For the first time, Facebook is limiting the number of links users can share without a Meta “verified” subscription, according to screenshots shared by social media specialist Matt Navarra.
The social media company’s small-scale test is limiting some unverified users to sharing only two links per month in organic Facebook posts.
A Meta spokesperson told Navarra that the test was devised to “understand whether the ability to publish an increased volume of posts with links add additional value for Meta Verified subscribers.”
The change would directly affect business accounts using Facebook to promote their products and brand, effectively forcing them into paying to be verified on the platform, which costs between $14.99 and $499 per month.
“Subscribe to Meta Verified to share more links on Facebook, plus get a verified badge and additional benefits to help protect your brand,” Meta’s message regarding the new link limitation reads.
Based on the screenshot, the test impacts profiles using a professional account or that are operating through Pages.
Publishers are currently not included in the test, and users can still post unlimited links in the comments section of a post.
By onboarding more verified subscribers, Meta could greatly increase its subscription-based revenue stream.
Although the company has yet to share exact data on the amount of verified subscribers in total, Social Media Today estimated over the summer that about 7 million users subscribe (less than 1% of its user base), driving around $93 million per month across Facebook and Instagram.
Meta’s crackdown on links may also be a sign of the company’s recent redesign efforts to promote the Facebook features that are most popular among the majority of its users — especially Gen Z — while disregarding content-types that deliver lower engagement.
Based on Meta’s most recent content report, Facebook posts including a link do not perform well on the app and receive little to no reach. Currently, only 1.9% of all Facebook feed content views in the U.S. were made up of posts with a link, marking a decline of 8% over the past 3 years.