Meta’s Emails Reveal Facebook’s Cultural Relevance Struggles

As the first week of Meta’s antitrust trial wrapped up, newly uncovered emails from 2022, presented by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, shed light on the company’s internal battles to keep Facebook culturally relevant.

These documents reveal candid discussions among Meta executives, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg, about the platform’s fading influence and their urgent efforts to redefine its future.

In 2025, Meta continues to wrestle with these challenges, with Zuckerberg emphasizing a return to the platform’s roots during the company’s Q4 earnings call earlier this year. The recent launch of a revamped Friends tab is one step in this direction, but the emails highlight just how deep the concerns run.

Back in April 2022, Zuckerberg expressed unease about Facebook’s declining cultural relevance, despite steady engagement in some regions. In one email, he wrote that while Instagram and WhatsApp were performing well, Facebook’s struggles could jeopardize Meta’s long-term success.

He worried that the platform’s “friend graph” structure—its core system of connecting users through mutual friending—was becoming outdated. Unlike modern social networks like Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok, which prioritize following or algorithmic feeds, Facebook’s reliance on friending felt stale.

Zuckerberg noted that many users’ friend lists were cluttered with outdated connections, making it hard to engage with people they truly cared about. Adding new friends also felt cumbersome, especially compared to the lighter, less committal act of following someone on other platforms.

The emails reveal Zuckerberg’s belief that this friend-based structure was a key factor in Facebook’s waning relevance. He pointed out that requesting someone as a friend carried a heavier social weight than simply following them, discouraging users from updating their connections.

This rigidity, combined with the platform’s declining cultural cachet, made it harder for Facebook to compete with rivals. Other platforms, like TikTok with its algorithm-driven content or Reddit with its community-focused model, seemed better suited to the 2020s social media landscape. Zuckerberg feared that without a major overhaul, Facebook risked being left behind.

To address this, Zuckerberg proposed bold solutions. One idea was to shift Facebook entirely from friending to following, even for private accounts. This would align the platform with the conventions of newer social networks, where users can follow others without requiring mutual approval.

He also suggested eliminating the concept of liking pages, which he saw as outdated. In a particularly radical proposal, Zuckerberg floated the idea of wiping everyone’s friend graphs and starting from scratch.

He acknowledged the risks—users might not rebuild their connections or could disengage entirely—but argued that drastic measures were needed to “move the needle.” To test this, he suggested experimenting in a smaller country to gauge the impact before rolling it out globally.

Fast forward to 2025, and Meta’s focus on restoring Facebook’s cultural relevance remains evident. During the January earnings call, Zuckerberg spoke of returning to “OG Facebook,” a nod to the platform’s early days when it was a vibrant hub for personal connections.

The revamped Friends tab, launched recently, aims to make connecting with friends feel fresh and relevant again. While it’s unclear how much of Zuckerberg’s 2022 proposals directly shaped this update, the emails show that Meta has been grappling with these issues for years.

The trial documents also highlight the competitive pressures Meta faces. Zuckerberg’s emails reveal a company acutely aware of its rivals’ strengths—Instagram’s cultural relevance, TikTok’s algorithmic prowess, and Twitter’s follow-based model.

He emphasized that Meta’s services shouldn’t cannibalize each other or hold back innovation. For instance, Instagram’s success shouldn’t come at Facebook’s expense. Instead, he pushed for a strategy that would allow each platform to thrive independently while contributing to Meta’s broader goals.

These revelations come at a critical time for Meta. As the antitrust trial continues, the company faces scrutiny not only for its market dominance but also for its ability to adapt in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

The emails paint a picture of a tech giant wrestling with its identity, torn between its legacy and the need to stay relevant. For users, the revamped Friends tab may signal Meta’s commitment to revitalizing Facebook.

But whether these changes can restore the platform’s cultural relevance—or if more radical steps like those Zuckerberg proposed in 2022 are still on the table—remains to be seen. As Meta navigates these challenges, the tech world is watching closely.

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