In might sound like the stuff of James Bond, but self-destructing Facebook messages could soon be a reality.
Facebook has confirmed that it is testing a new feature that lets users send messages that disappear one hour after delivery.
The Snapchat-style feature, which was first reported by Buzzfeed, will be built into the Facebook Messenger app.
It’s currently being tested on a small scale in France and, if successful, could eventually arrive on the core Messenger app as a fully global feature.
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She continues: “Starting today, we’re conducting a small test in France of a feature that allows people to send messages that disappear an hour after they’re sent.”
The spokesperson adds: “Disappearing messages gives people another fun option to choose from when they communicate on Messenger. We look forward to hearing people’s feedback as they give it a try.”
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In the test version of the feature, Messenger users can activate disappearing messages by tapping an hourglass icon.
Tapping the same icon will also turn the feature off.
While the feature is currently only available in France, Facebook may roll it out to other locations in the future.
Would you like to see disappearing messages on Facebook? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
