Mark Zuckerberg once suggested wiping all Facebook friends lists to boost usage

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg had a “doubtlessly loopy thought” in 2022 to get folks utilizing Fb extra: deleting everybody’s mates’ lists. The chance was mentioned on Monday by way of inside emails proven by the FTC as Zuckerberg testified throughout Meta’s antitrust trial.

Zuckerberg floated the thought of contemplating “wiping everybody’s graphs” — their mates lists — “and having them begin once more,” presumably annually, famous The Verge deputy editor Alex Heath, who noticed the testimony contained in the courtroom. Meta’s CEO mentioned he was involved that Fb’s “cultural relevance is reducing shortly.” Zuckerberg proposed a staggered strategy, like beginning with an experiment in a smaller nation, in case too many individuals give up Fb in response to the transfer. “Even when [Instagram] and [WhatsApp] do effectively,” he mentioned, “I don’t see a method for our firm to reach the way in which we want if FB falters, so we have to get this proper.”

Head of Fb Tom Allison replied, saying he wasn’t positive the thought was “viable given my understanding of how important the good friend use case is” to Instagram, according to Business Insider. The outlet says that, in his reply, Zuckerberg additionally requested “how a lot work it could be to transform profiles to a observe mannequin.”

When a Federal Commerce Fee legal professional reminded Zuckerberg in regards to the thought throughout questioning on Monday, Enterprise Insider writes that the chief replied, “So far as I can inform, we by no means did that.”

Meta has taken a unique strategy to revitalizing the Fb expertise these days, with the latest introduction of a revamped friends tab that doesn’t present algorithmic content material to customers. In January, Zuckerberg said {that a} huge focus for the corporate this 12 months could be to “get again to some OG Fb.”