Social media networks require more and more users to either boost revenue or acquire more advertising partners when they show metrics regarding how long the engagement is on these platforms. However, there was one path that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg contemplated that was so absurd that the company’s board should be grateful the Chief Executive did not go through with it. Internal emails revealed that back in 2022, Zuckerberg had a ‘potentially crazy idea’ where he thought about deleting the friends’ list on Facebook to boost usage. The idea popped into Mark Zuckerberg’s head when he voiced concerns that Facebook’s ‘cultural relevance is decreasing quickly’ It is not difficult to imagine company CEOs making bold decisions that ultimately lead the companies to thrive, but according to The Verge, Mark Zuckerberg’s approach would be considered going overboard by many. During the Meta antitrust trial, the FTC showed internal emails where Zuckerberg considered an option to wipe everyone’s friends’ list, presenting a clean slate every once a year. He believed that Facebook’s ‘cultural relevance is decreasing quickly.’ To prevent an event where millions would quit the platform in response to the decision, Zuckerberg wanted to experiment with this change in a smaller country. The Meta CEO believed that even if Instagram and WhatsApp managed to succeed, if Facebook were to fail, it would be equivalent to the entire company failing, emphasizing the need to execute this move correctly. Tom Allison, head of Facebook, said that he was not confident about the idea’s chances of success, especially when the social network’s attractive feature was that friend counter. When an FTC attorney questioned Mark Zuckerberg about the idea during a hearing on Monday, he said that the company never went through with it. Instead, Meta is now focused on upgrading the user experience of Facebook, and that includes introducing an aesthetics and interface change that was in use the years prior. Hopefully, 2022 will be the last of these crazy ideas. Deal of the Day