what you need to know
- Meta said it will remove Facebook’s News tab from the platform in early April.
- Data shows that “more than 80%” of users stopped using the hashtag in 2023, and engagement rates on Facebook are already extremely low.
- Facebook’s new focus appears to be on user needs and its short-form content, Reels.
Meta announced on February 29 that it planned to remove the “News” tab from Facebook in early April in the United States and Australia.
According to Meta, Facebook’s News tab contains a bookmarked content section while also showing users high-profile news stories. “We must focus our time and resources on the things people tell us they want to see more of on the platform…” the company said in its post. Meta added that this was part of its “ongoing efforts,” to align its business with investments in its products.
Meta’s analysis shows that by 2023, Facebook’s News tab will account for “less than 3%” of total interactions on its platform. This is confirmed by other data from last year, which showed that about 80% of users in the United States and Australia stopped using dedicated news tabs. News tab.
The company said news publishers will retain access to their Facebook accounts. Additionally, Meta encouraged them to begin transforming their news reporting practices into a short-form medium called “Reels.”
Another avenue for publishers is Facebook’s advertising system, which reportedly allows them to keep “100%” of the money they earn from outgoing links.
Six months later, Meta did the same thing in Europe, and Facebook News disappeared in the United States and Australia. Meta originally launched the News tab on Facebook for US users in 2019 to help people understand what was happening in the world. The company subsequently expanded the tab to more users and rolled it out across Europe in 2020.
Part of Meta’s newfound “people value most” service is its short form content: Reels. Launching in 2022, these short videos are Facebook’s answer to TikTok, featuring editing tools and ways for new creators to make money. Meta continues to give creators more ways to make money while rolling out tools to increase their discoverability in your feed.