Facebook Tests Charging Users for Sharing Links, Possibly Striking a Hard Blow to Publishers
Facebook's parent company, Meta, is conducting a limited test where users without a paid subscription may be limited to sharing only two external web links per month.
The Trial's Parameters
This experiment at present includes a selection of Facebook profiles operating in Professional Mode, which is typically utilized by creators and influencers to monetize their posts. Although publishers are excluded from this trial, the broader impact could be significant.
"Starting 16 December, certain Facebook profiles without Meta Verified will be restricted to posting two free posts per month."
Stepping Back from News
This move follows years of Meta strategic withdrawal from hosting news content. Media consultants note that after ending deals to pay publishers and blocking news links in Canada, Meta has signaled strongly that news is not a priority.
Publishers already experienced a steep decline in website visitors following a policy change last year to show less news in favor of more videos and viral content. Although visits were starting to rebound in 2024, it remained down by approximately half compared to the previous year.
Driving Verified Sign-ups
The new test is understood to be a broader campaign to persuade people to sign up for Meta Verified. This subscription service costs from £9.99 to nearly £400 monthly and offers extra features like a verified badge and improved account protection.
- A company representative said: "This is a small experiment to understand whether the ability to publish an increased volume of posts with links provides extra benefit for paying users."
- Analysts theorize this shift towards monetization may be linked to Meta's expensive ventures in other areas, like the virtual reality and AI.
A Potential Silver Lining?
It is worth noting that in January, Meta stated it would take towards a more personalized approach for news and politics. Subsequent analysis indicated this may have led to more news content reappearing in feeds for some users.
For example, traffic from Facebook to certain newspaper websites was said to increase significantly in the early months of this year.
In the end, this test highlights the continuing struggle between giant tech networks seeking fresh income sources and news organizations that rely on them for readers and visibility.
