Meta Trials Charging Users for Posting Web Links, Potentially Striking a Hard Blow to Publishers

Meta, the company behind Facebook, is conducting a limited test where profiles without a paid subscription may be limited to posting just two external web links per month.

The Trial's Parameters

This experiment currently involves a selection of Facebook profiles using Professional Mode features, which is often used by content creators to monetize their posts. While news organizations are not part of this test, the long-term implications could be significant.

"Beginning 16 December, some Facebook accounts without Meta Verified will be limited to sharing two free posts per month."

Stepping Back from News

This move follows years of Meta strategic withdrawal from hosting news content. Industry analysts note that after ending deals to pay publishers and restricting news sharing in Canada, Meta has signaled strongly that news is not a priority.

Media companies previously faced a massive drop in online traffic following a 2023 decision to show less news in favor of more videos and viral content. While traffic had been recovering in 2024, it remained down by around 50% compared to the previous year.

The Push for Subscriptions

The new test is seen as part of a broader campaign to encourage users to subscribe to Meta Verified. This paid tier costs from £9.99 to nearly £400 monthly and provides additional perks like a blue checkmark and improved account protection.

• A company representative said: "This is a small experiment to understand whether the option to post an greater number of posts with links provides extra benefit for Meta Verified subscribers."
• Analysts theorize this move to charge for reach may be linked to Meta's expensive ventures in other areas, like the virtual reality and artificial intelligence.

A Potential Silver Lining?

Interestingly that in January, Meta announced a shift towards a more personalized approach for news and politics. Subsequent analysis indicated this could have resulted in more news content reappearing in feeds for some users.

As one instance, traffic from Facebook to certain newspaper websites was said to increase significantly in the early months of this year.

Ultimately, this test highlights the continuing struggle between social media platforms seeking fresh income sources and news organizations that depend upon them for readers and visibility.