Facebook Tests Charging Users for Posting Web Links, Potentially Striking a Hard Blow to Publishers

Facebook's parent company, Meta, is running a small-scale trial where profiles without a paid subscription could be restricted to sharing only 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 typically utilized by creators and influencers to earn money from their posts. While news organizations are not part of this test, the long-term implications could prove substantial.

"Beginning 16 December, certain Facebook profiles without Meta Verified will be restricted to posting two free posts per month."

Stepping Back from News

This action comes after years of Meta deliberately retreating from news distribution. Industry analysts point out that after ending deals to pay publishers and blocking news links in Canada, Meta has signaled strongly that news is no longer strategic.

Publishers previously faced a massive drop in website visitors following a policy change last year to de-prioritise news in favor of short-form and engaging video. Although visits were starting to rebound in 2024, it was still lower by around 50% compared to the previous year.

Driving Verified Sign-ups

The new test is understood to be a wider effort to encourage users to sign up for Meta Verified. This paid tier ranges in price from £9.99 to almost four hundred pounds 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 option to post an increased volume of posts with links adds additional value for Meta Verified subscribers."
• Some experts suggest this shift towards monetization may be connected with Meta's costly investments in other areas, like the virtual reality and AI.

Could News Benefit Elsewhere?

It is worth noting that in January, Meta stated it would take towards a more personalized approach for news and politics. Later reports indicated this may have led to more news content showing up again for some users.

For example, traffic from Facebook to some major sites reportedly grew by a notable margin in the first part of 2025.

In the end, this test highlights the ongoing tension between giant tech networks seeking new revenue streams and publishers that depend upon them for traffic and audience reach.