Don’t expect to pay for Facebook any time soon
Facebook will always be "free." (Stan Horaczek /)More than 300 advertisers have recently jumped ship—at least temporarily—from Facebook’s advertising platform in response to the company’s handling of hate speech. Massive companies such as Coca-Cola and Unilever—previously some of the biggest ad buyers on the platform—joined a growing group of companies that pulled their ad dollars from the social network around the NAACP’s #StopHateforProfit boycott. It comes at a time when marketing budgets have plunged during the pandemic.In light of all these brands pulling their advertising cash—or what’s left of it—rumors have once again started circulating about Facebook charging users to access its platforms, including its messaging service WhatsApp and Instagram. In reality, it’s extremely unlikely that you’ll have to pay for those services any time in the near future. Rumors about Facebook charging membership fees go back more than a decade. Here’s an example of a current version going around via...