Meta Platforms has announced its intention to discontinue the «Facebook News» feature within its social media app in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany later this year.
After this transition takes effect in December, users will retain the ability to access links to news articles. Furthermore, European news publishers will maintain their access to Facebook accounts and pages. However, Meta has stated that it will cease forming new commercial agreements for news content on the «Facebook News» feature in these countries. Additionally, no new product innovations will be introduced for news publishers.
«Facebook News,» a curated feed of news articles, currently resides in the bookmarks section of the Facebook app.
In a blog post, Meta emphasized that «News comprises less than 3% of the content users see in their Facebook feed globally,» highlighting that news discovery represents a relatively small part of the Facebook experience for the majority of users.
In parallel with its Big Tech counterpart, Alphabet, Meta has faced increasing pressure from lawmakers worldwide to enhance its revenue-sharing arrangements with news publishers. In response to new legislation mandating compensation for news publishers by internet giants, Meta has already taken steps to block news content on its Facebook and Instagram platforms for all users in Canada. A similar law was implemented in Australia in 2021.