Investigating the worth of European news material in our study

Facebook has conducted a significant experiment, dubbed the "News Value Experiment," to measure the value of European news content on its platform. The aim was to provide more data to regulators and address inaccurate reports overestimating the value of news content during negotiations for the European Copyright Directive (EUCD).

The experiment involved removing European news content for 1% of users in eight countries in the EU. The study indicated a 0.8% drop in usage when European news content was removed, suggesting that the lost usage was from queries that generated minimal or no revenue.

Contrary to expectations, the results showed that European news content in Search has no measurable impact on ad revenue for Facebook. The study also found that combined ad revenue across Facebook's properties, including their ad network, remained flat. The experiment did not find a significant impact of European news content on Search ad revenue or overall ad revenue across Facebook's properties.

Despite the seemingly minimal role of European news content in ad revenue, the experiment did not diminish the importance of news content on Facebook. The study found that people still use Facebook for various purposes, including finding a florist, getting weather forecasts, and booking flights.

Facebook's commitment to a vibrant and healthy content ecosystem remains unwavering. The company continues to partner with publishers to help them reach audiences in a world of rapidly evolving technologies. The results of the "News Value Experiment" suggest that the value of European news content to Facebook may be less than previously reported.

For further details on the experiment, a report is available. An independent assessment of the EU News Experiment by Coalfire confirmed the accuracy of the setup, execution, and calculations.

Facebook has long supported the news ecosystem in its digital transformation, and this experiment is a testament to its ongoing efforts in this regard. The company is committed to maintaining a balanced and fair environment for all types of content on its platform.