Facebook tests tool for users to link accounts to news subscription accounts

Facebook is piloting a new account linking tool that lets its users linked their Facebook accounts to their news subscription accounts.

The feature is meant to make it easier for users to read articles through Facebook by avoiding a paywall every time they click on a news article.

“Facebook has built a new account linking tool that provides a better experience for people on Facebook when they see and access content from publishers they subscribe to. We’re collaborating with publishers around the world to test this new product, which allows people to link their news subscription accounts on Facebook,” Facebook announced it an official blog post.

“One significant update is persistent login. Once implemented, linked subscribers will not meet paywalls when accessing articles from Facebook, and won’t be asked to sign-in repeatedly — a common pain point many subscribers and publishers face today,” it said.

The feature matches news subscribers to Facebook users and invites these subscribers to link their accounts with the platform.

In early tests conducted in June, the social media giant said that news services had seen increased engagement due to the feature. Subscribers who had linked their accounts to their subscription had accessed an average 111 per cent more article clicks compared to subscribers who were not part of the test group, it said.

The platform is testing more ways to further develop this service. It is exploring a way to provide the option of linking these accounts directly on the news publishers’ websites. It is also testing new ways within its app where users can link their accounts. It is likely to integrate the feature with its dedicated news service Facebook News.

The company is planning to expand the platform to other countries including India, the UK, Germany, France and Brazil, it had announced earlier this month.

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