Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has acknowledged what many users have long sensed: Facebook’s cultural clout is fading. Internal emails from April 2022, revealed during an ongoing US antitrust case, show Zuckerberg questioning whether the platform’s “friending” model still resonates in today’s digital age.
Despite steady user numbers, Zuckerberg expressed concern that people’s Facebook networks had grown stale, no longer reflecting their current interests. He even shared that his own social media habits had shifted toward following creators on platforms like Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).
Among his proposed solutions: a “crazy idea” to let users reset their entire friend list and rebuild it from scratch. He also voiced doubts about the future of Groups, despite years of investment.
The emails, disclosed in court proceedings brought by the Federal Trade Commission, reflect a larger strategic challenge for Meta—especially as it tries to keep pace with newer, video-first platforms like TikTok. While Facebook has introduced features like Reels, the internal discussions hint at deeper concerns within Meta’s leadership about the platform’s long-term relevance.
