Meta restricts links for some government and nonprofit pages in the US — Engadget
In the United States, Meta's test of paid link posting on Facebook has affected pages of government bodies and nonprofit organizations, although the company says these categories should not face restrictions. As Engadget reports, some pages received a limit of two posts with links per month and an offer to subscribe to Meta One to continue sharing URLs.
Restrictions for a city library
Daniel Starks, communications manager for the city of Greenville, Texas, said that the city library's page could no longer publish more than two links per month. For additional posts, the platform offered a subscription starting at $50 per month. The library is listed on the page as a government entity, and its account had previously been verified by Meta.
According to Starks, more than half of the city's communication on Facebook leads to information on its website. Due to the risk of similar restrictions for other city pages, he asked staff not to add links to posts and instead publish URLs in the comments.
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Nonprofits seek alternatives
Nonprofit organizations have also encountered restrictions. Bethany English, co-president of East Side Pawject in Indianapolis, said that after using the two available links, she was unable to add the organization's website URL to a post about an event. She was offered the Meta One Expert plan for $150 per month, which allows up to 20 links.
Meta confirmed that it is testing the inclusion of the ability to share links in the Meta One subscription, but did not explain why nonprofit pages were affected by the restrictions. According to the publication, the $49.99-per-month plan includes eight links on Facebook, the $149.99 plan includes 20, and unlimited posting is available in the $499.99 plan. Some Engadget sources noted that they can publish links in comments, while others do not have that option.
David Diskin, president of California Freethought Day, said that his page received restrictions on the eve of a major fundraising event. Later, the ability to publish links was restored without an explanation of the reasons.
