Facebook is testing a system that charges users for sharing web links, in a move that could prove to be a further blow to news outlets and other publishers.
Meta, the social media platform’s owner, said it is carrying out a “limited test” in which those without a paid Meta Verified subscription, costing at least £9.99 a month, can only post two external links a month.
The test appears to involve a subset of Facebook pages and user profiles on Professional Mode, which includes features used by content creators to monetise their posts.
News organisations are not included in the test. However, the move could hit newsrooms and other media publishers as it may stop their users from sharing their content.
The latest trial is part of a campaign to find ways of encouraging Facebook users to sign up to Meta Verified, which costs from £9.99 up to almost £400 per month per profile depending on the tier. It offers extra account features and security.
I don’t use Facebook and I miss out on a lot. Party invitations are there, school events are there, and Craigslist has been completely supplanted by Marketplace
The problem with Craig’s list is it’s still ghetto. Communication is half assed, reliant on email (which feels worse than snail mail of late), and people still get scammed or put into dangerous situations over there.
Small businesses spam it too, taking up used market real estate.