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Facebook's parent company, Meta, is running a small-scale trial where users without a Meta Verified account may be limited to sharing only two links to other sites per month.

The Trial's Parameters

This pilot program at present includes a subset of Facebook pages using Professional Mode features, which is typically utilized by creators and influencers to earn money from their posts. While news organizations are not part of this test, the long-term implications could be significant.

"Starting 16 December, some Facebook accounts without Meta Verified will be limited to sharing two organic posts per month."

A History of Retreat

This move follows years of Meta strategic withdrawal from hosting news content. Media consultants note that after ending deals to pay publishers and restricting news sharing in Canada, Meta has made it clear that news is no longer strategic.

Media companies already experienced a massive drop in website visitors 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 remained down by approximately half compared to the previous year.

The Push for Subscriptions

This latest trial is understood to be a broader campaign to encourage users to sign up for Meta Verified. This paid tier costs from £9.99 to almost four hundred pounds monthly and offers extra features like a verified badge and improved account protection.

• A company representative said: "This is a small experiment to see if the ability to publish an greater number of posts with links provides extra benefit for Meta Verified subscribers."
• Some experts suggest this move to charge for reach may be connected with Meta's costly investments in other areas, like the virtual reality and AI.

A Potential Silver Lining?

Interestingly that in January, Meta stated it would take towards a tailored feed for news and politics. Later reports indicated this could have resulted in more news content reappearing in feeds for some users.

As one instance, visitors referred by Facebook to some major sites reportedly grew by a notable margin in the first part of 2025.

In the end, this trial underscores the continuing struggle between giant tech networks seeking fresh income sources and news organizations that rely on them for readers and visibility.