Facebook’s antitrust trial in Washington D.C. is currently underway, revealing some intriguing insights about the tech giant. Documented emails from CEO Mark Zuckerberg have raised eyebrows, particularly his consideration of eliminating users’ entire friends lists to rejuvenate the platform’s relevance.

In a chain of emails dating back to 2022, Zuckerberg expressed concerns about Facebook’s waning cultural impact. He stated, “Even though the FB app’s engagement remains steady, it feels like its cultural relevance is diminishing quickly.”

Zuckerberg proposed a radical restructure: removing friends lists altogether and shifting to a follow-based format instead. “Friending seems outdated for numerous reasons. Many users have friend graphs that feel stagnant, filled with people they no longer wish to connect with,” he noted.

He even mentioned the possibility of starting afresh, suggesting the extreme idea of completely wiping friends lists. “This obviously carries the risk that many users might not rebuild their graphs, potentially leading to reduced engagement. To explore this, we’d first need to pilot an experiment in a smaller country to assess the impact positively.”

His justification for such drastic measures, he explained, was the necessity to enact significant changes to provoke a shift in user engagement. Zuckerberg remarked, “Requesting someone as a friend feels too heavy these days. Often, when I meet someone new or express interest, I want to follow them first without asking for anything.”

As Facebook navigates through these challenges, the company’s willingness to consider such extreme alterations speaks volumes about its struggle to retain its standing in the social media landscape.