Facebook working on Twitter-esque messaging service — reports

12 Aug 2015

Facebook’s push to maintain it’s role as a leading platform for modern communications will see it elbow in on Twitter’s premise, it appears, with reports suggesting a new 100-character messaging app is on the way.

Business Insider reports that the company is developing the service as a way to push breaking news out to users, who choose who they receive from out of a list of partner publications.

The news providers will essentially have access to those who download the app and follow them, rifling out a snippet of news with a link back to their website.

It basically sounds like how many people use Twitter now, with the social media service a valuable way to create your own news feed if you so wish.

Facebook news or Twitter news?

Research earlier in the summer looked at the role social media is playing in the consumption of news in the US – spoiler alert, it is dominating – with Facebook’s role firmly behind Twitter in terms of breaking news, but they are each playing hugely important roles.

Twitter’s partnership with Periscope – and the ability to utilise Vines on the platform – means it is in a position of extreme strength with regards instant news, but Facebook has been making moves to change that for a while now.

It has already launched its Instant Articles service, allowing publishers to post stories directly onto its site — including interactive features like videos and maps — without users having to leave the social media platform.

“As more people get their news on mobile devices, we want to make the experience faster and richer on Facebook,” explained Michael Reckhow, product manager at Facebook, at the time.

This followed an earlier Facebook project called Paper, with Twitter’s planned Project Lightning seeking to bring modern communications on that little bit further, too.

Main image via Shutterstock

Gordon Hunt was a journalist with Silicon Republic

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