Nuked 
Hello followers! Today, let’s talk about how Meta views its own social media platforms in the fierce race against TikTok.
According to a recent court document from the US Federal Trade Commission’s lawsuit, Meta’s top executives recognize that TikTok is outpacing Facebook and Instagram. In private conversations dated February 2022, Zuckerberg admitted that Facebook had lost some of its market momentum and a sense of shared experience among users.
Mark Zuckerberg described Facebook as a “challenger” struggling to keep up, highlighting TikTok’s success in creating a common cultural space where friends encounter the same memes and viral videos. Instagram’s head, Adam Mosseri, agreed that Facebook was no longer the go-to discovery engine, predicting TikTok would soon overtake YouTube, which was the dominant platform for video content.
Analysis shows TikTok’s rapid growth—overtaking YouTube for average watch time in the US, especially among kids. The platform has also expanded to allow long videos, with Netflix launching a TikTok-like feed in its app, further challenging traditional media outlets. These developments imply a shifting social media landscape where TikTok leads in engagement and innovative video formats.
Meta’s internal discussion reveals a clear concern: even if Facebook remains the largest app in user engagement, it’s losing in terms of time spent and cultural relevance. Executives noted TikTok’s unique ability to foster a social shared context, making content consumption inherently social without extra effort.
Other Meta leaders acknowledged the fragmentation of social media growth, with numerous platforms vying for user attention. The document portrays a picture of Meta’s perception of being behind, especially in short-form video and content discovery technology. CEO Zuckerberg and his team recognized TikTok’s dominance as a serious threat, which they considered a competitive risk that could slow Meta’s growth.
