Facebook has launched a new video conferencing platform amid the COVID-19 pandemic as the usage for Zoom and other video conferencing platform rises. The newly launched platform from Facebook is called “Messenger Rooms”.
Using this new platform, users of Facebook will be able to crate a video chat room through Facebook or the Messenger app and invite up to 50 people to join the video call. The company confirms that users who don’t have a Facebook account will also be able to join the call that there will be no time limits on the number of calls.
The creator of the room has the ability to decided whether it’s open to all and can also lock it to prevent uninvited guests from joining. It seems that “Rooms” will come to Instagram Direct, WhatsApp, and Portal at a later stage.
While this new Messenger Rooms aim to take on Zoom which has caused some serious concerns about privacy and security among its users, Mark Zuckerberg said in the livestream that the company has been “very careful” and tried to “learn the lessons” from issues with other video conference tools.
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook revealed that the Messenger Rooms will start rolling out to certain countries this week before expanding globally. The announcement comes just when the company is doubling the capacity of video calls on its IM platform WhatsApp from four people to eight.
