Claim: Facebook Online Selling will shut down
Rating: FALSE
The Facts: A circulating rumor (at least one broadsheet reprinted it as fact) which we got from our tipline claims that Facebook will shut down online selling on its platform. This rumor is false and was probably a result of mistranslation and miscommunication.
Online selling will not be banned, however, the Live Shopping feature on Facebook will shut down in October.
The Live Shopping feature on Facebook lets online sellers create a product playlist and tag products in their live videos. However, this feature isn’t available in the Philippines which is why this isn’t much of a concern to Filipinos. Filipino online sellers usually use the comment section while the viewers commonly type “mine” to a product they wish to purchase.
According to the Meta webpage, they are shifting their focus to Reels on Facebook and Instagram, Meta’s short-form video product, to match consumers’ viewing behavior. Tagging products will still be available on Reels and Instagram.
Why we fact-checked this: Being properly informed about the changes in the social media platforms that we use is a key characteristic of being a responsible social media user. While the change implemented by Meta doesn’t really affect Filipino online sellers at the moment, it is still better to look out for future updates on its different platforms.
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