Facebook Testing an App for Celebrities Only

Aug. 14, 2013— -- The stars are just like us, except, you know, they have way more Facebook "likes" than most of us. Take for example, Rihanna and Eminem, who both have earned more than 74.5 million likes each. Visiting their Facebook pages show contests and promotional videos, but not much of the famous musicians themselves, making them look less like people and more like brand-name products.

Facebook itself wants to rekindle the connection between the famous and their fans and is working on an app just for VIPs on the service. A spokesperson for the company said, "We are currently testing some mobile features designed to help public figures interact with their fans." Technology site All Things D first reported on the exclusive app.

Details are scarce about what exactly Facebook is planning. The features might not ever break through beyond a limited test run. "We are testing these features with a small group of partners and [Facebook] will share more details should we roll it out more widely," said the company's spokesperson.

The mobile app appears to be another way that Facebook is emulating other social media services like Twitter. Just two months ago, they officially added a hashtag function for users to search and see what is trending, similar to Twitter. Though it varies from celebrity to celebrity (and celebrity handler to celebrity handler), the other social media services appear to give a more personal look at a celebrity's glamorous life.

While Facebook still dominates the social media landscape, especially among teens, its influence has been slipping. The new push for celebrity/fan interactions might be another way for Facebook to re-establish itself.

If the popularity of Channing Tatum's Facebook post showing a photo of his new baby is any indication, Facebook might be able to roll this out sooner than later.