Meta, the tech giant that owns Facebook, has announced that it will be ending its Facebook News tab and will no longer renew commercial deals with traditional media outlets. The decision comes after a significant decline in the number of people using Facebook News in Australia and the United States. Meta stated that people primarily use Facebook to connect with others and discover new opportunities, passions, and interests, rather than consume news and political content.
The company emphasized that news only makes up a small portion of what users see on their Facebook feed, and it is not a significant part of the overall Facebook experience for the majority of people. As a result, Meta wants to focus on products that it believes users value most. This means that there will be no new commercial deals for traditional news content, and no new Facebook products specifically for news publishers in the future.
However, existing Facebook News agreements with publishers in Australia, France, and Germany will not be affected by this decision. These agreements have already lapsed in the United States and the UK. Despite the end of the Facebook News tab, users will still be able to view links to news articles on Facebook, and news outlets can continue to post links to their stories on their accounts.
The Australian government has expressed concerns about Meta’s decision, calling it a “dereliction” of its commitment to the sustainability of Australian news media. In 2021, Facebook had difficult negotiations with the Australian government over a law that required the company to pay publishers for content. This resulted in Facebook shutting down news content on its platform in Australia for several days. Later, Facebook agreed to set up the Facebook News service as a way of compensating news outlets. However, with this latest move, Meta has effectively taken a step back from paying news companies.
The now-Labor government will seek advice from the Treasury Department and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission on how to respond to Meta’s decision. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stressed the importance of properly funding the media and expressed concern that taking research and work done by others for free is untenable.
Despite ending the Facebook News tab, Meta highlighted its commitment to combating misinformation. The company claims to have built the largest global fact-checking network of any platform by partnering with over 90 independent fact-checking organizations worldwide. These third-party fact-checkers are certified through accreditation bodies and help identify and rate viral misinformation on apps. Meta has invested over $150 million in programs supporting fact-checking efforts since 2016 and intends to continue investing in this area.
Meta’s decision to end the Facebook News tab and cease future content partnerships with media outlets reflects its focus on prioritizing products that users value most. While it has faced criticism from the Australian government, the company remains committed to connecting people to reliable information and combating misinformation. As the landscape of news consumption continues to evolve, Meta’s move signals a shift in priorities for one of the world’s largest tech companies.
