JAKARTA - Facebook is testing ways for content creators to make money through Facebook Groups, such as users paying a fee for exclusive access to content or conversations in subgroups, the company said on Thursday, November 4.
Facebook, which recently changed its name to Meta, said the test was part of a broader paid subscription effort. The social media company is one of many tech giants that have been working to woo social media creators and their huge following through payments and new tools.
Facebook, which in recent years has focused on building community as a tactic to drive engagement on the site, said Group administrators would be able to run ecommerce stores to sell merchandise or create community fundraisers, which could offset the costs of running the Group.
On Wednesday, November 3, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg also said that creators would be able to share a special link that would allow them to receive payments directly, with a subscription fee at Apple. Facebook launched this subscription service last year.
The company announced a series of updates to its Group products during a live-streamed Community Summit. They say the subgroup feature, which can be free or paid, will allow members to separate themselves into groups to focus on specific areas or topics.
Facebook groups have come under scrutiny from US lawmakers and researchers who argue that they provide a closed space in which health misinformation, violent rhetoric and extremism proliferate without being properly monitored.
A company spokesperson said Facebook is also testing community fundraising with certain Groups. Groups created in the last 30 days, violating its content rules or frequently sharing harmful content or misinformation, are not eligible to do so.
Facebook says Group administrators will get tools to customize the look of their groups and members will soon be able to give "community awards" for valuable posts.
The company also leaked a new experience that combines the "best Groups and Pages in one place," and said it would allow Page administrators to use the same moderation tools as Groups. According to them this feature is still in early testing until next year.
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