Facebook to Show Results from Wikipedia in Search Results. This is a novel way to inform users while keeping them on the platform. The feature as of now is only available on Desktop, Mobile Web, and iOS as it’s still in Beta stages.
Facebook to Show Results from Wikipedia in Search Results
The new feature by Facebook was first confirmed by SocialMediaToday and the company confirmed it to Techcrunch. The feature is still in beta stages and works in some searches and does not support the Android and iOS applications.
For example, Facebook users won’t need to switch platforms to gather accurate information about a subject. To present information in the sidebar could also help Facebook to some degree curb the spread of misinformation on its website.
The platform as of now relies on Wikipedia for information, it has not integrated with its competitors like Google. Facebook currently displays the knowledge panel of interests predominantly of individual personalities, such as movies and music.
Facebook Search will also direct users toward their own features when it appears that doing so is more beneficial. A search for “COVID” or “COVID-19,” for example, will return Facebook’s own COVID-19 Information Center at the top of the search results, not a data-powered side panel on the disease itself. By way of comparison, Google returns to its Knowledge Panel a coronavirus map, case overview, and CDC information.
The feature works with the standard Facebook search bar, which is accessible at the top of the page. For example, on the right side of the search page, Facebook will display a small knowledge box (or panel) with information collected from Wikipedia-similar to the Google Knowledge Panel present on the right. It also displays the searched person’s Instagram and it’s expected that it will add some more links like the official website of the user, books, etc.