Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced this Friday, April 24, new features in the line of video calls to directly compete with Zoom and Houseparty.
The new effort is called Facebook Messenger Rooms, which will allow more than 50 people to be connected at once for hangouts.
In that line, Zuckerberg said that the purpose of all this is "to be present so that, for example, you can play ping pong virtually with a person in another part of the world, we want to help people to be reunited again."
"Video presence is not a new area for us," said the Facebook CEO. “But it is an area we want to delve into, and it fits in with the general theme, which is that we are shifting more resources in the company to focus on private communication and private social platforms, rather than just the broader traditional ones. So this is a good combination: we are building tools on Facebook and Instagram that are helping people find smaller groups of people and then have more intimate connections and be able to have private sessions with them. ”
Messenger Rooms
- The feature, which Facebook says will be available in the United States sometime in the coming weeks, will allow up to 50 people to join a call.
- The creator of the room can decide whether it is open to everyone or lock it to prevent uninvited guests from joining. You will be able to start a room from Messenger and Facebook to get started.
- Later they will be enabled for Instagram and WhatsApp.
- While you're in a room, you can play around with Facebook's augmented reality filters or swap your real-life background for a virtual one. Some backgrounds offer 360-degree views of exotic locations, the company said. And a new list of AR filters will help brighten dark rooms or touch up user appearances.
- Calls to the room are not end-to-end encrypted, but Facebook says it doesn't see or hear the calls. The creator of a room can remove participants at any time, and rooms where unlawful behavior occurs can be reported to Facebook.
Other things announced by Zuckerberg
Facebook Live will again add a feature called Live With that allows users to invite someone else to stream with them.
Instagram will begin allowing users to post live streams on IGTV as well as on Instagram stories after they finish a stream, and Instagram Live streams will be available on the desktop for the first time.
It doubles from four to eight people in video calls on WhatsApp.
Video calls to Facebook Dating are allowed.
The five lines of work of Facebok in the pandemic
Additionally, Mark Zuckerberg commented on what the company's top five efforts have been in the pandemic.
- Helping people to be connected. New things and products to stay connected.
- Help improve detection of disinformation and deliver authorized channels from government, doctors and companies to deliver appropriate versions of the coronavirus and how to keep people safe at home. For example, Messenger Chatbot and WhatsApp with information. Also download dangerous content. "We are working with independent fact checkers to identify the fake news on Facebook," said Zuckerberg.
- Assisting people with health responses: Availability of ventilators, protected and safe areas to transit, information for authorities to make decisions about quarantine. Mobility maps, AI climate tools, and "as a Zuckerberg foundation we are working and collaborating on medical research to find medical solutions (vaccines, tests)".
- Support for an economic recovery and to help small businesses. Programs for local journalists, to stimulate entrepreneurs.
- Take care of our employees and the community. To be able to promote telework.