MENLO PARK — Facebook CEO and co-founder Mark Zuckerberg said Thursday that the tech firm is changing its News Feed so users see more posts from family, friends and groups.
The move is part of the company’s efforts to help people strengthen relationships on the site.
“We feel a responsibility to make sure our services aren’t just fun to use, but also good for people’s well-being,” Zuckerberg wrote in a Facebook post.
Facebook, which says the changes will happen in the coming months, has faced mounting criticism that the site may be tearing society apart. In December, the company admitted that the site can be bad for users who are merely consuming information but not interacting with family and friends.
Now the tech firm says users will see fewer posts from businesses, brands and media on their website. And Zuckerberg said that this content should encourage “meaningful interactions” between people.
“For example, there are many tight-knit communities around TV shows and sports teams. We’ve seen people interact way more around live videos than regular ones. Some news helps start conversations on important issues,” Zuckerberg wrote.
The tech firm, which makes billions of dollars from advertising, could see its users spend less time on the social network.
But to Zuckerberg that isn’t necessarily bad for business.
“I also expect the time you do spend on Facebook will be more valuable,” he wrote. “And if we do the right thing, I believe that will be good for our community and our business over the long term too.”
Facebook has more than 2 billion users worldwide.
