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Meta, the company behind Facebook, is conducting a limited test where users without a Meta Verified account could be restricted to sharing only two external web links per month.

Details of the Test

This pilot program at present includes a selection of Facebook profiles using Professional Mode features, which is typically utilized by content creators to earn money from their posts. Although publishers are excluded from this trial, the long-term implications could be significant.

"Beginning 16 December, certain Facebook profiles without Meta Verified will be restricted to posting two free posts per month."

Stepping Back from News

This action comes after Meta's multi-year strategic withdrawal from hosting news content. Industry analysts point out that after ending deals to pay publishers and blocking news links in Canada, Meta has made it clear that news is not a priority.

Media companies already experienced a massive drop in online traffic following a policy change last year to de-prioritise news in favor of more videos and viral content. Although visits were starting to rebound in 2024, it was still lower by around 50% compared to the previous year.

The Push for Subscriptions

This latest trial is understood to be a broader campaign to persuade people to sign up for Meta Verified. This subscription service ranges in price from £9.99 to almost four hundred pounds monthly and provides additional perks like a blue checkmark and improved account protection.

• A company representative said: "This is a limited test to understand whether the ability to publish an increased volume of posts with links adds additional value for paying users."
• Analysts theorize this shift towards monetization may be linked to Meta's expensive ventures in other areas, like the virtual reality and artificial intelligence.

Could News Benefit Elsewhere?

It is worth noting that earlier in the year, Meta stated it would take towards a tailored feed for news and politics. Subsequent analysis indicated this could have resulted in increased publisher content reappearing in feeds for some users.

For example, visitors referred by Facebook to certain newspaper websites reportedly grew significantly in the first part of 2025.

In the end, this trial underscores the continuing struggle between giant tech networks seeking new revenue streams and news organizations that depend upon them for traffic and audience reach.