Facebook Launches Facebook Classic and Facebook Premium

Posted 04/01/2009 at 12:15pm | by Will Smith

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Just one week after Facebook deployed its latest design update, the social network is quietly rolling out a pair of beta services -- Facebook Premium and Facebook Classic -- to select users. Facebook Classic lets each user opt in to the Facebook design of his or her choice. From the pre-news feed design (circa 2006) to the single-page design used through much of 2008, beta users will be able to select the Facebook interface that they’re most comfortable with. In an official status update, Christopher Cox, Facebook’s Director of Product, cited the reasons behind this move, which he feels are "in line with the Facebook's intent to both respond to user feedback and adapt the product for different usage models and forward-looking feature opportunities".

Also in beta, and available to select users is the new Facebook Premium service. According to Cox, "Facebook Premium adds more features that users have been clamoring for, including better integration with Twitter and other social networking services, better photo album navigation, improved granularity in the app and user blocking processes, MySpace-style theming support, auto-play music, and new privacy options". Cox didn't announce specifics of a pricing model for Facebook Premium, but in a Wall-to-Wall conversation, he intimated that it would be on par with similar services, such as Xbox Live and TiVo and include some sort of enhanced micropayment scheme. (Xbox Live charges $60/year for membership, TiVo starts at 13/month).

What's the hitch? Users who sign up for Facebook Premium must agree to a new dynamic Terms of Service agreement. "Just as we want to give users the freedom to scale aspects of Facebook's design and functionality to fit their individual needs, we feel that it is within our right to scale the details of Terms of Service to fit each individual user," wrote Cox. In addition to assuming ownership of all content posted on Facebook, the new dynamic Terms of Service will change every time a user adds or removes a design element from their customized homepage. Cox didn't specify which sections of the TOS document would be altered, but argued that this is actually better for the user, because it gives them a reason to frequently check the TOS page and gain familiarity with the text. "It's important for users to know their rights, and we weren't doing a good enough job educating our userbase," noted Cox.

According to Cox, Facebook Premium evolved out of user feedback testing for Facebook Classic, "We found that users wanted more ways to customize their Facebook experience, and they were willing to pay for them". Other Premium features include the ability to remove unwanted elements--like the banner ads and Facebook Beacon--enhance your homepage and status updates with custom Premium themes. Additionally, Premium beta users will gain access to Facebook's Background service, which has been in closed trials for the last three years. Background gives any user full access to both public and private data in another user's profile, for a one-time fee of $8 per user.

"Facebook Background remains the perfect way to keep tabs on people who are important to you, whether it's a jilted lover or disgruntled employee who's gone to work for a competitor," says Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook. Background has been in closed trials since 2006, but will be available to all Facebook users when Facebook Premium goes live this June. Cox added, "Facebook Background is the beginning of a new world of revenue opportunities. We're launching a beta of Facebook Lockbox in August, for a nominal $50/month fee, Lockbox will gives users hardware-based profile encryption so secure that even our groundbreaking Background service cannot penetrate it."

What do you think of the new Facebook changes? Are you excited about Facebook Classic? Eager to track down that old girlfriend using Facebook Background? Let us know in the comments!