Facebook has been under a lot of pressure from its investors to maximize its earnings. That is because compared to its 100 billion dollar valuation, the social company makes a lot less due to a still developing revenue model. But, a new patent application might help with revenue if Facebook flips the switch.
BGR reports that a new patent application submitted by Facebook might show us the direction in which the company is heading. The patent is titled "Paid Profile Personalization" and it describes how advertisements and other features of the social network might change based on whether the user has paid a fee or not. In other words, it describes a subscription system in which paying customers get a little something extra for a fee.
The current boxed advertisements that Facebook displays might be replaced by pictures of friends and family, a pet or something else for those customers that wish to pay. They might also be allowed to post special status messages, rank their friends and have extra ways to interact with other users.
Of course, this is still just a patent application and it may never see the light of day, most patents don"t. But, just in case this comes to pass don"t say we didn"t warn you.
Source: BGR | Image via Facebook