Contentpass Welcomes ICO/Meta Agreement on "Pay or OK" Model in UK and Calls for EU Clarity

Press Release, Berlin, Germany, September 29, 2025

Contentpass, provider of the privacy-friendly flat rate for ad-free and tracking-free digital content, welcomes the recent agreement between the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and Meta on the so-called "Pay or OK" model. The ICO's balanced decision sends an important signal to the digital market and reinforces Contentpass's conviction that a fair cross-website payment model represents a consumer-friendly alternative to personalized advertising and tracking.

Meta offers paid access to Facebook and Instagram in the UK without advertising or tracking. The ICO recognizes this under the condition of fair pricing and transparent choice options.

Contentpass founder Dirk Freytag comments: "The ICO's renewed recognition of the 'Pay or OK' model is a milestone. This confirms that data protection and the monetization of digital content are not mutually exclusive, as long as users have a genuine, fair choice. This genuine freedom of choice is precisely the foundation of Contentpass."

While the UK has taken an important step toward clarity, legal uncertainty persists in the European Union. The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) continues to examine the model critically—despite various positive statements from national data protection authorities and the European Court of Justice (CJEU)—particularly regarding requirements for "freely given consent" under GDPR.

Contentpass, provider of a privacy-friendly flat rate for ad-free and tracking-free digital content, sees itself with its subscription covering over 600 websites as a pioneer for a fair and balanced approach that benefits both users and website operators. The company calls on European regulatory authorities to promptly create uniform and reliable legal frameworks for the "Pay or OK" model in the EU. This should equally serve the interests of publishers and users' fundamental rights to free access to information and informational self-determination.

The Bavarian State Office for Data Protection Supervision (BayLDA) reaffirmed yesterday that the EDPB, even in its current 2024 statement, "does not demand a third alternative."

The Hamburg Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (HmbBFDI) expressed similar views, stating they would "gladly do without the third option," though this would require a fair price point and that "price must be part of the data protection assessment."

"The statements from BayLDA and HmbBFDI are welcome and build on their balanced and practical approach to 'Pay or OK' in Germany. Regardless, ongoing uncertainty in the EU paralyzes both innovation and growth, making it difficult for publishers to secure revenue streams and focus on the upcoming AI transformation," Freytag adds. "We hope the EDPB will adopt the ICO's balanced stance and provide the necessary clarity so that fair alternatives to tracking, like our Contentpass model, can become widely established."

About Contentpass

Contentpass offers a privacy-friendly flat rate that provides users with ad-free and tracking-free access to a growing network of currently 600 websites across 23 countries for a small monthly fee. The company positions itself as a fair alternative to personalized advertising and tracking, advocating for a transparent and user-friendly internet that balances user privacy with the economic necessities of digital services.

Press Contact: Dirk Freytag, press@contentpass.de

Image: Dirk Freytag

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