Facebook has tried to launch a new messaging app several times now, with varying degrees of success, so this time they're changing tactics.
From their previous attempts, it's clear that Facebook aren't satisfied with just having one app on your smartphone, they want more. From the truly terrible Facebook Home to their attempt at buying Snapchat and their eventual acquisition of Whatsapp, they have shown that they're looking to be the platform that dominates your smartphone activity, in particular when it comes to sending messages.
After their Messenger app got some bad press over requiring a whole bunch of permissions, it looks as though they're going down a different route and opting for a more secretive app that would allow users to talk about controversial topics or sensitive issues without using their real names.
According to TechCrunch, the "goal here is to provide a forum for open discussion where users don’t have to worry about people associating their comments with their actual identity" and it may well resemble something similar to reddit when all is said and done.
This seems to be a reaction to privacy concerns on the user's end, and while anonymity may be what people want, it also throws the door open to plenty of other potential problems, including becoming another, less visible avenue for cyber-bullying.
Mike Isaac of The New York Times suggests that it will be a stand-alone app, and that we should expect to see it in the coming weeks .
Via TechCrunch and The New York Times
