What's the use of having over 1 billion users if you don't get to flex your muscles once in awhile?

That's the approach Facebook seems to be taking in cajoling users to embrace its Moments app.

Photo finish

Many Facebook users have received a blunt ultimatum from Facebook: download Moments or your synched photos will soon be wiped.

The email refers to privately synched photos, to make way for the an upgrade to the Moments app.

Photos can be downloaded into a zip file before facing Facebook-powered oblivion.

Not-so-golden Moment

Moments is a photo sharing app that scans your pics for faces that can be tagged and shared with your friends. 

The app has been around for a year, but it appears Facebook is now throwing its weight behind Moments.

This isn't the first time Facebook has applied the screws to support its other properties. Direct Messaging was removed from Facebook's flagship app, to push users over to Messenger.

Strong-arm social?

However history shows standover techniques don't always go down well with users.

Case in point: Google's wily and intensive efforts to get users onto Google+ didn't make the platform anything more than annoying for many.

Time will tell is this move was a successful Moment.