Facebook Has A Patent Application To Let Users Pay To Change Their Profiles
Facebook filed a patent for "Paid Profile Personalization" back in 2011 that would get rid of advertisements on profile pages, Janko Roettgers at GigaOm reports.
Here's a key chunk out of the filing:
“The user may select one or more social networking objects to replace advertisements or other elements that are normally displayed to visitors of the user’s profile page that are otherwise controlled by the social networking system," the patent states. "In particular embodiments, the user may edit elements on their profile page that are otherwise automatically generated and controlled in design and content by the social networking system. In particular embodiments, the user is billed on a recurring basis for profile personalization.”
That means users would be able to replace the ads located on the right side of the Timeline with photos, status messages, comments, and other "social networking objects."
Another example highlighted in the filing: customizing which friends are displayed on your Timeline.
See below for what a paid profile could look like on Facebook. Since Facebook didn't launch Timeline until about a year later after the filing, we imagine it would look much different if Facebook decides to move forward with paid profiles.
Via: BGR