Facebook Users Get More Control Over What They See

Facebook is tweaking the news feed function to help people see posts they actually want to see. With the new controls, people can choose up to 30 accounts whose posts will show up first. "In essence, you get to reprogram the algorithm," explains the New York Times. For now, the update is available only on the iPhone app, but it will be rolling out for Android and desktop users shortly. "The thing we were constantly hearing was, 'There's a few people that I really care about and I want to make sure I don't miss stuff from those people,'" product manager Greg Marra tells Mashable.

The update includes other features as well, including a "discover new pages" menu in which Facebook will make suggestions based in part on your previous likes. It's the "see first" option getting most of the attention, however, and TechCrunch sees it as a "holy grail for marketers," too. "Expect brands to campaign for you to add them to your See First section so you never miss their posts." Facebook has more details about the changes in a blog post. (More Facebook stories.)