What do yo think: Is Facebook right to massively copy Snapchat?

As Facebook is testing a Snapchat-like camera with stickers and filters

Facebook has begun testing a fresh edition of its flagship app which opens straight to a Snapchat-style camera. This encourages you to capture more videos and photos; beautifying them with sticker and filters.

The test which as said has already commenced would make the first time Facebook is integrating technology from MSQRD, a video effects app whose acquisition Facebook made sometime in March. This move follows closely on the heels of Instagram adding on ephemeral “stories,” which is typically a Snapchat feature. These additions are testament to Facebook’s obvious worry as to Snapchat’s growth which is compounding Facebook woes with Facebook is already suffering a decline on its own platforms.

Those who are partaking in the test, will see that the Facebook flagship app opens directly to the News Feed as is the tradition. But this time, the field would demand “what’s on your mind?”. At that points users will now see an open camera. Should you tap on it, it will open in full screen mode the camera, proceeding from there, it is possible for you to do a recording of a video or better still capture a picture. So in the case where you are making use of the front-facing camera, you could deploy a filter presented by MSQRD’s augmented reality so as to take a more uniquely adorned selfie.

These posts made with the camera will be added to the News Feed and to the timeline on your profile in the same way like any other post. “People are increasingly sharing via videos and photos — on Facebook and beyond,” the company revealed in a statement. (“Beyond” is Facebook’s name for Snapchat.) “And it’s our job to create experiences that help people create and share in the ways they want.”

“PEOPLE ARE INCREASINGLY SHARING VIA VIDEOS AND PHOTOS.”

So far, Facebook has enjoyed a large market share in social networking, and its business has are experiencing a strong bout of gains. But just of late, reports started creeping in the company had being inflicted with a 21% decline in the number of posts made by each user. This gets sadder for Facebook as it is suffering a slide at the same time Snapchat, (which had boldly rejected Facebook’s $3 billion acquisition proposal some three years back) is enjoying a strong vein of growth in videos and photos shared to the platform.

Hence Facebook is abandoning its pride in copying the features responsible for the latest successes of Snapchat.