'Facebook Lite' Social Network's Latest Twitter-Like Effort

Facebook has revealed that it is testing a stripped-down version of the social network initially aimed at users in developing countries that typically have slower Internet connections.

Coming on the heels of its acquisition of FriendFeed and launching real-time search, however, the "Facebook Lite" service certainly looks like another effort by the social network to take on Twitter with a rival offering. It essentially reduces the stream of information on user profiles to status updates and comments, giving pages a much more streamlined look and feel. More like -- well -- a Twitter feed.

Word that Facebook had launched a "Twitter-killer" spread through the tech blogosphere Tuesday night after Facebook says it accidentally extended the test to a larger group of users than intended. The company issued a statement explaining that it is trialing Facebook Lite outside the U.S. in countries where new users are coming on quickly:

"We are currently testing a simplified alternative to Facebook.com that loads a specific set of features quickly and efficiently. Similar to the Facebook experience you get on your mobile phones, Facebook "Lite" is a fast-loading, simplified version of Facebook that enables people to make comments, accept Friend requests, write on people's Walls, and look at photos and Status updates. We are currently testing Facebook Lite in countries -- currently India -- where we are seeing lots of new users coming to Facebook for the first time and are looking to start off with a more simple experience."

The company added that anyone who isn't part of the test and attempts to access Facebook Lite will be redirected to the normal site.

About 70% of Facebook's 250 million users are outside the U.S., so catering to users who may have the equivalent of dial-up Internet service makes sense. The company also has plans to extend the service to other countries including Russia and China, according to TechCrunch.

Facebook declined to comment Wednesday on when -- or if -- Facebook Lite would launch in the U.S. or other Western countries. But there is nothing to stop Facebook from eventually making the simplified alternative available in the U.S. or other Western countries for users who might prefer the more streamlined version. And if enough users adopted Facebook Lite, then it would also become a logical extension of brands' Facebook pages and a more direct competitor with Twitter as a marketing tool.

Facebook ratcheted up the pressure in its head-to-head battle with Twitter this week through the $50 million deal for social media feed aggregator FriendFeed and its unveiling of the type of real-time search engine that has helped to make Twitter so popular. If nothing else, Facebook had succeeded in making Facebook Lite a trending topic on Twitter Wednesday, making it hard for the microblogging service not to take notice.

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