What you need to know
- Meta says it will remove Facebook’s “News” tab from its platform in “early” April.
- According to the data, “more than 80%” of users stopped using Tabs in 2023, but Facebook’s overall interaction rate was already unbearably low.
- Facebook’s new focus seems to be on user desire and its short-form content, Reels.
Meta announced on February 29 that it plans to remove the News tab from Facebook in the US and Australia in “early” April.
According to Meta, Facebook’s News tab had a section for bookmarked content, which also displayed featured news articles for users. In a post, the company said, “We must focus our time and resources on what people have told us they want to see more of on our platform…” and that this is a step toward recalibrating the platform. It is also part of “ongoing efforts,” he added. Invest in your own products.
According to Meta’s analysis, Facebook’s News tab accounted for “less than 3%” of all Facebook platform interactions in 2023. This is supported by additional data from last year showing that around 80% of users in the US and Australia stopped using the dedicated app. News tab.
The company says news publishers will maintain access to their accounts on Facebook. Additionally, Mehta is encouraging the company to begin shifting its news story distribution practices to its short-form media, known as “Reels.”
Another avenue for publishers is Facebook’s advertising system, which reportedly allows them to keep “100%” of the revenue earned from outgoing links.
The demise of Facebook News in the US and Australia followed six months after Meta did the same in Europe. Meta originally launched a “News” tab on Facebook for U.S. users in 2019 as a way to raise awareness about world events. The company has since expanded Tabs to more users, including users in Europe in 2020.
Part of Meta’s new focus on services that “people value most” is its short-form content, Reels. The short video was launched in 2022 as Facebook’s answer to his TikTok, featuring editing tools and ways for new creators to make money. Meta continues to plug in more ways for creators to make money, while also rolling out tools to increase discovery rates in your feed.
