Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s 2022 ‘Crazy Idea’ to Delete Facebook Friends Lists to Boost User Engagement

In the competitive landscape of social media, platforms are increasingly vying for user engagement to enhance revenue and attract advertising partners. Recently, internal communications revealed some eyebrow-raising strategies considered by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. One particularly peculiar proposal involved the removal of the friends list on Facebook, an idea that understandably raised concerns among board members.

The Motivation Behind Zuckerberg’s Radical Proposal

Zuckerberg’s radical thinking surfaced amidst growing worries that Facebook was losing its cultural significance. According to reports from The Verge, he suggested a radical reset—eliminating all friends lists annually to refresh user interaction. His premise was that if Facebook’s relevance continued to diminish, it could jeopardize the entire organization, even impacting its successful subsidiaries like Instagram and WhatsApp.

To gauge the potential fallout, Zuckerberg proposed initiating this experiment in a smaller market. However, the head of Facebook, Tom Allison, expressed skepticism about the efficacy of this strategy, particularly given that the platform’s popularity hinged on its social features, notably the friends counter.

During a recent FTC antitrust hearing, Zuckerberg confirmed that the company ultimately decided against implementing this controversial idea. Instead, Meta has redirected its efforts toward enhancing user experience on Facebook, refocusing on design aesthetics and interface updates reminiscent of earlier innovations. With these adjustments, there is a cautious hope that such unconventional theories won’t resurface in the future.

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