Facebook apologises for 'Year in Review' feature

Facebook's 'Year in Review' feature has brought some embarrassment to the social networking giant as it brought grief to some of its users while dishing out memories of 2014.

Jonathan Gheller, product manager for the app at Facebook, has apologised to Eric Meyer, a writer and web design consultant who wrote a poignant response to the 'Year in Review' app after viewing the picture of his daughter, who died of brain cancer earlier this year, in his news feed.

"[The app] was awesome for a lot of people, but clearly in this case we brought him grief rather than joy," Gheller told the Washington Post.

Facebook compiled a 'Year in Review' video for every user, allowing them to reminisce over the highlights of the past year as calculated by its algorithm. The algorithm chooses default photos and moments that captured the most interaction.

While some people's highlights included a wedding or a trip, others contained more devastating highlights like the death of a loved one.

"The team behind the app is considering ways to improve it and will take Meyer's concerns into account," Gheller said.

Many users were also annoyed at how pushy the feature is, constantly reminding users of its existence.

Facebook, however, gives users the option to customise their 'Year in Review' prior to sharing.

(With inputs from IANS)