Facebook has been building a new feature for users that will allow them to connect with several of their neighbors- this is simply an attempt to create more intimate interactions, using the idea of rival Nextdoor. There have been several screenshots of this new feature from Facebook which is being currently tested in Calgary. Twitter user Matt Navarra- a consultant of social media- shared the screenshots, where the product displayed was called ‘Neighborhoods’. Here, a user simply had to put in their address, and then fill up a profile for the neighborhood.
How does This Facebook Feature Work?
Several other images from this Facebook feature display messages that state that the group is still under the community standards that govern every Facebook group. Users would be encouraged by the company to keep things clean and be inclusive to everyone wishing to be a part of the ‘Neighborhood’. Considering the present situation, it isn’t a surprise that more and more people are moving to Facebook to connect with their communities. As a Facebook spokesperson mentions, this is simply a dedicated space created by the parent company to help people get connected with their real-life neighbors.
To increase the usage of their services, Facebook has been pushing its users to create more intimate interactions using the app in the last few years. This has led to the creation of messaging apps, and private groups. They have also made it easy for many people to create another profile within their umbrella profile- so as to accommodate special cases like college connections and a dating lifestyle. This feature isn’t exactly ‘new’ – Twitter user Jane Manchun Wong had seen this all the way back in May.
What is the Competition that Facebook Will Face if it Gets into this Market?
But what makes this feature worthy of note? To put it simply, this will come in as a close rival of the neighbourhood-based social network app called Nextdoor. This app was founded in 2008 and has had funding raised of about $470 million. The company, based in San Francisco, has stated that they are trying to go public in an even bigger way. Currently, they serve up to 2,68,000 neighbourhoods globally- which comprise around a quarter of all US neighbourhoods. Needless to say, the neighbourhood uses this as their mini social network- where people can create transactions and post about events.
It comes as no surprise that the entry of Facebook in any market is going to have major impacts on the competitors already in the market. When Facebook started its own dating service in the USA, it led to a steady decrease in the stocks of Match – by about 7 percent. Also, Facebook has had a history of being a mimic of rival products- with them copying several new features.
This is probably why Facebook is under a number of investigations conducted by government regulators- that includes the US Federal Trade Commission, and the Department of Justice- all towards anti-competitive behavior. So, it remains to be seen if any legal actions are taken against Facebook for creating a product that works pretty much in the same way as Nextdoor.
