You already give Facebook your data, so why not throw a little cold, hard cash into the mix as well.
Just bear with me here. So, you're following your favorite creator on the social network created in a dorm room, but because of that pesky algorithm her posts never show up in your Newsfeed. That's OK, you can still join her group! And now, thanks to a subscription-group test announced today by the advertising juggernaut, you may just have the pleasure of paying for that special access.
According to a Wednesday press release, Facebook is trying out giving group admins the ability to charge their members subscription fees for special sub-groups. TechCrunch reports that the fees will range from $4.99 to $29.99 a month.
Yes, that's right, you may end up needing to pay almost $360 for an annual Facebook group subscription.
Now, to be clear, at present only a select few group admins have the ability to charge fees. And while TechCrunch reports that for now most of that money will go to the organization or person leading the group, that could change at any point in the future. After all, it's not like this would be the first time Facebook altered the terms of a product to favor its bottom line.
Oh, and Apple and Android will get paid as the fee is billed through them (they take a percentage).
As for which group admins have access to this new and shiny feature, Facebook provides some helpful examples.
"One such community leader looking to support her work, Sarah Mueller, started a group called Declutter My Home as a way to inspire and motivate others to tidy up their apartment or house," reads the company's press release. "The group quickly became an active community for helping tens of thousands of people across the world to reduce clutter in their spaces. With her new subscription group, Organize My Home, members will be able to work together on bite-sized projects, and have access to easily actionable checklists, tutorials, live videos and more to help with home organization."
Sounds fun! Other groups given the power to charge fees include Grown and Flown Parents: College Admissions and Affordability, and Meal Planning Central Premium.
So bust out your credit card and head over to Facebook dot com — the digital operators are standing by.