Back in January, Facebook started testing out a new 'pay-for-messaging' scheme. The program set out different price points and charged Facebook users in exchange for the ability to message people they didn't know. You could, for example, send a message to Mark Zuckerberg. Now, Facebook is bringing this program to the United Kingdom.
Facebook today confirmed to the Telegraph that the system was being run on a trial basis in the UK as well as other countries, though the social network didn't provide much in the way of details when it came to price points or the other countries in question.
"We are testing a number of price points in the UK and other countries to establish the optimal fee that signals importance," the company is quoted as saying in a statement.
Facebook explained to the Telegraph that the system was designed to allow users to message folks outside of their friends list while also protecting the other party from spam. Indeed, if you are thinking of forking over money to message someone, it's worth noting that the message you send will automatically be sent to their 'other' mailbox as opposed to their regular inbox.
While the scheme is still very much in the testing stage, it'll be interesting to see how folks react to this kind of system. Facebook users tend to be vocal about changes to privacy settings or even more mundane features like profiles or the news feed. It's not yet clear if users will have the ability to block these paid messages but we imagine an 'opt out' switch might appease those uncomfortable with the idea.
