Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has announced that it will be shutting down the Facebook News feature in the U.S. and Australia in early April, following the closure of the feature in the U.K., France, and Germany last year. Launched in 2019, the News tab curated headlines from national and international news organizations, as well as smaller, local publications. However, Meta has stated that users will still be able to view links to news articles, and news organizations will still be able to post and promote their stories and websites, as any other individual or organization can on Facebook.

The decision to sunset Facebook News comes as Meta continues to de-emphasize news and political content on its platforms, in response to criticism about how it handles misinformation and its potential contribution to political polarization. Dani Lever, a Meta spokesperson, clarified that the change does not impact posts from accounts that users choose to follow, but rather affects what the system recommends. Lever emphasized that users have control over the content they see on their feeds.

Despite the dissolution of the News tab, Meta reassured that its fact-checking network and review of misinformation will remain in place. However, misinformation continues to be a challenge for the company, especially with major elections on the horizon. Sarah Kreps, a tech policy expert, noted that Facebook's evolution into a political platform was not originally envisioned by its founders, but as the platform grew, it became increasingly entangled in politics.

Rick Edmonds, a media analyst, commented on the decline in Facebook traffic to news websites over the years, leading news organizations to seek alternative ways to reach audiences. Edmonds acknowledged that the closure of the News tab will have a negative impact on the news industry, which has already been struggling to adapt to changes in digital media consumption.

While Meta stated that news makes up less than 3% of what users see in their Facebook feeds globally, a 2023 Pew Research study revealed that half of U.S. adults still get news from social media, with Facebook being the primary platform. Instagram, also owned by Meta, is another popular source of news for users. Recently, Instagram users expressed dissatisfaction with the app's decision to stop “proactively” recommending political content from accounts that users do not follow, highlighting the ongoing challenges faced by social media platforms in managing news and political content.