Facebook Cancels F8 Developer Conference Over Coronavirus Fears
Facebook cancels its annual F8 developer conference due to the COVID-19 outbreak, choosing to replace the in-person gathering with local events and live streams.
Facebook cancels its annual F8 software developer conference due to growing concerns surrounding the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. The event, which typically draws around 5,000 attendees to San Jose, California, is officially called off to prioritize the health and safety of developers, employees, and event staff.
Company leadership states that it feels wrong to host an inclusive event without international developers in attendance, leading to the difficult decision. Instead of the massive in-person gathering, Facebook plans to connect with developers through locally hosted events, videos, and live streamed content.
This cancellation marks the second major conference Facebook drops because of the virus, following the earlier scrapping of a global marketing summit and pullouts from the Game Developers Conference and PAX East. The coronavirus continues to disrupt the broader tech industry, causing Microsoft and Apple to issue warnings about missed quarterly revenue forecasts.