The website of British tabloid newspaper The Sun was taken down for maintenance today, while the company puts all of its content behind a paywall.
A notice on the site stated: "When we return you will need to be a member of Sun+ to access The Sun website. Register here for Sun+ to receive an exclusive £1 for 2 month offer. This offer expires at midnight."
Numerous visitors took to Twitter to vent their frustration either at the site being down, or at the confusion over the fact that the offer expires at mignight, yet registering users were told they’d be emailed "within 48 hours".
Erecting a paywall seems a risky strategy for The Sun, with plenty of visitors likely to find their current affairs, sports and showbiz news and gossip on rival sites for free. But it also shows that The Sun’s existing model of allowing free access and making money from advertising is not working as it had hoped.
