Meta, previously known as Facebook, is planning to introduce paid features on its platforms- Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook, that millions across the world use. The parent company is creating products and features for platforms that people will be able to purchase, according to a Reuters report on Wednesday.
Meta has sent an internal memo last week which revealed that the tech giant is setting up a product organization to identify and build “possible paid features”, The Verge reported.
Recently, Facebook reported its first revenue drop since its inception. Not only this Meta’s ads business has also been adversely affected by Apple’s ad tracking changes on iOS.
Meta’s VP of monetization overseeing the group, John Hegeman, said the company is still committed to growing its ads business, and that it had no plans to let people pay to turn off ads in its apps, in an interview with The Verge. “I think we do see opportunities to build new types of products, features, and experiences that people would be willing to pay for and be excited to pay for,” he said, declining to elaborate on paid features that are being considered. He also said in the longer term, Meta sees paid features becoming a more meaningful part of its business.
Any paid feature will be an add-on to the existing features. “Any new product will be complementary to our existing ads business,” the spokesperson told Reuters in an emailed statement.
Earlier, social media platforms including Snapchat and Twitter have already introduced paid tiers to unlock additional features. Snapchat Plus subscription gives users early and exclusive access to features and also allows changing the app icon and seeing who rewatched the story whereas Twitter Blue let users customize their Twitter experience. The micr0-blogging site is also testing out the much-awaited “edit tweet” feature.
Not long back, Meta faced heavy criticism for ‘Tiktok-isation’ of Instagram and also for recommending random Reels and post in users’ feeds. Following this, the parent company decided to roll back the changes. On Wednesday, Instagram announced that users can take a break from recommended posts and see posts in chronological order.
Take more control over what you see on Instagram ???? Here are a few ways:
????See posts in chronological order
????Take a break from recommended posts
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Meta often takes inspiration from its fellow platforms be it BeReal or TikTok, so it is possible it might introduce paid features like Twitter and Snapchat, providing some customizable options and added insight features.
