Facebook has launched a public beta test of a new Q&A application called Hotline. The app is a mashup of Clubhouse and Instagram Live.
Like TechCrunch reported, the web-based Hotline app allows creators to speak to an audience, who can then ask questions via text or audio. Unlike Clubhouse, the host can remove inappropriate questions from the queue or kick people out of the Hotline session. For the initial tests, according to TechCrunch, "Facebook employees will moderate the events and remove anyone who violates Facebook's Community Standards, Terms of Service, Data Policy, or the NPE team's Additional Terms."
Hotline has more features than competing products
Facebook has been working on this project since at least February. Although Hotline is similar to Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces, the service has video features and a Q&A section, which definitely looks more professional than expected. In a statement to TechCrunch, Facebook explains:
With Hotline, we hope to understand how interactive, multimedia live Q&A can help people learn from experts in areas like professional skills, just as it helps those experts build their businesses. New Product Experimentation has tested multimedia products like CatchUp, Venue, Collab and BARS and we are encouraged to see that the formats continue to help people connect and build community.
The website, available to users in the US, is now live and allows logins via Twitter. Whether and when it will be expanded to other countries remains to be seen. (Image: Facebook via TechCrunch)
