Web Log: Facebook aims to stay in the headlines with Notify

Facebook has made no secret of its interest in news. With 1.55 billion active monthly users, it is well placed to monitise this and began to do so earlier this year with Instant Articles. This meant that news from their publishing partners was integrated into Facebook so users didn't have to leave the social media platform to read these stories, a strategy the company has been working towards for some time.

Now, with Notify, users will be even more tempted to live within Facebook's walled garden. The app delivers news alerts from 72 sources, or media partners, including the Huffington Post, Vanity Fair, Wired, and the New York Times. Facebook's product manager Julian Gutman explains that clicking on a notification will "open the link in the app's browser where you can read the full article, watch the video, or view the site," keeping the user safely enfolded in Facebook's digital embrace. The app is currently only available in the US. newsroom.fb.com/news/2015/11/introducing-notify-a-notifications-app-from-facebook/