Credit: H&CO via Unsplash
Meta’s plans to diversify revenue from advertising to subscriptions, a paywall to access some features, will at first be focused on AI features.
Earlier reports said Meta will offer a premium experience on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp that gives access to special features and more control over how they share and connect, while keeping the core experiences free.
More details were revealed in an earnings call on Meta's full year results when market analyst Michael Nathanson asked how the social media platform planned to monetise the AI tools it was developing.
“Do you anticipate as people adopt agentic products that you will charge a fee from your commerce partners to use them or will they be free?” Nathanson said.
“I’m trying to figure out how you monetise all those great agentic tools you’re going to get.”
Chad Heaton, Meta’s head of finance, replied that Meta was investing in new product experiences to make it easier for people to discover and buy new products across apps.
“We’re going to be looking at subscriptions for high-value AI features,” he said.
One feature of that will be Manus, the agentic AI start-up Meta acquired in December
“We intend to continue to scale its existing subscription offering to many more businesses,” Heaton said.
“We’ll also integrate it into our products and bring a leading agent to billions of people.
“The other thread here is business messaging, where we’re starting to see traction with the business AIs we’ve made available in Mexico and the Philippines.
“We’ve seen over 1 million weekly conversations between people and business AIs now happening.
“These are just some of the areas that we’re starting to explore, but I think there’s a lot of opportunities both across commerce, agentic commerce, and then some of these new revenue streams that we’re looking into.:”
Emarketer senior analyst Minda Smiley said Meta reported another strong quarter to close out 2025, a year that in many ways was a turbulent one for the company.
“Throughout the year, it navigated tariff uncertainty, a landmark antitrust trial in the US, and the growing sense that Australia’s ban on social for kids under 16 will pave the way for many more like it,” Smiley said.
“That’s not to mention mounting concerns over its AI roadmap, which will grow louder this year considering how much it plans to spend on the technology in the year ahead.
"On today’s earnings call, marketers and other stakeholders will hope more information is shared on reports that the company is testing premium subscriptions of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
“Details are scarce, and it’s likely that the vast majority of people wouldn’t be interested in such an offering. Still, depending on what these subscriptions look like, they could change or limit how brands can reach users."
"Looking ahead, Meta stands to massively benefit if TikTok continues to stumble in the US under new owners. While Meta will surely try to capitalise on any fallout, it’s too early to gauge whether TikTok usage will substantially fall or shift in the long run. But creators and marketers will be paying close attention to any changes and adjusting accordingly."
"Meta—along with other major social platforms—report earnings just as they go to trial in the US over allegations that they’ve hurt and addicted young users.
"Paired with momentum behind classroom cell phone bans and a broader push to regulate social media usage among kids and teens, it's clear that Meta and its rivals have hit a watershed moment that could end up having massive implications for their businesses."
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