How 41 People in Lithuania Took Over Your Facebook Feed

Of all of Facebook’s superpowers, perhaps the most disconcerting is how it can make online publishers disappear with the push of a button.

Think I’m exaggerating? Just look at what happened to websites like Upworthy, Viralnova and Distractify, which amassed enormous Facebook followings and then faded from view after the site’s algorithm started to weed out pages that published hyperbolic headlines and low-value fluff. Other publishers that depend on Facebook for a large portion of their traffic — which is to say, most of them — fear they could be next under the guillotine.

By KEVIN ROOSE