Facebook has a new ploy to keep users engaged on its social network – connect them with strangers.
The firm is testing a feature in the United States that shows interests, employment history and public groups you share in common with random users.
When someone you don’t know comments on a public post, Facebook will now surface information on whether you live in the same city, or went to the same school.
Facebook hopes the feature, which is currently being trialled by a limited number of users, will spark conversations with people you might otherwise have never met.
Facebook is testing a feature in the United States that shows interests, employment history and public groups you share in common with random users. You’ll be able to see in comments if you live in the same city as someone or went to the same school (bottom comment)
Facebook emphasises the tool, known as Things in Common, will only use data that is already available publicly on your profile.
The company is under intense scrutiny over the data it collects and shares on its users following the Cambridge Analytica scandal earlier this year.
Things in Common will show up when you read through a public conversation on Facebook, such as a common thread on a brand or publisher page.
Above the names of people who have left comments, Facebook will highlight things you have in common with each user.
Next to one name a label might read ‘You both went to the University of Manchester’, or that you were both born in Bristol.
Facebook will also let you know if the two of you are part of the same public group, or if you work for the same company, but are not friends on the network.
Facebook has a new ploy to keep users engaged on its social network – connect them to strangers. The firm is testing a feature in the United States that shows interests, employment history and public groups you share in common with random users (stock image)
The feature is part of Facebook’s efforts to make public discussions on its network more meaningful.
‘Knowing shared things in common helps people connect,’ a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement.
‘We’re testing adding a “things in common” label that will appear above comments from people who you’re not friends with but you might have something in common with.’
Facebook said the ‘small’ test is currently only available to a select number of users in the United States, and would not elaborate on any plans for expansion.
The company regularly tests new features on small numbers of people before releasing them to users worldwide.
Based on the reaction, Facebook will either make changes, roll-out the feature to users worldwide, or drop it entirely.
WHAT IS THE CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA SCANDAL?
Communications firm Cambridge Analytica has offices in London, New York, Washington, as well as Brazil and Malaysia.
The company boasts it can ‘find your voters and move them to action’ through data-driven campaigns and a team that includes data scientists and behavioural psychologists.
‘Within the United States alone, we have played a pivotal role in winning presidential races as well as congressional and state elections,’ with data on more than 230 million American voters, Cambridge Analytica claims on its website.
The company profited from a feature that meant apps could ask for permission to access your own data as well as the data of all your Facebook friends.
The data firm suspended its chief executive, Alexander Nix (pictured), after recordings emerged of him making a series of controversial claims, including boasts that Cambridge Analytica had a pivotal role in the election of Donald Trump
This meant the company was able to mine the information of 87 million Facebook users even though just 270,000 people gave them permission to do so.
This was designed to help them create software that can predict and influence voters’ choices at the ballot box.
The data firm suspended its chief executive, Alexander Nix, after recordings emerged of him making a series of controversial claims, including boasts that Cambridge Analytica had a pivotal role in the election of Donald Trump.
This information is said to have been used to help the Brexit campaign in the UK.