Report: Leaked Documents Reveal Facebook's Research on Competitors to Crush

Lucas NolanDecember 16, 2021

Leaked internal documents reportedly reveal tech giant Facebook’s opinions on rival platforms like TikTok and YouTube. Mark Zuckerberg’s internet giant is plainly interested in targeting rival platforms as “inspiration” for future features, a favorite strategy of Facebook enabled by its massive power over the market.

Business Insider reports that leaked internal documents included in the Facebook Papers release provide insight into the tech giant’s thoughts on its rivals. Facebook (now called Meta) is heavily focused on attracting younger users in recent months after internal studies showed that it was having trouble convincing younger demographics to join the platform.

Mark Zuckerberg discusses Instagram (AFP/Getty)

TikTok video app (AFP/Getty)

As a result, a top concern for Facebook is understanding the platforms that teens are spending more time on — such as TikTok. While TikTok is a major concern for the platform, other platforms such as YouTube and Snapchat are still very much considered a threat by the tech giant, while less obvious competing platforms like Slack, Discord, and even mobile texting were also mentioned by the company.

A slide in a document titled: “The Power of Identities: Why Teens and Young Adults Choose Instagram,” reads: “None of the Family of Apps is the preferred way of communicating with best friends.”

One leaked presentation titled “Reels vs. TikTok” pits Instagram’s Reel feature against TikTok and very openly states: “TikTok is more appealing than Reels due to better relevance and deeper engagement experience.” The document further notes how TikTok is “not just fun more fun, it’s funny,” noting that TikTok gives users a feed filled with comedic content.

Some of the documents from early 2021 mention platforms like Discord and Twitch as potential competitors, both of which are heavily focused on the online gaming market. Facebook appears to be attempting to expand in this market, focusing on virtual reality and games designed for the metaverse and could use platforms such as Twitch for “inspiration” for future products.

In October, a Meta spokesperson commented on the Facebook Papers, stating: “These documents demonstrate what we’ve been saying for a long time — that we operate in a highly competitive space. We compete with TikTok, Snapchat, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and many others for people’s time and attention, which drives us to improve the experiences we offer and give people greater choice.”