Facebook has announced plans to charge people for accounts

UPDATE (02/20/2023): Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on Feb. 19 that the corporate is testing a brand new subscription service known as Meta Verified that may let Instagram and Facebook customers pay for a verified account. The Meta Verified subscription bundle features a verified badge that authenticates an individual’s account with authorities ID, proactive account safety, entry to account assist and elevated visibility and attain.

People should purchase a month-to-month subscription for $11.99 (USD) on the internet and $14.99 (USD) on iOS and Android. Meta says testing will start in New Zealand and Australia this week, after which roll out to the remainder of the world quickly.

Public figures and others who have been beforehand verified will not be affected by the change. Meta Verified is aimed toward influencers and others who use social media for their enterprise however aren’t notable public figures. 

The unique story stays as revealed beneath:

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In late October, Facebook’s guardian firm, Meta, reported their quarterly earnings and stated they have been experiencing a decline in revenue and profit, amid a stoop in promoting {dollars}. The firm’s struggles led headlines, and customers on the web site started to declare Facebook would quickly charge a charge to use its companies.

Two different chain messages, each claiming that posting the chain message to your wall would permit you to hold utilizing Facebook for free, began concurrently spreading throughout the social media platform.

It’s official Signed at 7:14. It’s even handed on TV. Facebook will begin charging this summer season. If you copy this to your wall your icon will flip blue and your Facebook will likely be free for you. Please go this message, if not your icon will likely be deleted.

P.S. that is severe, the icon will flip blue

(Copy and paste to your wall)

FACEBOOK JUST RELEASED THEIR PRICE GRID FOR MEMBERSHIP. $9.99 PER MONTH FOR GOLD MEMBER SERVICES, $6.99 PER MONTH FOR SILVER MEMBER SERVICES, $3.99 PER MONTH FOR BRONZE MEMBER SERVICES, FREE IF YOU COPY AND

PASTE THIS MESSAGE BEFORE MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. WHEN YOU SIGN ON TOMORROW MORNING YOU WILL BE PROMPTED FOR PAYMENT INFO…IT IS OFFICIAL IT WAS EVEN ON THE NEWS. FACEBOOK WILL START CHARGING DUE TO THE NEW PROFILE CHANGES. IF YOU COPY THIS ON YOUR WALL YOUR ICON WILL TURN BLUE AND FACEBOOK WILL BE FREE FOR YOU. PLEASE PASS THIS MESSAGE ON IF NOT YOUR ACCOUNT WILL BE DELETED IF YOU DO NOT PAY.

Several readers requested VERIFY if the messages have been true.

Has Facebook announced plans to charge a charge for utilizing the platform?

No, Facebook has not announced plans to charge a charge for utilizing the platform

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Chain messages claiming Facebook is on the verge of charging its customers to proceed utilizing its companies have persevered for over a decade now. That contains each of the messages which have just lately circulated on the platform.

One of the messages, the one claiming Facebook has launched a worth grid for three totally different tiers of “membership,” has existed on the platform since a minimum of 2009. A Snopes article from Dec. 31, 2009, documented the message, and somebody posted the message into a bunch primarily based across the rumors again in 2011.

The “it’s official” message has existed since a minimum of 2011. Naked Security, a cybersecurity news web site, and Facecrooks, an internet site devoted to calling out Facebook scams, each known as the message a hoax in articles revealed July 3, 2011. This model of the rumor has additionally reappeared a number of instances since then — a video posted to Facebook in 2016 debunked it.

Variations of those chain messages have circulated and been debunked by fact-checkers a number of instances within the final decade. Most just lately, Snopes ran a second article in 2020 debunking the declare.

Facebook has remained free because it first grew to become accessible to most people in 2006.

Today, Facebook’s Help Center nonetheless reassures people the web site is free to use, and shares the best way the corporate makes its cash is thru advertisers.

“No, we don’t charge you to use Facebook,” Facebook says. “Instead, we charge advertisers to show ads on the Facebook family of apps and technologies. This helps us make Facebook available to everyone without charging people for access to it.”

This messaging has additionally remained constant over time. In 2018, Facebook Security addressed comparable rumors about person charges.

“Facebook is a free site and will never require you [to] pay to continue using the site,” Facebook stated on the time.

The chain messages declare Meta’s plan to flip right into a premium service was “even on the news.” As of Oct. 28, 2022, VERIFY couldn’t discover any news articles that reported on any plans to begin charging customers charges to use Facebook.

Meta didn’t reply to a request for remark prior to publishing. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

More from VERIFY: No, posting on Facebook received’t shield your pictures or information