This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-42657621
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Facebook plans major changes to news feed | Facebook plans major changes to news feed |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Facebook is to change how its news feed works, making posts from businesses, brands and media less prominent. | Facebook is to change how its news feed works, making posts from businesses, brands and media less prominent. |
| Instead, content that sparks conversations among family and friends who use the site will be emphasised, explained chief executive Mark Zuckerberg on his page. | |
| Organisations on Facebook may see the popularity of their posts decrease as a result, the firm acknowledged. | Organisations on Facebook may see the popularity of their posts decrease as a result, the firm acknowledged. |
| The changes will take effect over the coming weeks. | The changes will take effect over the coming weeks. |
| "We've gotten feedback from our community that public content - posts from businesses, brands and media - is crowding out the personal moments that lead us to connect more with each other," wrote Mr Zuckerberg. | "We've gotten feedback from our community that public content - posts from businesses, brands and media - is crowding out the personal moments that lead us to connect more with each other," wrote Mr Zuckerberg. |
| He said that he and his team felt a responsibility to make sure Facebook was good for people's wellbeing. | He said that he and his team felt a responsibility to make sure Facebook was good for people's wellbeing. |
| If public content is to be promoted, it will now have to be seen to encourage community interaction - as happens within the tight-knit groups that discuss TV programmes and sports, he said. | If public content is to be promoted, it will now have to be seen to encourage community interaction - as happens within the tight-knit groups that discuss TV programmes and sports, he said. |
| "By making these changes, I expect the time people spend on Facebook and some measures of engagement will go down," he added. | "By making these changes, I expect the time people spend on Facebook and some measures of engagement will go down," he added. |
| "But I also expect the time you do spend on Facebook will be more valuable." | "But I also expect the time you do spend on Facebook will be more valuable." |
| In a previous post, Mr Zuckerberg had vowed to "fix" Facebook in 2018, saying he wanted to ensure that users were protected from abuse and that time spent on the site would be time well spent. | In a previous post, Mr Zuckerberg had vowed to "fix" Facebook in 2018, saying he wanted to ensure that users were protected from abuse and that time spent on the site would be time well spent. |
| He also pledged to defend Facebook from nation states. | He also pledged to defend Facebook from nation states. |
| Analysis has recently suggested that some actors, including Russia, have tried to manipulate content on the social network. | Analysis has recently suggested that some actors, including Russia, have tried to manipulate content on the social network. |
| "It's definitely a significant change," said Laura Hazard Owen at Harvard University's Nieman Journalism Lab. | "It's definitely a significant change," said Laura Hazard Owen at Harvard University's Nieman Journalism Lab. |
| "It's going to affect publishers a lot, we're going to be seeing a lot less news organically pop up in our news feeds." | "It's going to affect publishers a lot, we're going to be seeing a lot less news organically pop up in our news feeds." |
| Ms Owen added, however, that Facebook had not been very clear about what sort of discussions the sites revamped algorithms would prioritise. | Ms Owen added, however, that Facebook had not been very clear about what sort of discussions the sites revamped algorithms would prioritise. |
| It might end up being "the most controversial stuff" that generates heated conversations, she suggested, or simply content pulled in from group pages where users engage with others on specific topics. | It might end up being "the most controversial stuff" that generates heated conversations, she suggested, or simply content pulled in from group pages where users engage with others on specific topics. |
| Powerful 'admission' | |
| Given recent public scrutiny, the social network was currently "in the hot seat", said Gabriel from the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. | |
| "Facebook is in the midst of all of these fires it's trying to put out, it's trying to reassert its warm and fuzzy brand value that it has always tried to put forth." | |
| Mr Kahn added the update from Mr Zuckerberg was a "clear admission" that Facebook wielded significant power over the health of society. | |
| However, he argued that the new priorities could further distort views and the nature of conversations. | |
| "There should be public debate about the values they're applying to that algorithm," he said. | |
| Analysis | Analysis |
| By Dave Lee, North America technology correspondent | By Dave Lee, North America technology correspondent |
| In many ways this is Facebook getting back to its roots, making your news feed more about what your friends are creating and thinking, rather than articles they have shared. | In many ways this is Facebook getting back to its roots, making your news feed more about what your friends are creating and thinking, rather than articles they have shared. |
| For the first time, Mark Zuckerberg is making a major decision that goes against one of his long-held beliefs: any change to the network must have the goal of improving engagement. This move, he concedes, will likely lead to people spending less time on the site. | For the first time, Mark Zuckerberg is making a major decision that goes against one of his long-held beliefs: any change to the network must have the goal of improving engagement. This move, he concedes, will likely lead to people spending less time on the site. |
| But after a tough 2017, Mr Zuckerberg is perhaps learning now that in the wake of the fake news scandal, and a platform brimming with tedious clickbait, not all engagement is good engagement. | But after a tough 2017, Mr Zuckerberg is perhaps learning now that in the wake of the fake news scandal, and a platform brimming with tedious clickbait, not all engagement is good engagement. |
| Faced with the enormous task of having to do more to moderate what's happening on his network, Mr Zuckerberg may have come to the conclusion that having a news free-for-all is becoming more trouble than it's worth. | Faced with the enormous task of having to do more to moderate what's happening on his network, Mr Zuckerberg may have come to the conclusion that having a news free-for-all is becoming more trouble than it's worth. |
| For news organisations and publications, this might spell bad news: a lot of traffic comes from Facebook. With less prominence, expect some viral sites to very quickly go out of business. | For news organisations and publications, this might spell bad news: a lot of traffic comes from Facebook. With less prominence, expect some viral sites to very quickly go out of business. |
| The new change of course will cost Facebook money. Mr Zuckerberg warned investors at the end of last year that combating fake news would hurt the firm's bottom line. The question now is: by how much? | The new change of course will cost Facebook money. Mr Zuckerberg warned investors at the end of last year that combating fake news would hurt the firm's bottom line. The question now is: by how much? |