Facebook Tests Charging Users for Content Sharing, Impacting News Outlets

Facebook is testing a system that charges users for sharing web links, potentially impacting news outlets and other publishers. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, announced a limited test where users without a paid Meta Verified subscription, which costs at least nine dollars and ninety-nine cents per month, can only share two external links per month.

This test includes a subset of Facebook pages and user profiles on Professional Mode, which features tools for content creators to monetize their posts. News organizations are not included in this trial, but it may hinder their users from sharing content.

Publishers have already experienced a significant decline in online traffic following Meta's decision in 2023 to deprioritize news content on its platform. Reports indicate that Facebook traffic to news sites had been recovering, but was down fifty percent in 2024.

This new trial is part of Meta's strategy to encourage users to subscribe to Meta Verified, which offers various account features and security for a subscription fee that can range up to nearly four hundred dollars per month depending on the tier.

Meta is positioning this test as a way to determine whether allowing more link sharing adds value for Meta Verified subscribers. Media consultant David Buttle noted that Meta has been retreating from news content for several years, having previously withdrawn from publisher payments and blocked news links in Canada.

This latest experiment reflects a shift towards monetizing reach rather than offering free distribution of news. A Meta spokesperson described the test as limited and focused on understanding user engagement with increased link sharing.

Furthermore, while Meta aims for a more personalized approach to political content, analysis indicates that this has led to an increase in news content visibility on Facebook, with some publishers seeing traffic growth from the platform.