As Meta pushes back against an antitrust case that could see Instagram and WhatsApp separated from its core business, internal documents from the company have emerged, painting a clearer picture of how people now use its platforms.
The data—shared during its defense against the Federal Trade Commission—shows Facebook’s feed has evolved into a video-first environment. Over the last few years, time spent watching video on Facebook has surged, while activity around static posts and Stories has waned. One internal chart shows Reels, Meta’s short-form video format, pulling ahead. The classic News Feed is slipping. Stories never really caught on.
That’s no accident. Meta has leaned heavily on a recommendation system that pushes Reels to users regardless of who they follow. This tweak alone appears to be driving a major chunk of engagement across both Facebook and Instagram.
Buried in the documents was another striking stat: messaging now outpaces public sharing by a wide margin. For every post made on someone’s profile, around 63 messages are exchanged privately. That ratio highlights what many have sensed — these apps no longer revolve around public broadcasting. They function more like entertainment hubs paired with messaging services.
For brands, this shift means more than just a format change. Users might still see and tap on video ads, but the real engagement often happens in direct conversations. That’s where Meta’s Click-to-Message ads come in. These campaigns don’t just flash an offer — they invite users into one-on-one chats. And according to Meta, they’ve been gaining momentum.
The trial also revealed that when TikTok faced temporary restrictions in the U.S., traffic didn’t vanish. It rerouted. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube quickly filled the void. Should a ban on TikTok go through under the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, Meta stands ready to absorb even more of that displaced audience.
Another internal slide showed the feature overlap now blanketing social apps. From Stories to Shorts to DMs to algorithmic feeds, the big players are looking more alike every year. Innovation, at least on the surface, has slowed. Everyone’s chasing the same metrics with the same tools.
Meta’s fight with the FTC may hinge on legal definitions, but its internal data reveals something bigger — the way people interact on social media has changed, and the platforms are scrambling to keep up.
Read next: Sally’s Siblings Stump GPT-4: Why Hinton Says AI Isn’t Ready for Real Reasoning
The data—shared during its defense against the Federal Trade Commission—shows Facebook’s feed has evolved into a video-first environment. Over the last few years, time spent watching video on Facebook has surged, while activity around static posts and Stories has waned. One internal chart shows Reels, Meta’s short-form video format, pulling ahead. The classic News Feed is slipping. Stories never really caught on.
That’s no accident. Meta has leaned heavily on a recommendation system that pushes Reels to users regardless of who they follow. This tweak alone appears to be driving a major chunk of engagement across both Facebook and Instagram.
Buried in the documents was another striking stat: messaging now outpaces public sharing by a wide margin. For every post made on someone’s profile, around 63 messages are exchanged privately. That ratio highlights what many have sensed — these apps no longer revolve around public broadcasting. They function more like entertainment hubs paired with messaging services.
For brands, this shift means more than just a format change. Users might still see and tap on video ads, but the real engagement often happens in direct conversations. That’s where Meta’s Click-to-Message ads come in. These campaigns don’t just flash an offer — they invite users into one-on-one chats. And according to Meta, they’ve been gaining momentum.
The trial also revealed that when TikTok faced temporary restrictions in the U.S., traffic didn’t vanish. It rerouted. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube quickly filled the void. Should a ban on TikTok go through under the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, Meta stands ready to absorb even more of that displaced audience.
Another internal slide showed the feature overlap now blanketing social apps. From Stories to Shorts to DMs to algorithmic feeds, the big players are looking more alike every year. Innovation, at least on the surface, has slowed. Everyone’s chasing the same metrics with the same tools.
Meta’s fight with the FTC may hinge on legal definitions, but its internal data reveals something bigger — the way people interact on social media has changed, and the platforms are scrambling to keep up.
Read next: Sally’s Siblings Stump GPT-4: Why Hinton Says AI Isn’t Ready for Real Reasoning
