Facebook pilots Campus, a college student-only section similar to The Facebook of '04
Facebook announced Wednesday that it's piloting a new college-only section on the platform called Facebook Campus. The space is meant to serve as a hub for students on college campuses, offering ways to find and connect with fellow classmates, and keep up with campus events -- sort of like the original The Facebook that launched as a social network for college students back in 2004.
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With this new version, however, the company is aiming to personalize Facebook's core service for the modern-day college experience.
"This year, students across the country are facing new challenges as some campuses shift to partial or full-time remote learning, so it's more important than ever to find a way to stay connected to college life," Charmaine Hung, product manager for Facebook Campus, wrote in a blog post.
"College is a time for making new friends, finding people who share similar interests and discovering new opportunities to connect – from clubs to study groups, sports, and more. In the early days, Facebook was a college-only network, and now we're returning to our roots with Facebook Campus to help students make and maintain these relationships, even if they're away from their college."
Similar to the original Facebook, students will need a verified university email to gain access to Facebook Campus. Profiles on Campus are separate from a person's primary Facebook profile, and News Feeds are specific to each individual college campus.
In terms of data collection and advertising, Facebook said Campus works pretty much the same as the rest of the platform -- activity on Campus might be used to personalize ads on original Facebook and vice versa.
Right now there are about 30 universities in the US participating in the pilot, Facebook said.