Meta Announces Phase-Out of Facebook News Tab in US and Australia
Key Changes Coming to Facebook’s News Features
Meta has confirmed it will sunset the Facebook News tab in the United States and Australia by April 2024, continuing its strategic shift away from news-related content. This decision follows last year’s discontinuation of the feature in the UK, Germany, and France.
Why Meta Is Moving Away From News
- Declining user engagement: Usage of Facebook News dropped by 80% in Australia and the US over the past year
- Low platform priority: News represents less than 3% of content in user feeds
- Resource reallocation: Meta will focus on more popular features like short-form video
“We’re aligning our investments with what users value most,” Meta stated in its official announcement. “People increasingly prefer other content formats on our platform.”
The Regulatory Landscape Impacting This Decision
Meta’s withdrawal from news products comes amid:
- Government mandates: Australia’s 2021 News Media Bargaining Code
- Compensation requirements: Canada’s 2023 legislation led to news blocking
- Reduced publisher traffic: Significant decline in Facebook referral traffic to news sites
What This Means for Users and Publishers
- Existing publisher agreements will remain until expiration
- Users can still share news links organically
- Publishers retain ability to post content on their Pages
Meta has clarified: “We won’t enter new commercial news deals or develop news-specific products in these markets.”
The Bigger Picture: Meta’s Strategic Shift
This move continues Meta’s consistent de-emphasis of news content:
- 2022: Ended human-curated news stories globally
- 2023: Declined to amplify news on Threads (TechCrunch report)
As social media platforms evolve, Meta appears committed to prioritizing entertainment and community-building features over traditional news distribution.
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