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

Details of the Test

This experiment currently involves a subset of Facebook pages using Professional Mode features, 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 be significant.

"Beginning 16 December, some Facebook accounts without Meta Verified will be restricted to posting two free posts per month."

A History of Retreat

This move follows years of Meta deliberately retreating from news distribution. Media consultants note that after withdrawing from publisher payments and restricting news sharing in Canada, Meta has signaled strongly that news is not a priority.

Publishers already experienced a steep decline in online traffic following a policy change last year to de-prioritise news in favor of short-form and engaging video. Although visits were starting to rebound in 2024, it was still lower by approximately half compared to the previous year.

The Push for Subscriptions

The new test is understood to be a broader campaign to persuade people to sign up for Meta Verified. This subscription service costs from £9.99 to almost four hundred pounds monthly and provides additional perks like a verified badge and improved account protection.

• Meta's spokesperson stated: "This is a limited test to understand whether the ability to publish an greater number of posts with links adds additional value for paying users."
• Analysts theorize this shift towards monetization may be linked to Meta's expensive ventures in other areas, like the metaverse and AI.

Could News Benefit Elsewhere?

It is worth noting that in January, Meta announced a shift towards a more personalized approach for news and politics. Subsequent analysis indicated this may have led to more news content reappearing in feeds for some users.

For example, visitors referred by Facebook to certain newspaper websites reportedly grew significantly in the early months of this year.

Ultimately, this trial underscores the continuing struggle between giant tech networks seeking new revenue streams and publishers that rely on them for traffic and audience reach.