Facebook is preparing to roll out hashtags on the social network, opening up another front in its intensifying battle with Twitter for people's attention and advertising dollars.

Facebook would be following the example of Twitter, which made the hashtag famous, and Facebook-owned Instagram, which already uses hashtags. The idea would be to add a hashtag that is also a link to connect themes and topics on Facebook.

Facebook: Hashtags could be coming to a social network near you. Credit:AFP

Facebook already lets users tag people, pages and location. Letting users tag their posts with hashtags would make it easier for that content to be indexed by Facebook's new search product, Graph Search.

But Facebook isn't talking about it – with or without hashtags. "We do not comment on rumour or speculation," the company said in a statement.