Tech

Facebook announces news reader app ‘Paper’ [VIDEO]

Giuseppe Macri Tech Editor
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Facebook is celebrating its 10th anniversary by writing its own headlines in a new newsreader app.

The top social media platform’s standalone reader, simply dubbed “Paper,” will chiefly feature a newsfeed section similar to the one in the original mobile app, which will display their choices of 19 different news sections.

Pop culture, sports, tech and even “LOL” account for the sections, which will reportedly not be customizable, meaning every user that taps “tech” will see the same stories. The app will sport a new design that sets it distinctly apart from the original Facebook app.

Sections will be composed of multiple images in rotation, each one accompanied by text blocks with the accompanying story. Users that share posts on Paper will see those posts pop up on their standard Facebook timeline, and all of Paper’s content will be curated by both people and programs.

Paper has been in the works for years. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled the app following the company’s reported record fourth-quarter earnings on Thursday, and hinted the app could be one of many more to come.

The app will be released ad-free (for the time being) on Monday for iPhone. Zuckerberg did not announce any plans for an Android or tablet version.

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Giuseppe Macri