What is Facebook Lite?

 

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By Stuart Turton

Posted on 12 Aug 2009 at 10:38

Facebook has sparked a flurry of speculation after sending out invites to users to participate in the beta of a new service called Facebook Lite.

No other details were revealed in the invites, which simply read: "We are building a faster, simpler version of Facebook that we call Facebook Lite. It's not finished yet and we have plenty of kinks to work out, but we would love to get your feedback on what we have built so far."

The intrigue deepened when those invited to the beta discovered that the link to the service didn't work. Facebook has now confirmed the invites were sent out a day early by mistake, and that the service will be switched on tonight.

Which only leaves the question: what is it? Facebook isn't telling, though the deepening rivalry with Twitter and recent acquisition of FriendFeed may offer a few clues.

FriendFeed features real-time search and the ability to share content including pictures and videos through a Twitter-esque feed. The acquisition has led observers to suggest that Facebook Lite will simply stream recent status updates and offer more direct ways to share other uploaded content.

If the speculation pans out, it could prove a blessing to those who believe the service has become bloated.