Social Media matters: Facebook will not start charging users this summer

STAFF REPORT

Sunday, July 3, 2011, 6 p.m. — There’s a rumor spreading like wildfire across the Facebook social media website that the site will begin charging users for access later this summer. According to the Naked Security IT blog, that rumor is nothing more than a hoax.

According to the hoax, if you post the message on your own Facebook wall, you will still be able to access the site for free. Naked Security contributing writer Graham Cluley points out that Facebook charging for access would be a very bad idea especially since Google is in the process of testing its “Google+” social media site to compete directly with Facebook.

The basis for this rumor may stem from news stories about Facebook and the debate over its new requirement that its software developers — the companies who provide the site’s popular games like FarmVille, etc., — are now required to use Facebook’s own digital currency, Facebook Credits, when selling game items to users. Facebook is requiring game developers to give it a 30 percent share of all sales. This new requirement has rankled a lot of software developers who write code for Facebook.

The plan to sell Facebook Credits has also attracted criticism from consumer protection agencies, one of which has filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission calling the 30 percent fee a tax.

No matter how the debate over Facebook Credits comes out, Facebook users will not be charged to simply access the website.

-30-