Facebook began testing in the UK a system of charging users that want to send messages to famous people. Social network Facebook began last December, in the U.S., testing a system whereby users can send messages, for a fee, outside their circle of contacts in the network. This strategy is part of company’s efforts to identify new ways to increase revenue.
According to guardian.co.uk, Facebook also began testing the system in the UK, for users who want to send messages to famous people – who are not in their circle of friends – they are charged between 71 pence and 11 pounds.
Thus, to send a message to Prince Harry’s girlfriend, Cressida Bonas, users have to pay 71 pence. The same fee is charged to send a message to Robert Peston, journalist at British public broadcaster BBC.
Facebook representatives have confirmed the experiment, but said there was no decision made on the implementation of the payment system across the social network. The system is tested on a small number of users, said a Facebook spokesman. He said no date was scheduled for the system to be implemented, these issues depending on how this initiative will be received by users.
Facebook began in December to test the system in the U.S. and it will expand this strategy in other 36 countries, including the UK. The cost for a user to send a message varies depending on a number of factors, including the number of “followers” of the celebrity and the secret algorithm of calculating person’s “fame.”
Most users in the UK can send messages to other users without incurring any cost. However, Facebook charges a fee of £10.08 for those interested to send messages to personalities like writer Salman Rushdie and athlete Tom Daley.
The introduction of fees has sparked controversy as Facebook logo – posted on the homepage of social networking – is: “It’s free and always will be.”
On the other hand, in January, Facebook has sparked outrage after it created a fee of $100 for contacting the most important personalities in the world, among which was social network’s founder, Mark Zuckerberg. Previously, Zuckerberg declared that he wants Facebook’s messaging service to become an alternative to current e-mail service.
According to thesundaytimes.co.uk, Facebook has waived this $100 fee. On the other hand, in the U.S., users continue to be charged $1, $5 or $15 to send messages to celebrities.
In December, when it began to test the system, Facebook said that imposing a financial cost for sending a message might be the most effective way to discourage spamming and facilitate relevant and useful posts. At that time, Facebook said that only real users can send messages using this service and major companies will not be able to send large amounts of messages to groups of users.
The measure came a few months after Facebook began testing a separate service that requires users to pay $7 to increase the visibility of their posts.
Facebook, which has exceeded 1 billion active monthly users, has a number of advertising and e-commerce initiatives.
Also last week, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg introduced Facebook Home, a new software that allows integration of the social networking platform in smartphones equipped with the Android operating system.
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