Government pages pay for Facebook links

Government and nonprofit organizations are being charged to share links on Facebook, a core function of the platform that Meta previously said would remain free for these groups. The restrictions are currently active for pages that Meta has verified or that clearly identify their public status, forcing officials to limit their digital outreach.

The conflict centers on the Meta One subscription tiers, which now control access to the ability to add URLs to posts. Under the current pricing structure, the base tier at $14.99 per month offers no extra Facebook links. To share eight links, a page must pay $49.99. The 20-link tier costs $149.99, and unlimited sharing is reserved for the $499.99 plan. These fees apply to the same basic feature that has been available on the platform for years.

The testing phase began nearly a year ago, initially linked to Meta Verified status. The restrictions expanded this week to include pages that do not meet the new, narrow criteria for exemption. Meta stated that a page must list the word "nonprofit" in its category field for its systems to recognize the status. This update came after several public entities reported being blocked from posting.

Daniel Starks, communications manager for Greenville, Texas, a city of roughly 35,000 people, manages nearly a dozen city pages. The local library page recently received a notice that its two free monthly links were exhausted. Starks instructed staff to stop putting links in posts and move them to the comments section instead. He created a graphic to inform followers of the change, noting that the city relies heavily on directing residents to its website for essential information.

Bethany English, co-president of the East Side Pawject in Indianapolis, found her small nonprofit page hit with the same cap last week. Her group, which organizes pet food pantries for about 1,000 followers, had used its two allowed links. The cost to unlock 20 links is $150. English is now considering asking board members to post links from their personal profiles, which are exempt from the new limits.

Jeff Bannister, marketing manager for SparkPoint, a North Carolina public health nonprofit, called the $50 fee for eight links "crazy." He described the return on investment as "almost negative" and is exploring ways for local groups to share information without relying on the platform. Meanwhile, David Diskin, president of California Freethought Day, was quoted a price of $40 for eight links earlier this month. His restriction was lifted this week without an official explanation from Meta.

A Meta spokesperson said the company is testing whether link sharing should be part of the Meta One subscription. The spokesperson noted that the experience will evolve based on feedback. The company did not explain why organizations that use Meta's fundraising tools or state their status in other fields are not automatically recognized as nonprofits under the new system.