While many social media users may hope to have the most followers, it appears that social media platforms also want the same thing—Facebook, it’s just like us!
Facebook announced earlier this week that they are adding a new service to their platform, and many have pointed out that it’s extremely similar to another popular platform, Snapchat.
According to Bloomberg, Facebook’s new feature, Day, can be used through their mobile chat app, Messenger. How does it work? Using it, people can post pictures and videos that disappear in 24 hours—which, in case you didn’t notice, is the exact same way that Snapchat works.
Facebook recently purchased Instagram, and added Instagram stories, which is also virtually the same service as Snapchat stories. But many people were unsurprised, since this wasn’t the first time they had copied Snapchat. The Verge even put together a timeline to show just how well Facebook has imitated Snapchat in recent years.
Facebook offered to buy Snapchat for three million back in 2013, but Snapchat declined the offer and has since gone on to be worth more than 25 billion—that might explain the recent push from Facebook and Instagram to mimic Snapchat.
In the meantime, investors are uncertain of how much potential Snapchat has if their competitors continue to copy them. Bloomberg reports that there are some concerns over whether or not Snapchat will be able to continue growing if users can find the exact same functionality on other platforms.
Facebook and Instagram can continue to copy Snapchat, but until they offer puppy dog filters and flower crowns, I’ll still remain a Snapchat loyalist.