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Meta, the company behind Facebook, is conducting a limited test where users without a paid subscription may be limited to sharing only two links to other sites per month.

The Trial's Parameters

This pilot program currently involves a subset of Facebook pages operating in Professional Mode, which is often used by creators and influencers to earn money from their posts. Although publishers are excluded from this trial, the broader impact could prove substantial.

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

A History of Retreat

This action comes after years of Meta strategic withdrawal from news distribution. Media consultants point out that after ending deals to pay publishers and restricting news sharing in Canada, Meta has signaled strongly that news is not a priority.

Publishers already experienced a steep decline in website visitors following a policy change last year to show less news in favor of more videos and viral content. Although visits were starting to rebound in 2024, it remained down 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 costs from £9.99 to nearly £400 monthly and provides additional perks like a verified badge and enhanced security.

• Meta's spokesperson stated: "This is a limited test 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 linked to Meta's expensive ventures in other areas, like the metaverse and AI.

A Potential Silver Lining?

It is worth noting that earlier in the year, Meta announced a shift towards a tailored feed for political content. Subsequent analysis indicated this may have led to more news content reappearing in feeds for some users.

As one instance, visitors referred by Facebook to some major sites was said to increase 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 publishers that rely on them for readers and visibility.