see ads, to one where the deal is increasingly: use the app for free and be profiled for personalised ads, or pay to escape them,” social media expert Matt Navarra told the BBC.
He predicted that uptake of TikTok’s offering would be limited, with many unlikely to pay for no ads, and expressed concern that the “practise of paying for more privacy online is becoming normalised.”
Navarra added, “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.”