Meta subscriber plan risks digital divide, say critics

Facebook and Instagram owner Meta will launch a paid subscription service allowing users to verify their accounts, among other features, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on Feb 19, 2023. — AFP

PARIS: Years after Facebook quietly removed a slogan that declared the site was “free and always will be”, parent company Meta announced on Feb 19 a paid-for subscription service that has already been widely criticised.

Meta is following a well-trodden path to subscription services, with rivals from Reddit and Snapchat to Twitter and Discord already in the game.