Will you pay for Facebook?

Facebook has been conducting market research in recent weeks to determine whether an ad-free version paid by subscriptions would spur more people to join the social network, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The company has studied such an option in the past, but now there’s more internal momentum to pursue it in light of Facebook’s recent privacy data scandal.

The plans aren’t solid and may not go forward, according to the sources, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private.

Facebook declined to comment on the possibility of a subscription-based ad-free service.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg and chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg have been touting the benefits of the ad-supported network.

They said it allowed the company to reach the most people at every income level. But it’s not the only way to run the business.

“We thought about lots of other forms of monetisation, including subscriptions, and we’ll always continue to consider everything,” Sandberg said.

During his congressional testimony last month, Zuckerberg left the door open for a subscription option. “There will always be a version of Facebook that is free,” he said. – Bloomberg