Facebook is working on a Twitter-like app that lets publishers send mobile breaking news alerts to the masses
Getty/Justin Sullivan
This product, which sounds similar to Twitter, seems to be different than Facebook for Work, an initiative that was announced late last year.
Business Insider has reviewed screenshots of the new product and spoken to a source who has been playing around with the Facebook Business platform. This source says a few companies were chosen by Facebook to pilot the app.
Facebook declined to comment for this story.
Details are still vague, but here's how Facebook's new product, which is currently in early ("alpha") testing, will supposedly work.
- Users will download a new mobile app by Facebook
- Users will then choose partnering publications they want to follow on the app and topics (or "stations" and "substations") they want to receive breaking news alerts about. Facebook has apparently selected only a few companies to launch with.
- When there is breaking news, partnering publications can create mobile notifications that will blast out to all of the followers instantly, as fast as a tweet would.
- The mobile alerts allow for up to 100 characters of text and a url to the news article on that publication's website. One publication can't create a notification for another, for example.
- The blast will go out, and when people click on the link, they'll be taken to the publication's website to read the article.
Here's a screengrab of what the notification system that's being tested looks like:
Business Insider
- Colon cancer rates are rising in young people. If you have two symptoms you should get a colonoscopy, a GI oncologist says.
- I spent $2,000 for 7 nights in a 179-square-foot room on one of the world's largest cruise ships. Take a look inside my cabin.
- An Ambani disruption in OTT: At just ₹1 per day, you can now enjoy ad-free content on JioCinema
- Markets rally for 6th day running on firm Asian peers; Tech Mahindra jumps over 12%
- Sustainable Waste Disposal
- RBI announces auction sale of Govt. securities of ₹32,000 crore
- Catan adds climate change to the latest edition of the world-famous board game
- Tired of blatant misinformation in the media? This video game can help you and your family fight fake news!