Facebook has launched the News section to users in the UK after it rolled out the feature in the US in 2020. The social media platform will have a dedicated section for News items for users in the region.
Major News publishers including The Guardian, Channel 4, and Sky News have signed deals with Facebook to provide content.
Facebook is rolling out the feature with hopes of mending its relationship with traditional media which consider the social network a threat. Big tech has come under fire for pocketing a huge chunk of advertising fees that previously went to the media outlets. As a result, Facebook and Google have attracted criticism for the manner in which they share News.
Read: Facebook News Feature Set For Global Roll Out
Google has threatened to pull off its search engine from Australia if the law is amended to force them to enter into agreements with News publishers. According to the company, the move will result in a domino effect as more content creators will demand the same payout.
The news feature, which rolled out Tuesday afternoon, is a dedicated tab within the Facebook app. It can be accessed by tapping the three-line icon for more options. The tab will feature a mix of the daily top news and personalized options based on your interests.
Facebook has announced that it is working rapidly to go international with the feature starting with the UK, Brazil, Britain, France, Germany, and India.
Read also: Facebook Rolls Out New Campaign To Help Spot Fake News
“In each country, we’ll pay news publishers to ensure their content is available in the new product,” Facebook global news partnerships vice president Campbell Brown said in a blog post.
“We will keep building new products and making global investments to help the news industry build long-lasting business models.”
News agencies have had to contend with the availability of Free News online. They have also experienced declining sales of their classic Newspapers and low rates of subscription online.
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