Facebook only lets famous people use its new live streaming service

Facebook is getting into the world of live-streaming in a rather unexpected way. Whereas Meerkat and Periscope allow anyone to start live streaming from their smartphone, Facebook’s own live streaming service is being called an “immersive and authentic way to connect with the public figures you care about.” To put things more simply, the only people that can stream through this service are famous people. 

Live-streaming is apparently hot enough that Facebook wants in on the action. Zuckerberg and Co. on Wednesday launched a new live video service, which is similar to Twitter’s Periscope app and its main competitor Meerkat, but just for famous people. Billed as an “immersive and authentic way to connect with the public figures you care about,” the new service lets athletes, musicians, politicians, and other “influencers” share live video from the Facebook Mentions app for their fans on the social network. While anyone can view live streams, only public figures with a verified Facebook page can host one. Facebook says the new Live feature will let public figures “take fans behind the scenes, host a Q&A, share announcements, and more — all in real time.” The company has already signed up a few celebrities who have agreed to host live broadcasts, including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Serena Williams, Luke Bryan, Ricardo Kaká, Ashley Tisdale, Lester Holt, Martha Stewart, and Michael Bublé.