5 Things To Look Out For On Facebook In 2014

2014 marks a decade of Facebook. The enormity of its influence over the last few years has proved the power of social media on a global scale, proven by the billion-plus demographic that it has amassed. Whilst the central model of the company has remained relatively the same since its beginnings, Facebook seems to be edging further away from the confines of social networking. Here are 5 reshapes to look out for this year.

Donate Button

Tackling the ‘slacktivism’ of social media sharing (the habit of sharing a cause on Facebook yet never giving monetary support), the site has come up with a ‘donate’ button this week, allowing visitors to get active in charitable causes with the simple click of a button. The button is currently linked to only select non-profit organisation, but Facebook promises to expand the feature further in the coming months.

Little Eye Labs

The accessibility of Facebook’s mobile apps are set to reach us further than ever this year, after the company purchased Bangalore-based Little Eye Labs. The company is the first Indian tech start-up to be bought by the networking giant, and has sparked huge optimism in the Indian ecosystem, where the number for start-ups has quadrupled in eight years. The partnership spells an acceleration of mobile users from now on in.

The expansion of the ‘like’ button

Facebook is slowly escalating the power of the infamous ‘like’ button. This year, you will find it in all the nooks and crannies of the internet, spanning IMDB, Yelp, and music streaming site Pandora, seeing Facebook co-opting with the web in Zuckerberg’s ‘grand initiative’ scheme.

Secure Status

With worries last year about Facebook retaining unpublished statuses for the amusement of your friends, the site has since put these claims to bed. A study found that over a 17-day period, 71% of users ‘self-censored’ their statuses. But with Facebook biting back at these allegations, feel free to re-think status faux pas at your own leisure this year.

Autoplay Ads

To be played on both mobile and web feeds, Facebook began testing the updated advertising method, with videos playing for 15 seconds with or without the users consent. The Wall Street Journal reported these videos to cost advertisers around $2 million a day if they wish to reach the desired audience. Like it or not, those pesky autoplays that attack you on login are here to stay.