Facebook Tests Charging Users to Share Links, Raising Concerns for News Outlets

Essential brief

Key facts

Facebook is testing limits on link sharing for users without a Meta Verified subscription.

News organizations are excluded from the test but may be indirectly affected by reduced content sharing.

Meta Verified subscriptions start at £9.99 per month and offer enhanced features.

The move follows a broader decline in Facebook traffic to news sites after content prioritization changes in 2023.

Meta is focusing on monetizing reach and shifting away from supporting news content distribution.

Highlights

Facebook is testing limits on link sharing for users without a Meta Verified subscription.

News organizations are excluded from the test but may be indirectly affected by reduced content sharing.

Meta Verified subscriptions start at £9.99 per month and offer enhanced features.

The move follows a broader decline in Facebook traffic to news sites after content prioritization changes in 2023.

Facebook, owned by Meta, is conducting a limited test that restricts users without a paid Meta Verified subscription from sharing more than two external links per month.

Meta Verified, which costs at least £9.99 monthly, offers additional account features and security enhancements.

This trial primarily targets a subset of Facebook pages and user profiles operating in Professional Mode, a feature set designed to help content creators monetize their posts.

Importantly, news organizations are not included in this test.

However, the move has sparked concern among newsrooms and media publishers, as it could discourage users from sharing news content, potentially reducing traffic to their sites.

This comes after a significant decline in Facebook-driven traffic to news outlets following Meta's 2023 decision to de-prioritize news content in favor of videos and viral short-form posts.

Although some recovery was noted earlier in 2024, overall Facebook referrals to news sites remain down by approximately 50% year-over-year.

Industry experts view this test as part of Meta's broader strategy to encourage subscriptions to Meta Verified and to monetize user reach more aggressively.

David Buttle, founder of DJB Strategies, noted that Meta has been retreating from news for years, moving away from publisher payments and even blocking news links in Canada due to regulatory issues.

This shift aligns with Meta's focus on other ventures like AI and the metaverse, where it has faced challenges.

Meta stated the test aims to assess whether allowing more link sharing adds value for subscribers.

Meanwhile, Meta has also adjusted its approach to political content, resulting in increased news visibility on Facebook, as seen with the Express, which experienced a 26% growth in Facebook-driven social traffic.

The evolving landscape highlights ongoing tensions between social media platforms and news publishers over content distribution and monetization.