Facebook tests £9.99 monthly subscription for sharing more links
Meta tests paid tier to unlock more link-sharing capacity as part of broader monetization strategy, drawing comparisons with verification schemes and rival platforms
Facebook is testing a paid tier that would cap how many links users can share in posts, with a price of £9.99 per month. The test targets a subset of users in the United Kingdom and United States and affects those using Facebook in professional mode or Pages.
Notifications seen by some users indicate they can share only a limited number of links in Facebook posts without subscribing—which, for the test group, appears to be two links a month, according to reports cited by BBC News. Meta has described the test as a limited experiment to understand whether the ability to publish an increased volume of posts with links adds additional value for subscribers.
"This isn't really about verification as much as about bundling survival features behind a subscription," Matt Navarra, a social media expert, told the BBC. Navarra noted that the move signals a broader monetization push beyond verification and that access to distribution tools could come with a price tag.
Meta Verified has been rolled out on Facebook and Instagram to offer a blue check, enhanced account support and protection from impersonation. Industry observers say the latest test broadens the company’s strategy of tying more features to paid tiers and echoes changes seen at rivals such as X (formerly Twitter) after Elon Musk’s 2022 ownership—though with its own twists—and parallels the EU’s €120 million fine tied to verification changes.
Facebook told TechCrunch that the link-limiting test extended to a select group of users of its "professional mode" or Pages, a cohort that includes many creators and businesses who use the platform to promote content and gauge performance.
The test has drawn attention to how Meta is balancing user growth, traffic reliability and monetization. Navarra said, "If you're a creator or a business, I think the message is essentially if Facebook is a part of your growth or traffic strategy, that access now has a price tag attached to it." He added that tests like this underline why building a business that's overly dependent on any one platform's goodwill is risky.
Overall, the move illustrates Meta's ongoing shift toward monetizing more core platform functions, while underscoring the risk that creators face as platforms experiment with paid access to distribution and reach.