Friends Reunited dumps fees

Trying to catch back up with Facebook, MySpace and Bebo

2 May 2008 1:18 GMT / By Stuart Miles

Friends Reunited owners ITV have admitted defeat and ditched its fees to access information on the site.

The site, which has since been overtaken by the likes of Facebook, MySpace and Bebo since its launch, is attempting to claw back users by removing the £5 subscription.

Rather than have to pay £5 to access information, the site will now allow free unlimited access around the site.

Friends Reunited recently went through a revamp with a number of new features aimed at the older, more mature internet user.

The new features include a tool to create an interactive personal timeline of what's happening in members' lives and connect these events to the friends who shared them.

The site also now offers friends lists, online photo albums and a personalised homepage showing friends' news.

According to Friends Reunited, under the previous subscription model almost 9 out of 10 messages that were written weren't actually sent. ITV is hoping that the removal of the fee will give members complete freedom to communicate.

However those hoping that ITV will be dumping the subscription model on the company's sister sites Genes Reunited and Friends Reunited Dating will be disappointed. The company says both these sites will retain their existing subscription models.