Facebook is experimenting with a new subscription model that could limit the number of links users can share in posts unless they pay £9.99 per month. The test, currently seen by select users in the UK and US, restricts free users to sharing two links per month, pushing additional content sharing behind a paywall.

Meta’s Strategy to Monetize Content Distribution

The company, now operating under the parent brand Meta, described the initiative as a “limited test” aimed at understanding whether the ability to publish an increased volume of posts with links provides added value to subscribers.

Social media analyst Matt Navarra explained that the move represents Meta’s broader effort to monetize previously free features. He noted:

“This isn’t really about verification as much as bundling survival features behind a subscription. Meta is now putting a price tag on content distribution—the basic ability to send people to other parts of the internet.”

Meta’s existing Meta Verified program already offers benefits like a blue verification tick, enhanced account support, and protection against impersonation. This new link-sharing subscription appears to be an extension of that strategy, now targeting creators and businesses who rely on Facebook to drive traffic and engagement.

How the Test Works

Users notified of the test were told that, starting from 16 December 2025, they could only share two links per month in posts without subscribing. The test targets users in Facebook’s professional mode and those managing Pages, tools widely used by creators and businesses to promote content and analyze performance metrics.

Social Media Industry Context

Other social platforms have already explored subscription-based verification and feature access. Twitter (now X), under Elon Musk, overhauled its verification system in 2022 to reserve blue ticks for paying users, boosting their visibility in replies and feeds. The EU fined X €120 million (£105m) for regulatory concerns, highlighting the controversy around monetizing features that affect engagement and reach.

Meta has since implemented similar verification and subscription approaches and introduced a community notes tool to label misleading posts, following staff reductions in moderation and fact-checking.

Implications for Creators and Businesses

Navarra emphasized the potential consequences for content creators and small businesses:

“For creators, this reinforces the brutal reality that Facebook is no longer a reliable traffic engine. Meta is increasingly nudging access behind a paywall and optimizing for its own platform first.”

The test serves as a stark reminder of the risks of building a business that is overly dependent on a single platform. As Meta moves toward monetization, creators and businesses may need to diversify traffic strategies to avoid reliance on Facebook’s evolving policies.