Facebook to charge users to post links

Facebook is set to start charging users to share web links, marking a major shift in how the social network handles external traffic.

The tech giant is currently testing a limit of just two web links per month for standard profiles. Users who want to share more must pay £11.99 per month for a “Meta Verified” subscription.

A Meta spokesperson described the move as a “limited test” to understand whether increased link volume adds value for its paid subscribers. For many, however, the change feels like a tax on the open web.

While news publishers are not currently being charged the fee, the move threatens to suffocate the organic sharing that drives visitors to their sites. If readers cannot share articles, news brands lose one of their most vital distribution channels.

This comes at a precarious time for the industry. Referrals from Facebook to top news sites plummeted by nearly 60% between 2018 and 2024. Although visitors recovered slightly in 2025, the overall trend remains a sharp decline.

Small publishers, bloggers, and independent brands are expected to be hit hardest. Many are already struggling to survive as Google introduces AI summaries that reduce clicks to external websites.

Social media consultant Matt Navarra warns that Facebook is increasingly becoming “pay to play.” He described the platform as a “toll booth” for anyone trying to build a brand or product.

“For publishers, this absolutely reinforces a long-term trend that organic referral traffic is becoming less dependable by design,” Navarra said.

The pricing structure also appears to scale. Some users reported being asked to subscribe to a “Meta Max” plan. This high-tier service can cost up to $499.99 (£374) per month for unlimited sharing.

Facebook, X, and LinkedIn have all moved to suppress external links recently. These platforms now prioritize video content and long-form posts to keep users inside their own apps for as long as possible.

There is one potential upside. Experts suggest the restriction could help trim spam traffic by making it more expensive for bots to flood the network with suspicious links.

However, for most creators, the “pay to post” model marks a significant retreat from the free, link-based internet of the past decade.

Telegraph