Meta is still grappling with keeping Facebook culturally relevant, an issue the company has been struggling with since at least 2022. Emails shared by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission during Meta’s antitrust trial revealed the company’s internal discussions on the matter. Mark Zuckerberg expressed concerns that Facebook’s cultural relevance was decreasing, despite steady engagement in many places.
In April 2022, Zuckerberg discussed potential solutions with other Meta executives, including ditching the “Friends” format and adopting a “Following” structure like other social media platforms. He noted that Facebook’s “friending” concept felt outdated, as people’s friend graphs were often stale and not filled with the people they wanted to connect with. Zuckerberg also considered the possibility of wiping out everyone’s friend graphs and having them start again, although he acknowledged the risks involved.
Zuckerberg’s emails highlighted the company’s concerns about Facebook’s future. “Even if IG and WA do well, I don’t see a path for our company to succeed in the way we need if FB falters, so we need to get this right,” he said. He believed that refreshing Facebook’s graph structure was necessary for it to gain cultural relevance and a better long-term path.
Some of Zuckerberg’s other suggestions included fully adopting a “Following” structure, even for private accounts, and getting rid of the concept of liking pages. He acknowledged that such a significant change would require careful consideration and testing.
Meta nearly launched ad-free Facebook in 2018
In January 2025, Zuckerberg announced that Meta wanted to restore Facebook’s cultural relevance this year with a return to “OG Facebook.” The company has since launched a revamped Friends tab, part of its efforts to address the issue. Zuckerberg’s concerns and proposed solutions, as revealed in the emails, highlight the challenges Meta faces in maintaining Facebook’s relevance.
- Key points from Mark Zuckerberg’s emails:
- Cultural relevance: Zuckerberg noted that Facebook’s cultural relevance was decreasing, despite steady engagement.
- Outdated “Friends” structure: He believed that the “friending” concept was outdated and that adopting a “Following” structure could be a potential solution.
- Proposed solutions: Zuckerberg suggested fully adopting a “Following” structure, wiping out friend graphs, and getting rid of the concept of liking pages.
Meta’s efforts to restore Facebook’s cultural relevance are ongoing, with the company continuing to explore new approaches to address the issue.
