FB message fee ‘to cut spam’

Facebook has hatched a new money making scheme by testing a system which charges users up to a tenner for sending private messages – on a sliding scale of fees – claiming the move is designed to slash spam.
Messages were originally automatically placed in a user’s inbox for free, but it has recently begun storing them in a less conspicuous “other” message box, leaving the inbox just for friends and family.
In December last year, the site tested a new system of charging $1 for over-18s to send messages to strangers’ inboxes with an automatic alert, meaning they would be more likely to be read.
It has now extended the trial to create a sliding scale of payments to celebrities, public figures and ordinary users outside the sender’s usual network.
Fans wishing to send messages to Olympic diver Tom Daley could be charged £10.68, while those hoping to contact author Salman Rushie could pay £10.08, according to The Sunday Times.
A spokesman for Facebook confirmed the new system was undergoing a trial period, insisting it is aimed at preventing spam.
“The system of paying to message non-friends in their inbox is designed to prevent spam while acknowledging that sometimes you might want to hear from people outside your immediate social circle,” Facebook said in a statement.
“We are testing a number of price points in the UK and other countries to establish the optimal fee that signals importance.”