Facebook launched its curated news portal service in the UK, regarded as the social media network's first market outside of the US.

Just when the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe make final preparations on how to best approach big tech regulatory initiatives, Facebook took a big step as it launched its curated news portal service in the UK. According to the company, the UK is the first market outside of the US of the social media giant's curated news service, which seeks to present the role that Facebook plays in news media and how it functions within the media industry.

Like its US version, those living in the UK could access the social media network's dedicated, curated news portal through a tab in the iOS or Android app menu. Facebook News includes content from several local and national media organizations like DC Thomson, Sky News, Channel 4 News, the Telegraph Media Group, Financial Times, and Daily Mail Group.

More Partners

In an announcement last year, the social media network revealed the list of partners in its UK curated news portal, which includes, The Guardian, The Economist, STV, The Independent, and several other news sites from JPI Media, Midlands News Association, Archant, Reach, and Iliffe. Facebook News also mentioned "lifestyle" titles like Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, GQ, and many more as among its list of partners.

The social media network also confirmed it is working on an agreement with Upday, a curating service, to curate stories appearing on News in the UK. "The product is a mix of curated, top stories and personalized links chosen by algorithm," a spokesperson from Facebook News said. Reports indicate that Upday is a joint collaboration between Samsung and Axel Springer, a German publisher. Just like Facebook's curated news portal, Samsung also runs its own curated news portal service on its mobiles.

A Curated Page

Facebook did not elaborate on the financial terms of its deal with Upday as regards its Facebook News portal, though reports indicate the social media network's licensing deals with publishers might run into tens of millions of pounds, with the biggest publishers earning millions annually from the agreements. Although these figures might be a pittance compared to what Facebook makes in ad revenues worldwide, which some estimates put at tens of billions of dollars each quarter, it is already a huge sum for the struggling UK media industry.

This shows that Facebook's launch of its curated news portal in the UK is only the beginning of a large scale plan of spreading its service to the far corners of the earth.