TikTok announced it will roll out a paid, ad-free subscription service in the United Kingdom over the coming months, marking the platform's first major move into premium subscriptions. The service will cost £3.99 (approximately $5.40) per month and will be available to users over 18 years old.

Under the new subscription model, paying users will not see advertisements on the platform, and their data will not be used for advertising purposes. The launch represents a significant shift for TikTok, which has historically relied entirely on advertising revenue to support its free service model.

Meanwhile, payment app Venmo is testing a comprehensive redesign that implements notable privacy improvements. The updated onboarding process for new users will set their transaction posts to be viewable only by friends by default, rather than being publicly visible as in the current system.

The timing of Venmo's redesign coincides with significant corporate restructuring at parent company PayPal. PayPal is reportedly restructuring to spin Venmo off as a standalone business unit, a move analysts view as potentially laying groundwork for a future sale. Financial services company Stripe has reportedly expressed interest in acquiring PayPal.

Both updates reflect broader industry trends toward enhanced user privacy controls and diversified revenue models as major technology platforms adapt to changing regulatory environments and user expectations.