Facebook's Decision on Charging for Social Media Usage!

Facebook reigns as the foremost social media platform globally, boasting the highest user engagement. Periodically, misinformation circulates on Facebook regarding the guidelines established by its parent company Meta. Here, we delve into the spread of posts concerning a purported decision to implement charges for Facebook users.

Social Media Posts :

The Facebook post stated that Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook, has purportedly announced that the social media giant will begin charging its users. A circulating post on social media urges 25 Facebook users to share a specific message within a two-week timeframe to purportedly avoid these charges.

“Message from the Facebook Administrator (Max Hamilton)

Dear users of facebook, facebook, suppose it is closed. It has recently become very overpopulated. There were many participants who complain that facebook is becoming very slow. Records show that there are many active facebook users, and on the other hand, many new members. we will send this message to find out if the participants are active or not. If you are active, send 25 other users, using a copy, to show that you are still active. * Those who do not send this message within 2 weeks will be deleted without hesitation to make room. This is in accordance with the creator of facebook. To keep your Facebook accounts. Send this message to 25 FB users to make sure you are FB user is active. If you can’t transfer this to 25 users, your account record will be cut without hesitation, on Sunday at 20: 12. Chat. Talk End from messenger from: Mark Zuckerberg, founder of facebook

6:01

Hi, I'm Mark, Facebook director. Hello everyone, it seems that all warnings are real. Using Facebook will cost money. If you send this line to 18, different from your list, your badge will be blue and it will be free for you. If you don't believe me, Facebook will be closed tomorrow at 6 pm and you will have to pay to open it. This is all according to the law. This message informs all our users that our serve.”

Facebook | Archived Link

we took steps to investigate it.

Fact Check :

Initially, we sought international media coverage regarding any claims of Facebook's parent company, Meta, or its founder, Mark Zuckerberg, instituting or planning to institute charges for using the Facebook social media platform. However, we found no such reports.

Thus, during our investigation into the possibility of Facebook instituting charges for users, we examined Facebook's policies. Specifically, we scrutinized the section concerning Facebook's policies to ascertain if any mention was made regarding the imposition of fees on users.

" Does it cost money to use Facebook?" The response provided was, "No, we do not levy charges on users for utilizing Facebook." Instead, it was clarified that Meta Company generates revenue by charging advertisers for Meta products, which in turn facilitates the provision of Facebook services to users free of charge.

Facebook

Regarding the question of whether Facebook imposes charges on users for its social networking services, the former Chief Operating Officer of the company, Sheryl Sandberg, stated in a 2009 interview with Business Week that "The answer is no, we are not planning on charging a basic fee for our basic services. Once again, that question stems from people thinking we're growing so quickly, we're running out of money. We're growing really quickly, but we can finance that growth. We're not going to charge for our basic services." Snopes addressed this matter on their website with the following statement.

Furthermore, there have been circulating posts on social media for several years claiming that users are charged for accessing Facebook. However, in 2018, the official Facebook Security page refuted this, labeling it as false information. Below is the Facebook post in question.

Facebook | Archived Link

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on 2023 Feb. 19 that the company is testing a new subscription service called Meta Verified that will let Instagram and Facebook users pay for a verified account. The Meta Verified subscription bundle includes a verified badge that authenticates a person's account with government ID, proactive account protection, access to account support and increased visibility and reach. Public figures and others who were previously verified won't be affected by the change. Meta Verified is aimed at influencers and others who use social media for their business but aren't notable public figures.

Here is the official information disclosed by Meta Company regarding Meta Verified. In line with a similar approach adopted by the X social media network, Facebook users in eligible countries now have the option to obtain Meta verification through a monthly subscription. Further details regarding the features included can be found here, while the fundamental eligibility criteria are outlined below. Additionally, there is a report discussing MetaVerify's intention to reduce the monthly fee.

Moreover, in an effort to circumvent censorship, deceptive posts have been circulating for an extended period, often shared with 25 or more individuals on Facebook. Below is a notification issued by Facebook regarding these counterfeit messages.

Hence, it can be concluded that participating in the circulation of the aforementioned fake message, purportedly by exchanging it with 18 or 25 individuals, does not lead to the verification of your Facebook account. Conversely, refraining from sharing the aforementioned message poses no risk of your Facebook account being blocked.

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Conclusion :

It is important to clarify that the message in question is indeed false. The claim made in the Facebook post alleges that Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, has announced plans to initiate charges for users of the social media platform. Additionally, the circulating post on social media encourages 25 Facebook users to share a specific message within a two-week period under the pretense of avoiding these purported charges.

Facebook users are not subjected to any charges for accessing the platform or its fundamental services. However, starting from last year, Meta Company has opted to offer the opportunity for the general public to obtain verified accounts for a monthly subscription.