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FTC Trial Highlights Zuckerberg's Concerns Over Facebook's Cultural Decline

Internal emails reveal Meta's 2022 debates over Facebook's future, as the company rolls out new features to revive relevance.

During Meta’s Q4 earnings call in January, Zuckerberg said the company’s focus for the year would be to restore Facebook’s cultural standing.
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Overview

  • Internal emails from 2022, disclosed during the FTC antitrust trial, show Mark Zuckerberg's concern about Facebook's waning cultural relevance despite stable engagement metrics.
  • Zuckerberg considered significant changes to Facebook’s structure, including shifting from a friend-based model to a follow-based system or resetting user connections entirely.
  • Meta launched a revamped Friends tab in early 2025 as part of its 'OG Facebook' strategy to restore the platform's prominence.
  • During the Q4 2024 earnings call, Zuckerberg emphasized the urgency of reversing Facebook's cultural decline to ensure Meta's long-term success.
  • The FTC trial, focused on Meta's acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp, has intensified scrutiny of the company's competitive practices and internal decision-making.