Zuck Needs Bucks: Facebook Plans to Introduce Paid Features Across Platforms

Facebook is reportedly setting up a product organization to identify and build “possible paid features” for Facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp.

The Verge reports that according to leaked internal documents, Facebook (now known as Meta) is focusing heavily on app monetization. The company has reportedly set up a product organization to identify and build “possible paid features” for Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

The new division is Facebook’s latest attempt to develop paid features across its social media apps and is being introduced as the company’s ad business was severely hurt by Apple’s changes to how personal data can be accessed by Facebook and other companies. The product organization is called New Monetization Experiences and will be led by Pratiti Raychoudhury who previously served as Facebook’s head of research.

John Hegeman, the VP of monetization overseeing the group, commented in an interview with the Verge that it had no plans to allow users to pay to disable ads in its apps. “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.

Facebook’s revenue comes almost entirely from ads and while it has several paid features across its apps, the company has not prioritized charging users until now. Hegeman downplayed paid features becoming a meaningful part of the business, but said that “on the flip side, I think if there are opportunities to both create new value and meaningful revenue lines and also provide some diversification, that’s obviously going to be something that will be appealing.”

He added that long term, Meta hopes to see paid features becoming a higher priority for the company, stating: “On a five-year time horizon I do think it can really move the needle and make a pretty significant difference.”

Read more at the Verge here.

Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan