Facebook may have a Twitter-like app in the works

Getty/Justin SullivanFacebook is working on a stand-alone mobile news application that seems to be part of its Facebook for Business initiative.

Business Insider has reviewed screenshots of the new product and spoken to a source who has been playing around with the Facebook Business platform.

Only a select number of publications will partner with Facebook on this at first, but that may change if the app proves to be successful. The report also adds that a few companies are being chosen by the social network to pilot the app.

If it moves past the current Alpha stage eventually making it to consumers, you’ll essentially have to download another app associated with Facebook if you want the service. The app would ask users to pick out publications and topics that interest them, then it would broadcast bite-sized news alerts when new articles get published. They’re allowed 100 characters of text and a link to the news article.

There is no word on when the app may be ready to launch, and a Facebook spokesperson has declined comment.

“Facebook keeps growing as a news source, so it makes sense it would somehow try to capitalize on that, even if this app sounds like it’s not much more than a medium for publications to funnel their content through”, writes TheVerge.