FACEBOOK has started alerting users that one of its features will close down later this year.
The social media giant announced last week that the Facebook News section is being discontinued from early December.
Notice appears at the top of the Facebook News section
And now Mark Zuckerberg‘s firm has started notifying users of the move.
A box at the top of the Facebook News section reads: “Facebook News is going away soon.
“Facebook News will no longer be available in the United Kingdom, France and Germany starting in early December 2023.
“You can download your Facebook News data by visiting Your Facebook information in your profile settings.”
Meta revealed that it will also end an agreement to fund local news as part of the move.
The announcement was slammed by the journalism sector, who claim the firm “continues to exploit its dominant position”.
The Community News Project paid for more than 100 reporters in under-served areas across the UK.
Owner Meta says that news only makes up less than three per cent of what people around the world see in their Facebook feed.
Despite the move, users will still be able to share news links on their Facebook accounts as normal.
“This is part of an ongoing effort to better align our investments to our products and services people value the most,” Meta said.
“As a company, we have to focus our time and resources on things people tell us they want to see more of on the platform, including short form video.”
Owen Meredith, chief executive of the News Media Association, commented: “Sadly, this latest decision comes as little surprise, considering the news blackouts we have seen Meta enforcing in Canada and Australia.
“Meta continues to exploit its dominant position, reaping the benefits of news content on their platforms without adequately compensating the publishers that invest in it.”
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