Creators and publishers have long been concerned about Meta's ability to restrict links to external content. The company is now testing a new scheme that effectively puts link sharing behind a paywall for Facebook creators.
As part of the test, the Meta Verified subscription will determine how many links a creator can share with another profile per month. Judging by the screenshot shared Social media consultant Matt Navarra, creators who participated in the test, recently received a notice from Meta informing them that “some Facebook profiles without Meta Verified, including yours, will be limited to sharing links in two organic posts per month.”
Meta makes link exchange a fee for participating in a new test.
A Meta spokesperson confirmed the test results to Engadget. The test is currently affecting an unspecified number of creators and pages using “Pro Mode” on Facebook. Publishers are not affected at this time. “This is a limited test to see if the ability to publish an increased volume of link posts adds additional value to Meta Verified subscribers,” the spokesperson said.
While Meta appears to be trying to downplay the test, it's a noticeable shift for the company. Many creators and businesses rely on Facebook, and reducing their ability to send traffic to external websites can be a major blow. Many writers are already disappointed that the company is putting its best customer service features into the Meta Verified subscription, which starts at $14.99 per month. Making link sharing a premium feature would be even more unpopular.
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