A SOCIAL media tech giant has been slammed, after announcing it will run a paid trial subscription for users.
A small number of users will be given the opportunity to use the paid service which will offer a number of exclusive features, including increased AI capabilities.
Meta sparked outrage following the test run announcement, applying the subscription to Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp.
Confirming the paid service trial through News, the social media giant said features of the subscription service will include ways to “unlock more productivity and creativity”.
The company has not revealed what features will be behind paywalls, or the pricing tiers for subscribing users.
The central experiences for the platforms will, however, remain free.
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Tech leaker Alessandro Paluzzi said paid perks for Instagram could include the ability to create unlimited audience lists, seeing a list of accounts you follow that don’t follow you back and the ability to view a story without notifying the user who posted it.
Vibes – an AI-powered short-form video generator within the Meta apps – will also be part of the paid bundle.
The tool has been free since it launched last September, however as Meta inches towards a “freemium” model, some of the functions will be locked.
In a series of photos posted to rival social media platform X, Paluzzi revealed Meta was also working on its own AI agent, named “ManusAI”, which helps to “research, create and build” content.
Paid subscriptions will be independent of Meta Verified, where users pay for the blue profile tick and customer support.
It comes after Meta announced that they would begin asking users if they wanted to pay £3.99 a month for an ad-free experience.
Mark Byrne, director of paid media at the media tech company, Brave Biso told Metro that “YouTube offers the closest parallel”.
He said that YouTube Premium has obvious advantages, particularly the ad-free feature.
“Meta has suggested premium tiers could unlock access to AI tools and agents, but adoption will hinge on trust as much as capability,” Mr Byrne said.
“Without clear reassurance and tangible benefits, AI alone is unlikely to drive mass subscription uptake.”
The news has sparked fury on social media as users said they would have to “pay for privacy”.
One comment read: “So now we either pay money or pay with our privacy? Charging users just to not sell their personal data is next-level greed. Privacy is a right — not a premium feature.”
Another added: “It’s 2026, the people do not want anymore subscriptions”.
A third wrote: “It’s time to reconnect the landlines”.
Meta has been approached for comment.
