🔗 Share this article

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

Details of the Test

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 be significant.

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

A History of Retreat

This action comes after years of Meta strategic withdrawal from hosting news content. Media consultants point out that after withdrawing from publisher payments and blocking news links in Canada, Meta has signaled strongly that news is no longer strategic.

Publishers previously faced a steep decline in online traffic following a policy change last year to show less news in favor of short-form and engaging video. While traffic had been recovering in 2024, it remained down by around 50% compared to the previous year.

Driving Verified Sign-ups

This latest trial is understood to be a wider effort to persuade people to subscribe to Meta Verified. This subscription service costs from £9.99 to almost four hundred pounds monthly and provides additional perks like a blue checkmark and enhanced security.

• Meta's spokesperson stated: "This is a small experiment to understand whether the option to post an greater number of posts with links adds additional value for paying users."
• Analysts theorize this move to charge for reach may be connected with Meta's expensive ventures in other areas, like the metaverse and AI.

Could News Benefit Elsewhere?

It is worth noting that earlier in the year, Meta announced a shift towards a more personalized approach for news and politics. Subsequent analysis indicated this could have resulted in increased publisher content reappearing in feeds for some users.

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

In the end, this trial underscores the ongoing tension between giant tech networks seeking new revenue streams and news organizations that rely on them for traffic and audience reach.