Facebook building Clubhouse-like audio chat product

Social media giant Facebook is said to be building a new audio chat product similar to audio-based social network Clubhouse, the New York Times reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Clubhouse, launched in early 2020, saw explosive growth in user numbers earlier this month after Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev held a surprise discussion on the platform.

Facebook's audio chat project is still in early stages of development as reported by the New York Times. The move will allow Facebook, which already has messaging app WhatsApp and photo-sharing platform Instagram, to expand into a new form of communication.

Demand for invitations to the less-than-a-year-old service - members get to invite a limited number of friends during its pre-launch period - is so hot, a market for them has grown on platforms like Reddit, eBay, and Craigslist.