Facebook has updated its algorithm with more “meaningful” content. Instead of choosing stories with the most likes or shares, the social media giant aims to share stories people spend more time on. Although it’s tough to determine the reason a person spends 10 seconds or more on a story, Facebook hopes to capture user interest with better content.
Facebook to improve news feeds
According to the site’s engineers, traditional factors don’t always tell them what content is most meaningful to its users. Sometimes people want to read stories for content even if they don’t “like” or comment on the page. They explained:
“There are times when, for example, people want to see information about a serious current event, but don’t necessarily want to like or comment on it.”
The engineers learned that some Facebook users spend more time on certain pages, and that is a strong indicator of interest. The website assured marketers that company and celebrity pages won’t be affected by the change.
This isn’t the first time Facebook made some significant changes to its feed algorithms. The company has regularly made changes in its algorithms in the last two years. In August 2013, Facebook said its users could view 1,500 potential stories on their feed per login, but later that number was lowered to 300.
Facebook in trouble with watchdog group
In other Facebook-related news, the company is being taken to court again by a watchdog group from Belgium. In May, the country’s privacy commission accused Facebook of taking personal data from its users and other internet users without their knowledge.
The effort is all part of a larger crackdown by European privacy regulators. A representative for Facebook claims to be confident the allegations hold zero merit. Facebook claims the only regulator it has to answer to is the Irish Data Protection Commissioner. Facebook obtains information from its users with its “like” and “share” buttons.
