Meta emails reveal deep concern over Facebook’s fading cultural relevance

Unsealed emails show how Meta grappled with Facebook’s fading cultural relevance

Zuckerberg considered deleting all friend graphs to restart the platform’s social structure

As Meta’s antitrust trial unfolds, newly revealed internal emails from 2022 shed light on just how concerned top executives were about Facebook’s declining cultural relevance. The correspondence, disclosed by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), paints a picture of a platform at a crossroads—struggling to maintain its identity in a rapidly evolving digital ecosystem.

Though Facebook’s user engagement remained steady in many regions, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg warned in emails that the platform’s social structure felt increasingly obsolete compared to newer networks built around algorithms and following—not friending.

Fast-forward to 2025, and Facebook is still trying to reclaim its relevance. During Meta’s Q4 earnings call in January, Zuckerberg announced a renewed focus on the platform’s “OG” roots, including a redesigned Friends tab aimed at revitalizing connections. But the internal messages from 2022 suggest the leadership was exploring far more radical changes.

Zuckerberg: “Cultural relevance is decreasing quickly”

In emails dated April 2022, Zuckerberg expressed concern that while Instagram and WhatsApp were thriving, Facebook’s long-term health looked precarious.

“Even though the FB app’s engagement is steady in many places, it feels like its cultural relevance is decreasing quickly and I worry that this may be a leading indicator of future health issues,” he wrote.

“I want to make sure we have a unique vision for the FB app that can lead to sustainable growth… I don’t see a path for our company to succeed in the way we need if FB falters.”

He argued that Facebook’s friend-based graph—the fundamental way users connect—was holding the platform back.

The ‘friending’ model feels outdated

Zuckerberg openly questioned whether Facebook’s core social model had outlived its usefulness.

“Friending feels out of vogue right now… A lot of people’s friend graphs are stale… It feels heavyweight to request someone new as a friend.”

He pointed out that modern social networks—like Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter—were built around follower-based models, enabling more dynamic, low-friction interactions. Facebook’s “heavyweight” friending system was becoming a barrier, not a benefit.

The CEO added that the decline in Facebook’s perceived relevance made users even more hesitant to form new connections on the platform.

A dramatic proposal: Wipe the friend graph and start over

One of Zuckerberg’s more radical suggestions was to completely wipe existing friend graphs and ask users to start fresh—an idea he admitted was risky.

“One potentially crazy idea is to consider wiping everyone’s graphs and having them start again… We’d have to build out an experiment and test it in a smaller country.”

He acknowledged the danger that users wouldn’t rebuild their networks, leading to further engagement decline. But he also argued that incremental changes wouldn’t be enough to address the deeper structural issues.

Toward a “Follow-first” Facebook?

Zuckerberg floated the idea of replacing friending entirely with following, even for private accounts:

“Every other modern social network is built on following… It seems possible that the FB app is just outdated because it never adopted this fundamental innovation.”

He proposed that Facebook eliminate the concept of page likes and restructure around follows instead. This would align Facebook more closely with Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter-style discovery, potentially appealing to younger users and content creators.

Today’s response: Small changes, big expectations

In 2025, Meta is cautiously taking steps to address the issues raised in those emails. The revamped Friends tab, launched earlier this year, is one attempt to rekindle the feeling of authentic connection on Facebook.

Still, the challenges Zuckerberg outlined remain unresolved. Facebook is navigating a generation gap, shifting norms around online interaction, and fierce competition from newer platforms. Meanwhile, its own structure—rooted in a concept of symmetrical relationships—may continue to limit its evolution.

The leaked emails show that Meta leadership recognized these issues years ago. Whether their current approach will be enough to reclaim relevance in today’s social media landscape is still unclear.

Stay tuned to The Horizons Times for continuing coverage of social media strategy, platform shifts, and the changing dynamics of digital culture.