Meta does not stop making changes in its company. After announcements of new layoffs for Facebook and Instagram, it continues to make changes to its applications. The last of its announcements has been that it will remove purchases for live videos that take place on Instagram. The measure will take effect next March 16.
The live shopping feature allows users to purchase what is advertised on the spot by the influencers and brands that broadcast it. It is a form of tagging that allows the advertised products to be marked for purchase on the spot.
However, Meta will disable this feature next month. This has been announced through an official Instagram report, making it clear that it will no longer be possible to tag products in live. “This change will help us focus on the products and features that provide the most value to our users,” they explain. And they make it clear that you will still be able to set up and manage your store on Instagram through other features.
This news marks Meta’s next big step away from shopping on its platform. The company removed the shopping tab from Instagram’s home feed in February and shut down Facebook Live shopping last October. This is a strategy that seeks to move away from the commoditization of these functions in pursuit of a more social use of the platform. We’ll see how it works out, because while Meta withdraws these functions other platforms such as TikTok activate them.
