Foreclosure of Beta Testing
Before it is even made available to most users, Meta is killing off Neighborhoods, a Nextdoor-inspired feature of Facebook. In 2020, the social network began making it available to a select group of Canadian users, promoting it as a dedicated area where people can engage with their local communities. Last year, it increased the scope of its tests and made access available to numerous communities across Canada and the US. The company is ending its test of Neighborhoods on October 1st, according to a screenshot of a post written by a Meta product manager that social media consultant Matt Navarra was able to obtain. After that time, it won’t be accessible any longer.
Although local community-focused groups are neither new nor uncommon on the website, Neighborhoods spaces have unique features. If a user doesn’t want people in their immediate vicinity to know too much about them, they can create separate profiles where their public information is limited. Through the Neighborhoods tab, users can also locate groups for particular activities that are filled with locals.
No concrete reason for discontinuation
In their announcement, the product manager didn’t explain why Meta is discontinuing Neighborhoods. However, the business reportedly told TechCrunch that it made its initial investment in the project after realising how well-liked Nextdoor was. However, it reportedly determined that allowing people to create their own local communities using the website’s current Groups feature was the best course of action for this specific area.
Another explanation is that Meta is terminating the project in an effort to reduce costs. In a move that could be intended to help the business survive what Mark Zuckerberg calls “one of the worst downturns [it has] seen in recent history,” it also recently announced that it is closing the standalone Facebook Gaming app.
Also read about: Facebook Neighborhoods
