Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg reportedly had a radical idea to wipe all Facebook users’ friends lists back in 2022. This strategy, which was intended to make the social media platform culturally relevant again, was revealed during the US government’s antitrust trial against Meta.
Facebook’s reputation had become a cause for concern in 2022 for Zuckerberg as apps like TikTok had gained popularity, especially among a younger audience. In comparison, Facebook had acquired the image of a social media site for people over 30, making it a space for so-called “old people”.
In an internal email, Zuckerberg suggested wiping all the users’ friend connections and “having them start again”. Tom Alison, the head of Facebook, argued against the plan as the friend aspect is crucial for Instagram, which is also owned by Meta. Of course, the crazy proposal was never put into motion as there would undoubtedly have been a lot of negative pushback from Facebook’s userbase.
Zuckerberg acknowledges that the social media site has shifted its focus away from connecting with friends and family to news, groups, as well as other third-party content. Recently, a “Friends” tab was added to the social network app, which features content such as posts, stories, and reels from the user’s friends. This addition was meant to bring back some of the “OG” experiences, which should appeal to longtime users who miss the socialising aspect of the platform.
Meanwhile, Meta could be forced to sell Instagram and Whatsapp if it loses the antitrust trial, which was brought against the company by the US Federal Trade Commission in 2022. According to the government agency, Meta had violated US competition laws by purchasing the two apps in 2012 and 2014 and creating a monopoly.
(Source: TechSpot)
