<p>Facebook's Graph Search is supposed to turn the social network into one massive engine of discovery. That's good news for Facebook and its investors, but not so great for companies whose bread-and-butter is social interaction.</p><p>The problem for all those companies is that Graph Search allows users to easily tap into the preferences and social lives of those closest to them. Unfortunately for companies that have used Facebook as a business accelerant, those are the opinions people tend to care about most. That gives Facebook a leg up in recommending things as varied as finding the trendiest dinner spot in the city or a comfortable used couch.</p><p>It's a reminder that building a business on top of Facebook requires a delicate balance between leveraging the social network's massive distribution, and maintaining some independence don't forget what happened to Zynga.</p><p>Companies that start to feel the pressure from Graph Search might opt to splinter off from the social giant, like Zynga did. Others might find different ways to monetize Facebook's new search capabilities. It might be as easy as paying Facebook to show up in sponsored search results, which could put their brands in front of users who are already primed to use their services.</p><p><a href="http://www.wired.com/business/2013/01/facebooks-engine-of-discovery-might-poke-others-out-of-business/">Keep reading...</a></p><p>Read also:</p><p><a href="http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/01/23/facebook-graph-search-google-yelp-linkedin-angies-list/">Graph Search: 4 Companies That Facebook&#039;s New Tool Could Crush</a> (DailyFinance (press release))</p><p><a href="http://www.newstatesman.com/alex-hern/2013/01/facebooks-graph-search-creepers-dream">Facebook&#039;s graph search is a creeper&#039;s dream</a> (New Statesman)</p><p><a href="http://gizmodo.com/5978197/how-everybody-will-use-facebook-graph-search-hint-inappropriately">How Everybody Will Use Facebook Graph Search (Hint: Inappropriately)</a> (Gizmodo)</p><p>Explore: <a href="http://news.google.com/news/more?ncl=d5zpNP1ZegGN8uM0YmqaJEWKxbBYM&ned=us">78 additional articles.</a></p>