In the middle of the Coronavirus As a pandemic, Facebook is stepping up its efforts to get more users to try groups. This is an online space where people gather to chat on a specific topic.
On Thursday, the world's largest social network introduced new features that should make it easier for people to chat in groups. People who run a Facebook group can hold question-and-answer sessions or share a photo on a specific topic, as well as flipping through people's answers using a feature called prompts. Another tool allows group administrators to reject posts with certain keywords or from new members.
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Facebook is also testing ways for people to find public groups on and off the social network. The company said it would display public group discussions in the news feed and other places outside of Facebook, such as in search results.
Facebook has doubled down on groups as more and more people move into private rooms to share their thoughts instead of posting publicly. More than 1.8 billion people use Facebook groups every month. The increasing popularity of groups that can be public or private has been a double-edged sword for the social network. On the one hand, groups can be used to bring people together who are passionate about topics like bird watching, parenting, or hiking. At the same time, people are using groups to spread misinformation about vaccines and advance far-right conspiracy theories like QAnon.
"COVID has resulted in much more of our communities moving online. For many of us, Facebook groups have been an important place to get support, share information, or just be entertained," said Mark Zuckerberg, CEO and Co-Founder from Facebook, on the company's Communities Summit Thursday. The summit was broadcast live on Facebook and more than 26,000 people watched the keynote presentation once.
People are using Facebook groups to share tips on distance learning or promote social distancing during the pandemic. A group that Zuckerberg said helped him in the early days of quarantine is bringing people together to sing from a safe distance.
Zuckerberg did not address the disadvantages of Facebook groups in his brief remarks, but Fidji Simo, who oversees the Facebook app, pointed out during the virtual event that the company has invested in more security features for groups. Facebook says it got rid of more than 1 million groups in the last year for breaking its rules.
"We know there is more work to be done, but we are committed to ensuring that everyone has a safe experience on Facebook," said Simo.