Facebook Weighs Ad-Free Subscription Option

[LASER_oneXM]

Content source

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-05-04/facebook-is-said-to-research-ad-free-subscription-based-version

Facebook Inc. has been conducting market research in recent weeks to determine whether an ad-free version paid by subscriptions would spur more people to join the social network, according to people familiar with the matter.

The company has studied such an option in the past, but now there’s more internal momentum to pursue it in light of Facebook’s recent privacy data scandal, the people said. The plans aren’t solid and may not go forward, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private. Facebook declined to comment on the possibility of a subscription-based ad-free service.

Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg has long considered such an alternative -- not to replace the social network’s business model, but to remove a common reason people give for leaving the service. The company generated virtually all its $41 billion in revenue last year by selling ads targeted with user data. Internal company research in past years concluded consumers wouldn’t be receptive to a subscription option, seeing it as Facebook being greedy and asking for money for something it said would always be free, the people said.

 

[vtqhtr413]

Zuckerberg said the title of this thread almost verbatim during the congressional hearing held in his honor.

 

[feelsdabman]

Heh, I wouldn't give them money for sh*t. They could offer an unlimited cloud storage plan for $1 and I still wouldn't use it. Unless Zuck has a completely different change of heart and dedicates his business to privacy, which we all know won't happen, I'm staying far away from Facebook.

 

[Weebarra]

That's all well and good for those who use it and can afford a subscription but what happens to those who can't afford it or are not willing to pay, do they just get lumped with the ad version because it's free ? Either millions of people will ditch it and go elsewhere (although where, i don't know) because as you state, it was said that it will "always be free" and now it may not be free in the future. I doubt they would/could provide 2 platforms, one with ads and one without. Half of your friends/contacts would be on the ad free site and the rest of you would be on the ad laden one, it wouldn't work, i don't think.

 

[mekelek]

Heh, I wouldn't give them money for sh*t. They could offer an unlimited cloud storage plan for $1 and I still wouldn't use it. Unless Zuck has a completely different change of heart and dedicates his business to privacy, which we all know won't happen, I'm staying far away from Facebook.

but lizards don't have a heart, that's a fact

 

[Deleted member 65228]

Well in all fairness, Facebook have to generate profit somehow. We can have a go at them all we like but at the end of the day, how do we suppose they get profit so they can afford to keep their services running?

Advertising or a subscription option is pretty much two of the only ways for them to generate a profit with their service.

It doesn't change my opinion that their past behavior was disgusting and they suck though. Facebook is just a surveillance service, IMO.

 

[mekelek]

Well in all fairness, Facebook have to generate profit somehow. We can have a go at them all we like but at the end of the day, how do we suppose they get profit so they can afford to keep their services running?

Advertising or a subscription option is pretty much two of the only ways for them to generate a profit with their service.

It doesn't change my opinion that their past behavior was disgusting and they suck though. Facebook is just a surveillance service, IMO.

it almost feels like they sold all our precious info and they ran out of value so they have to actually generate money with public methods

 

[vtqhtr413]

Zuck stated that the profit FB generated by selling US user data was $80.00 to $85.00 annually per user.