Facebook Rolling Out Hashtags to Compete With Twitter

By Jessica Guyn, LOS ANGELES TIMES

Facebook Rolling Out Hashtags to Compete With Twitter

March 14, 2013 Updated Mar 14, 2013 at 5:00 PM PDT

Facebook is preparing to roll out hashtags on the giant social network, opening up another front in its intensifying battle with Twitter for people's attention and advertising dollars.

Facebook would be following the example of Twitter, which made the hashtag famous, and Instagram, which already uses hashtags. The idea would be to add a hashtag that is also a link to connect themes and topics on Facebook.

Facebook already lets users tag people, pages and location. Letting users tag their posts with hashtags would make it easier for that content to be indexed by Facebook’s new search product, Graph Search.

Facebook isn't talking about it -- with or without hashtags. "We do not comment on rumor or speculation," the company said in an emailed statement.

There are loads of good reasons that Facebook would want hashtags.

It has always wanted to capture (and target ads to) what people are really interested in (something Twitter has done very well). Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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