Technologies

Facebook and Instagram Are Now Offering No-Ad Paid Subscriptions in the UK

Ad-free subscriptions for UK residents are about half the cost of those for EU users.

Pay for Facebook and Instagram? That may seem unthinkable to those of us who use the free apps.

Parent company Meta announced Friday that users in the UK can choose to pay for a Facebook or Instagram subscription if they don’t want to see targeted ads. Going ad-free is still not an option for anyone in the US who is tired of seeing products in their social media feeds.

The UK Information Commissioner’s Office published guidance about ad-free subscriptions earlier this year and said on Friday that it welcomed the change.

«This moves Meta away from targeting users with ads as part of the standard terms and conditions for using its Facebook and Instagram services, which we’ve been clear is not in line with UK law,» the statement said. «Under Meta’s chosen approach, people will be able to choose between consenting to personalized ads or paying a monthly subscription for an ad-free service — known as a ‘consent or pay’ model.»

A representative for Meta referred CNET to the public announcement.

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A no-ad subscription for a user’s first Meta account, if only used on the web, will cost £3/month (roughly $4). It will cost £4/month ($5.35) for use on iOS and Android. Meta says in its statement that the iOS and Android subscriptions cost more because of fees charged by Apple and Google.

If someone has a second account they’d like to go ad-free, the fee for that account is slightly reduced to £2/month ($2.68) on the web, or £3/month ($4.02) on iOS and Android.

Read more: Meta’s Bosworth Hints That Neural Band Could Eventually Evolve Into a Watch

The Information Commissioner’s Office said it will monitor Meta’s rollout of its changes «to ensure consumers are empowered to make choices and are able to give their consent freely.»

Meta sites don’t display the same advertisements in every user’s feed. The company uses data from individuals to serve personalized ads, claiming it helps people discover relevant products and services and helps businesses reach the most likely customers for what they’re offering.

UK companies will still be able to show personalize ads to those who don’t want to pay for the ad-free version.

Users of Facebook and Instagram in the EU — which has had the option to subscribe and avoid ads since 2023 — are charged more than twice the UK cost if they want the ad-free service. The BBC reports that EU subscriber fees begin at 6 euros (equivalent to £5.23 or $7).

Technologies

A Burner Phone Is Your Best Defense Against Border Searches. Here’s What to Know.

Find out why even a locked phone is not safe from border patrol searches and how a burner phone is the best solution.

Crossing the border can be extremely stressful. And now your phone adds another layer. According to new figures from US Customs and Border Protection, nearly 15,000 device searches were carried out between April and June — over 1,000 of them using advanced tools that copy or analyze a phone’s contents. The rising numbers raise questions about how much personal data travelers may be handing over without realizing it.

The answer? Buying a burner phone. It can keep you connected for calls and texts while limiting the amount of personal information stored on it. It’s not just about crossing borders either — having a stripped-down device can help cut screen time, reduce distractions and give you a mental break from constant notifications.

Even celebrities have embraced the switch. Conan O’Brien has said that carrying a simpler phone helps him stay focused, proving that sometimes less really is more. If your smartphone feels like it holds too much of your life, scaling back — whether for travel or everyday use — might be worth considering.

Read more: Best Prepaid Phone of 2025

Although carriers have offered prepaid phones since the ’90s, «burner phones» or «burners» became more popular in the 2000s following the celebrated HBO series The Wire, where they helped characters avoid getting caught by the police. Though often portrayed in that light, burners aren’t only used by criminals, but really by anyone concerned with surveillance or privacy infringement.

What is a burner phone, and how does it work? Here’s everything you need to know about burners and how to get one.

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What is a burner phone?

A burner phone is a cheap prepaid phone with no commitments. It comes with a set number of prepaid call minutes, text messages or data, and it’s designed to be disposed of after use.

Burners are contract-free, and you can grab them off the counter. They’re called burner phones because you can «burn» them (trash them after use), and the phone can’t be traced back to you, which makes them appealing to criminals. Burner phones are typically used when you need a phone quickly, without intentions of long-term usage.

Burners are different from getting a regular, contract-bound cellphone plans that require your information to be on file.

Why should you use a burner phone?

Burner phones are an easy way to avoid cellphone contracts or spam that you get on your primary phone number. Burners aren’t linked to your identity, so you can avoid being tracked down or contacted.

You don’t have to dispose of a burner phone after use. You can add more minutes and continue using it. Burner phones can still function as regular phones, minus the hassle of a contract.

You can also get a burner phone as a secondary phone for a specific purpose, like having a spare phone number for two-factor authentication texts, for business or to avoid roaming charges while traveling. Burner phones are often used by anyone concerned with privacy.

Read more: The Data Privacy Tips Digital Security Experts Wish You Knew

Burner phones, prepaid phones, smartphones and burner SIMs: What’s the difference?

Burner phones are cheap phones with simple designs that lack the bells and whistles of a smartphone. Because they’re designed to be disposable, you only get the essentials, as seen by the most common version, the flip phone.

All burner phones are prepaid phones, but not all prepaid phones are burners. What sets a burner apart is that you won’t have to give away any personal information to get one, and it won’t be traceable back to you. Again, a burner phone is cheap enough to be destroyed after use.

Prepaid smartphones are generally low-end models. You can use any unlocked smartphone with prepaid SIM cards, essentially making it a prepaid phone.

If you want a burner, you don’t necessarily have to buy a new phone. You can get a burner SIM and use it with an existing phone. Burner SIMs are prepaid SIMs you can get without a contract or giving away personal information.

Where can you buy a burner phone?

Burner phones are available at all major retail outlets, including Best Buy, Target and Walmart. They’re also often available at convenience stores like 7-Eleven, local supermarkets, gas stations and retail phone outlets like Cricket and Metro.

You can get a burner phone with cash, and it should cost between $10 and $50, though it may cost more if you get more minutes and data. If you’re getting a burner phone specifically to avoid having the phone traced back to you, it makes sense to pay with cash instead of a credit card.

If you just want a prepaid secondary phone, you can use a credit card. Just keep in mind that credit cards leave a trail that leads back to you.

There are also many apps that let you get secondary phone numbers, including Google Fi and the Burner app. However, these aren’t burners necessarily because the providers typically have at least some of your personal information.

If you’re just looking to get a solid prepaid phone without anonymity, check out our full guide for the best prepaid phone plans available. We also have a guide for the best cheap phone plans.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Sunday, Sept. 28

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Sept. 28.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Wow, 1-Across was tricky today. In short, «chicken» doesn’t always refer to the bird. Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Make chicken?
Answer: SCARE

6A clue: Stretchy glove material
Answer: LATEX

7A clue: Island that’s the «A» of the so-called ABC Islands
Answer: ARUBA

8A clue: Gently play, as a guitar
Answer: STRUM

9A clue: Helpful link for a daily Spelling Bee solver
Answer: HINTS

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: What’s typed instead of a question mark if you forget to press shift
Answer: SLASH

2D clue: Rapper Playboi ___
Answer: CARTI

3D clue: Take ___ for the worse
Answer: ATURN

4D clue: Make a counterargument against
Answer: REBUT

5D clue: Midterms and finals
Answer: EXAMS

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Sept. 28, #840

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Sept. 28, #840.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle has one category that could actually go into the Connections: Sports Edition puzzle. And the yellow category, which is supposed to be the easiest, was a stumper for me. If you need help, you’re in the right place. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Support.

Green group hint: Be careful on your computer.

Blue group hint: Blow a bubble.

Purple group hint: Are you ready for some football?