Facebook Messenger is currently rolling out an update that will show publicly shared biographical information such as job title and current city location at top of message threads between users. The update would be available for download for iOS and Android devices for Facebook Messenger users in France, India, U.K. and U.S. over the next few weeks.
This additional feature would allow users to immediately block a spammer or avoid an awkward situation wherein you cannot remember a high school classmate or a recent acquaintance. For instance, a stranger sends a message, the Messenger would then display if the unfamiliar person is a "Food Blogger" from "New York." That bit of information could help the user remember that the stranger was a fresh acquaintance met inside a restaurant in the Northeast. An awkward conversation is now avoided so instead of asking "... how did you know me?" it would be a more naturally flowing discussion between users. Or, of course, one can opt to block a creepy, total stranger right away.
The Messenger app could also pull up this publicly shared information for current Facebook friends that one has never chatted before. A sample incident would be an old high school pal that transferred to a user's current city and is now a co-employee in the same company. The current update would allow the user to chat efficiently from "ugh, Bob from high school?" to "oh cool, Bob moved out west and now we're in the same company."
Whether it is about persons registered on the user's list or foreigners, Messenger will only display information publicly known or info that user could also see on Facebook profile, so it would not violate any privacy regulations.
This additional feature is in line with Facebook's release of the Hello app last April. It is a Caller ID and Blocking app for Android Facebook users that could intercept one's phone calls and then display information available on Facebook about the caller with birthday notifications, or block if the caller is a notorious spammer, which sends the unwanted caller to voicemail immediately. The Hello app also allows user to search for people and businesses on Facebook and contact them with just one tap.
With this Hello app and extra feature for Facebook Messenger, one could assume that Facebook is positioning itself as a bigger tool that could possibly be used not just for one's social life but also in the professional aspect as well for its 1.44 billion active monthly users.
