Facebook Trials Hotline Feature For Creators

Ilustrasi (Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Facebook is starting testing for its newest app feature called Hotline. Just like a dedicated phone line, this feature allows creators to answer questions directly from the audience.

Reported by Reuters on Thursday, April 8, this Q&A product combines audio with text and video elements. The hotline comes as social media platforms experiment with the rush of new live audio features.

The success of the Clubhouse app, which has reported 10 million weekly active users, has demonstrated the potential of audio chat services, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Twitter Inc has tested its audio feature called Spaces and Facebook is also trying to offer an audio space directly inside its Messenger Room.

The hotline comes from a small group within Facebook called the New Product Experiment Team (NPE). The task of this team is to build a small social media app from scratch.

A Facebook spokesman said the Hotline is aimed at "science experts" who can share tips from areas such as finance or health.

The app currently has no audience size restrictions. Hosts can remove questions from the queue and Facebook says it is moderating inappropriate content in this initial test.

Hotline activities are recorded automatically and the host is given a copy of the recording. The spokesman said it was still too early to tell how creators could make money from hotlines.

NPE is also testing Super, a video app where users can pay to meet with influencers, ask them questions and take "selfie" pictures in a live broadcast.

The team previously tested an audio call app called CatchUp, which closed last year. The hotline is not currently a standalone app and Facebook says it is testing different authentication methods so users can join the event via Facebook's Twitter, Instagram or by providing a phone number.