City library hits zero links as Facebook tests paid tiers

The Greenville, Texas, library has exhausted its monthly allowance for sharing links on Facebook. Daniel Starks, the city’s communications manager, reported that the page now allows only two posts with links per month. Any additional shares require a Meta One subscription starting at $50. This restriction applies even though the page is verified as a government building. The city serves a population of approximately 35,000 residents.

Starks stated that more than half of the city’s digital communication relies on directing residents to their website. To work around the cap, he instructed staff to place web addresses in the comments section rather than in the main post body. He also created a graphic to inform followers of this new procedure. Starks described the situation as a paywall for an official entity trying to distribute important information.

Similar constraints are affecting small charities. Bethany English, co-president of the East Side Pawject in Indianapolis, found her website link blocked last week after using her two free monthly slots. Her organization manages pet food pantries and has just under 1,000 followers. An upgrade to the "expert" plan would cost her $150 per month for 20 links. English is considering using personal profiles to share links, as those accounts remain exempt from the limits.

Meta has tested paid link sharing for nearly a year. The feature began with Meta Verified and is now integrated into Meta One plans. The $14.99 tier offers no extra Facebook links. The $49.99 tier permits eight links per month. The $149.99 tier allows 20 links, while the top $499.99 tier provides unlimited access. Jeff Bannister, marketing manager at SparkPoint in North Carolina, called the $50 price for eight links crazy. He noted that the return on investment appears negative for many local nonprofits.

Confusion persists regarding the rules. Some users can post links in comments while others cannot. Meta’s help pages do not explicitly state that the link restriction is a test. A Meta spokesperson said the company is testing whether link sharing should be part of the subscription. An update issued on October 23, 2026, stated that pages must list "nonprofit" in their category section for the system to recognize them. It is unclear why organizations using Meta’s fundraising tools are not identified.

David Diskin, president of California Freethought Day, was quoted different prices earlier this month. He was told to pay $40 for eight links, $119 for 20, or $399 for unlimited. This notification arrived days before the group’s annual event in Sacramento. The restriction was lifted this week without explanation. Diskin said the issue was only fixed after their major fundraiser had passed.