If you're someone who likes sharing links on Facebook, you may soon think twice before hitting "share." We've just learned that the platform is testing a new system that would charge users for sharing web links, and it's already raising some concerns among publishers.
Meta has confirmed it's running a limited test in which users without a Meta Verified subscription (starting at £9.99 a month) are allowed to share only two external links per month. The test currently affects a small number of accounts using Facebook's Professional Mode.
A potential blow for news outlets
News organisations aren't included in the test themselves, but the concern is obvious: if everyday users can't freely share articles, traffic to news sites could take another hit. Many publishers are still recovering from Meta's earlier decision to push news lower in feeds in favour of videos and viral content.
For Meta, the experiment is largely about monetisation. The company wants to see whether expanded link-sharing is something people would be willing to pay for as part of its Meta Verified push. For publishers, however, it's yet another potential blow, especially for those who depend on Facebook to drive traffic to their websites.