Meta has announced it will be dropping Facebook News, its dedicated tab for news content, in the UK, France and German markets, in early December.
The social media giant said users will still be able to view news on Facebook in these countries after the changes come into force and news publishers will still have access to their Facebook accounts and pages, where they can post links and content.
But as of December, the dedicated Facebook News tab in the bookmarks section that spotlights news, will no longer be available.
Meta said it will also not enter into new commercial deals for news content on Facebook News in these countries and does not expect to offer new Facebook products specifically for news publishers in the future.
Facebook News, a curated news section for publishers, was launched back in 2019. It originally used algorithms to suggest local and international news articles relevant to each market, as well as a “top stories” section curated by humans. But this human input was ditched last year, with Meta making the whole section algorithmic.
Meta said the latest changes are part of an ongoing effort to “better align its investments to the products and services people value the most” and that it will look to invest in the products that “drive user engagement.”
In a statement, the business said: “We have to focus our time and resources on things people tell us they want to see more of on the platform, including short form video. We know that people don’t come to Facebook for news and political content – they come to connect with people and discover new opportunities, passions and interests.
“News makes up less than 3% of what people around the world see in their Facebook feed, so news discovery is a small part of the Facebook experience for the vast majority of people,” it added.
TechCrunch says today’s announcement is consistent with Meta’s efforts elsewhere in the online news realm, as it looks to move away from news sharing to focus on the so-called “creator economy.”
This is alongside the tightening of screws and broader global legislation around Big Tech’s role in distributing news, with new laws in countries such as Australia stating that publishers should be paid for content by online platforms.
Meta said it will honour obligations under all existing Facebook News agreements with news publishers in the UK, France and Germany, until they expire.
Meta’s co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has come under fire in recent years over how the group handles reliable information amid a cloud of ‘fake news’ allegations and a media storm around toxic bullying on its platforms, such as Instagram.
A report from syndicated brand tracker, Harris Brand Platform, revealed that Facebook’s trustworthy score has been falling over the last few years as a result. From 16% after The Wall Street Journal‘s “Facebook Files” series on various revelations—including how the company knew Instagram was “toxic” for teens—and hit a low of 5.8% during the week of the Congressional hearings and testimony of whistle-blower Frances Haugen, reported Fast Company.
But Meta denies that dropping the Facebook News tab could impact its commitment to connecting people to reliable information on its platforms.
“We work with independent third-party fact-checkers – certified through the non-partisan International Fact-Checking Network – who review and rate viral misinformation on our apps,” the company explained.
“We have built the largest global fact-checking network of any platform by partnering with more than 90 independent fact-checking organisations around the world who review content in more than 60 languages.
“We have contributed more than $100 million to programs supporting our fact-checking efforts since 2016 to combat the spread of misinformation and we will continue to invest in this area,” Meta added.
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