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Facebook's parent company, Meta, 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 pilot program at present includes 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 limited to sharing two free posts per month."

Stepping Back from News

This move follows years of Meta deliberately retreating from hosting news content. Industry analysts note that after ending deals to pay publishers and blocking news links in Canada, Meta has signaled strongly that news is not a priority.

Publishers previously faced a steep decline in website visitors 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 around 50% compared to the previous year.

Driving Verified Sign-ups

This latest trial is seen as part of a broader campaign to encourage users to subscribe to Meta Verified. This paid tier costs from £9.99 to almost four hundred pounds monthly and offers extra features like a verified badge and enhanced security.

• Meta's spokesperson stated: "This is a small experiment to understand whether the ability to publish an greater number of posts with links adds additional value for Meta Verified subscribers."
• Some experts suggest this move to charge for reach may be connected with Meta's costly investments in other areas, like the metaverse and artificial intelligence.

A Potential Silver Lining?

Interestingly that earlier in the year, Meta stated it would take towards a more personalized approach for political content. Later reports indicated this could have resulted in increased publisher content reappearing in feeds for some users.

As one instance, visitors referred by Facebook to certain newspaper websites was said to increase by a notable margin in the early months of this year.

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