No, Facebook is NOT About to Start Charging Users!
Ancient hoax still circulating
tl;dr
Circulating message claims that Facebook will start charging users a monthly fee for access to the platform “starting Monday”. This claim is false. The message is a long-running hoax and should not be reposted.
Even after many years debunking Internet nonsense, I’m often still shocked at how long some silly hoaxes continue to circulate. The “Facebook charging users” hoax is a case in point.
Hoax Variants go Back to at Least 2010
I first wrote about this hoax way back in 2010. Since then, there have been dozens of variations of the hoax, all falsely claiming that Facebook is about to start charging users a monthly fee. As the examples below reveal, as of July 2025, the hoax is still going strong.
No Credible Sources Confirm the Claims
Most versions claim that the supposed new charging policy was aired on TV news. However, there have never been any credible news reports, now or at any time in the past, that confirm the charging claims.
Meta itself has always stated that it does not and will not cost money to use Facebook, noting in its help files:
We do not charge you to use Facebook. Instead, we charge advertisers to show ads on Meta Company Products. This helps us make Facebook available to everyone without charging people for access to it.
Absurd “Opt Out” Claims
Many versions of the hoax, including the latest incarnations, claim that you can “opt out” of the impending fee simply by copying the message and pasting it in a new message.
This is simply absurd. If Meta were ever to start charging users for access, it is vastly improbable that they would allow people to opt out of access fees just by reposting a message.
Let’s Kill This Silly Hoax
It’s high time this utterly pointless hoax finally died. If it comes your way, don’t be tricked into reposting it. And let the person who posted it know that the charging claims are false.
Examples of the hoax message:
