In recent years, Facebook has implemented new policies that restrict users’ ability to easily share news articles on the platform. If you’ve tried sharing a news story only to get an error message, you’re not alone. There are a few key reasons why Facebook has clamped down on news article sharing.
Facebook’s Algorithm Favors Friends and Family
Facebook’s algorithm has been tweaked over the years to prioritize personal connections. The goal is to make Facebook feel more like a digital extension of your social life rather than a news aggregator. So posts from friends and family are more likely to appear at the top of your News Feed. Public content, including news articles, gets lower priority.
Mark Zuckerberg has been vocal about this shift, saying the platform should be for “meaningful interaction” versus “passive consumption.” The algorithm change means you can still share news articles, but they likely won’t reach as many people unless those individuals actively follow your posts.
Limiting the Spread of False Information
Facebook has dealt with its fair share of controversies related to news on the platform. There have been issues like:
- The spread of false or misleading stories, especially during major news events like elections.
- Politically polarized information silos, where people only see news stories that affirm their existing beliefs.
- Clickbait and sensationalism, as provocative headlines are often more engaging on social media.
To try and curb these issues, Facebook has made changes like showing related articles next to flagged false stories and reducing exposure for misleading domains. Restricting article sharing is another mechanism to limit the spread of potentially false or polarizing information.
Encouraging Users to Actually Read Stories
There is evidence that many people share news stories on social media without actually reading the content. This can contribute to the spread of misinformation.
By adding friction to the article sharing process, like requiring users to open the link instead of sharing directly from the headline, Facebook hopes more people will take the time to read before sharing. This could improve the quality of news dissemination on the platform.
Driving Traffic to Publisher Sites
Publishers have argued that some of Facebook’s algorithm shifts reduce traffic to their sites in favor of keeping people within the app. By restricting article previews and shareability, Facebook may aim to drive more people to actually click through to publisher homepages.
This benefits publishers reliant on social traffic while also keeping people on Facebook longer. It’s a delicate balancing act for the platform.
Broad Changes to API Access
API stands for Application Programming Interface. It allows third-party apps to access and integrate with Facebook’s platform. In 2018, Facebook restricted developer API access in response to the Cambridge Analytica data scandal.
These broad API changes, intended to improve user privacy, also affected some apps and browsers that allow sharing articles seamlessly. So revoked API permissions may be contributing to more difficult article sharing as an unintended side effect.
Legal Obligations Around News Content
As Facebook usage and its impact on news dissemination has grown, governments have taken a greater interest in regulating the platform. In Australia, Facebook engaged in a standoff with lawmakers over a proposal requiring compensation for news content.
While these clashes center around publisher revenue, the negotiated rules also influence how news can be shared. Facebook may adjust article previews, sharing, commenting or other features to meet evolving legal obligations on news usage. Similar reforms are being explored in other countries as well.
Promoting Facebook’s Own Products
Facebook has launched its own news products in recent years, including Facebook News and newsletters. The platform has a business incentive to promote these initiatives.
Limiting article link sharing and previews may nudge more users towards Facebook’s own news offerings. While not necessarily the driving factor, this consequence likely benefits the platform’s strategic goals around news.
Technical Constraints and Platform Iterations
Under the hood, Facebook is constantly evolving its technical architecture and code base. New features emerge, old capabilities get phased out.
Enhancements to improve certain performance metrics, like page load speed or memory usage, can inadvertently break or change previous functionality. So some sharing issues may come down to temporary technical limitations as Facebook iterates on its code.
User Experience Testing and Experimentation
Facebook routinely tests variations of its app with certain user segments. These experiments assess how tweaks to the user experience impact engagement, usage, revenue and other factors.
Restricting article previews or shareability for a subset of users may be an experiment rather than a permanent change. If the metrics improve, Facebook may roll that change out more broadly.
Combating “Engagement Bait” Tactics
Some publishers and content farms use manipulative headlines and text formatting to bait users into engaging with posts. For example, excessive ellipses or all-caps text to imply urgency.
These engagement bait tactics pump up social metrics but provide a poor user experience. Facebook may limit how they function to discourage their use and promote higher quality information.
Conclusions
Facebook restricts article sharing for a number of reasons, including:
- Prioritizing personal connections over public content
- Slowing misinformation spread
- Encouraging reading before sharing
- Driving traffic to publisher sites
- Tightening API access
- Meeting evolving legal obligations
- Promoting Facebook’s own news products
- Navigating technical constraints
- Experimenting based on user experience data
- Combating engagement bait tactics
While the changes can be frustrating for users who rely on Facebook to distribute news, the platform believes there are benefits to social media that focuses on bringing people closer together versus endless news cycles.
The sharing experience strikes a balance between many competing interests. And that equilibrium will likely continue shifting over time as technology and regulations evolve.