But when the products began aggressively sending Facebook users updates on what their friends had read, Facebook made a series of changes that effectively killed the apps. Facebook said it expected a drop in reach and referral traffic for publishers whose audience comes primarily to content posted by the publisher’s official Facebook page. This time, in a set of “values” the company made public in a post on Wednesday, Facebook made clear that showcasing content posted by friends and family was its top priority. That has resulted in closer partnerships between Facebook and publishers experimenting with new media products tailored specifically for the social media site. Facebook said on Wednesday that it planned to make a series of changes to its news feed algorithm so that it will more favorably promote content posted by the friends and family of users.

Source: New York Times June 29, 2016 13:52 UTC