Meta Tests Charging Users for Sharing Links, Potentially Striking a Hard Blow to News Outlets

Meta, the company behind Facebook, is running a small-scale trial where users without a Meta Verified account may be limited to posting just two links to other sites per month.

The Trial's Parameters

This experiment at present includes a subset of Facebook pages operating in Professional Mode, which is typically utilized by content creators to monetize their posts. While news organizations are not part of this test, the broader impact could be significant.

"Starting 16 December, certain Facebook profiles 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 news distribution. Industry analysts point out that after ending deals to pay publishers and restricting news sharing in Canada, Meta has made it clear that news is no longer strategic.

Publishers previously faced a steep decline in website visitors following a policy change last year to de-prioritise news in favor of more videos and viral content. Although visits were starting to rebound in 2024, it was still lower by approximately half compared to the previous year.

The Push for Subscriptions

This latest trial is seen as part of a wider effort to persuade people to sign up for Meta Verified. This subscription service ranges in price from £9.99 to nearly £400 monthly and offers extra features like a verified badge and enhanced security.

• Meta's spokesperson stated: "This is a small experiment to see if the option to post an increased volume of posts with links provides extra benefit for Meta Verified subscribers."
• Some experts suggest this shift towards monetization may be linked to Meta's costly investments in other areas, like the virtual reality and AI.

Could News Benefit Elsewhere?

It is worth noting that earlier in the year, Meta stated it would take towards a tailored feed for news and politics. Subsequent analysis indicated this could have resulted in increased publisher content showing up again for some users.

For example, traffic from Facebook to certain newspaper websites reportedly grew significantly in the first part of 2025.

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