Facebook rubbishes rumours that it plans to charge customers

Facebook, the social networking site, has rubbished claims that it will begin to charge users for its services. On the contrary, two Facebook groups with over 200000 members believe the site will start charging them soon.

Probably that goes to show there are a large number of people who would believe any kind of humbug. Worse, it means there are 200k people willing to sign on on any group without even bothering about the facts!

The two groups that believe Facebook will soon start charging the users for its services is gaining huge popularity on the site and is adamant that they will quit Facebook usage if they are forced to pay for it.

“We will not pay to use Facebook – we are gone if this happens” is the name of the most popular group that is against Facebook charging its users. The group has over 140000 members and the group is aiming at attaining a 300000 membership to submit a petition.

The members of the group believe that the site will start charging its customers £14.99 from July 2010.

“This is a petition to stop Facebook from charging £/$14.99 a month starting from July 2010.

“Because of Facebook’s huge popularity, Mark Zuckerberg [founder and chief] is getting a lot of offers from people wanting to buy Facebook – people who WILL turn it into a paysite.

“Let’s all stick together on this one and let them know that we will leave Facebook if they decide to charge us to use it,” the group says.

Facebook has simply rubbished claims that it is planning to charge its users. According to a Facebook spokesman,  “We have no plans to charge users for Facebook’s basic services. Facebook is a free service for its 350 million users.”

Though it is true that Facebook is hugely popular and several parties might be talking to Zuckerburg regarding the site, it appears highly unlikely that what the members of the groups fear will actually happen.

True, nothing is cast in iron. But there is absolutely no indication that social networking sites like Facebook can make any money at all from asking for payment – their international audience would dip to nothing immediately, and even in US, competitors would cash in immediately.

For all you know, the two groups were a prank.