Facebook’s Imitative Approach Towards Snapchat Sparks User Outrage

Facebook has garnered a reputation for mirroring Snapchat’s features – a tally that, according to recent reports, now stands at around 16. Yet persistent imitation and the deep pockets to do so could ultimately hurt the competitor – in this case, Snapchat. At the heart of this scenario lies an ironical element: Facebook had once attempted to acquire Snapchat, estimated to be valued at approximately $25 billion this year, for a $3 billion bid a few years ago.

An adverse effect of Facebook’s relentless mimicry hints at advertisers quickly abandoning Snapchat’s Stories for Instagram’s (a keen reminder that Facebook acquired Instagram for $1 billion). A USA Today report suggests that Facebook’s copycat tactics have not sat well with all users. The final straw, it appears, was the introduction of ‘Messenger Day’ in Facebook’s Messenger app, a similarity too close to Snapchat’s offering for some to ignore. Preceding this, WhatsApp, another Facebook acquisition, underwent an update to adopt a Snapchat-like ‘status’ feature.

However, as WhatsApp’s ratings took a dip, a modification appeared in the form of an ‘About’ section within the profile settings. Far from an outright removal, the criticized change was simply tucked away, maintaining a sotto voce presence. USA Today collected some user perspectives on Facebook’s aggressive strategy to outmaneuver a service it once courted.

“I would prefer they looked into developing useful features … relevant to communication rather than trying to compete with Snapchat,” – Tania Hinds, a 26-year-old part-time blogger from Brighton, England, who also works in retail.

“Messenger used to have a relatively clean interface. Adding Snapchat-like features not only clutters this up but also creates confusion about the purpose of Messenger,” – Julian Maha, the 40-year-old founder, and CEO of KultureCity in Birmingham, Alabama, who uses Messenger for interstate business communication.

“I don’t feel like I need another way to express myself online. I already use Snapchat for personal updates. And if I want to share that with my friends who aren’t on Snapchat, I’d copy my Snaps to Instagram, like some people do,” – Anjelika Petrochenko, co-founder and vice president of product at ArrowPass, an Oakland-based tech start-up.

M.G. Siegler, a seasoned Silicon Valley venture capitalist, understands the situation. Snap, he says, is so on par with the younger demographic that it poses an existential threat to Facebook. Yet, his verdict on Messenger Day? A blunt ‘hate,’ communicated through a blog post:  “ShatChat: The opposite of an ode to Facebook ‘Messenger Day.’”

“The ‘Story’ format makes sense on Instagram; from the beginning, it was a visual platform. If users didn’t prefer the feature, they could simply scroll past it,” he elaborated in his blog post.

But the same cannot be said about Messenger, where the feature feels out of place, argues Siegler. “The most recent conversations — likely the most important — are at the top of that feed. By introducing ‘Day,’ Messenger hinders easy navigation through valued chat histories.”

The dissenting voices illustrated mirror a global sentiment and highlights the array of views sampled by the USA Today report. In the rising era of internet democracy, user voices hold weight in keeping companies accountable. Years ago, such imitative practices might have led to courtroom battles. However, present internet laws, preventing the patenting of certain features and open-source software like PHP, have blurred the lines. But, where the law fails, user disapproval can step in – a testimony to the latest reaction towards Facebook’s aping of Snapchat.