Meta plans to discontinue the news tab on Facebook in the U.S. and Australia by April 2024, aiming to distance itself from news-related regulations and payment complexities.
This decision follows a similar move last year when Meta discontinued Facebook News in the UK, Germany, and France, redirecting resources to prioritize more valued products and services. The announcement cites an 80% drop in users engaging with Facebook News in Australia and the U.S. over the past year.
The shift aligns with Meta’s strategy to focus on products like short-form video, responding to user preferences. Despite the removal of the news tab, Meta assures that existing deals with publishers will remain unaffected until expiration. Users in Australia and the U.S. can still share news on their feeds, and publishers will retain the ability to manage pages and post links.
Meta emphasizes its commitment to current agreements but states it will not pursue new commercial deals for traditional news content or introduce news-specific products in these regions.
The move reflects Meta’s consistent retreat from prioritizing news-related efforts, reinforcing its focus on user engagement and innovative services rather than news content.
