Once known as the preferred social media for teenagers, latest research reveals Facebook’s teen users are ditching the platform in droves. The news comes as a German court also finds Facebook’s use of personal data illegal.
Passed by a Berlin regional court, Facebook’s use of data collection was labelled illegal as it does not adequately obtain the informed consent of users.
The Federation of German Consumer Organisations affirms Facebook’s default settings – and some of its T&Cs – breach consumer law.
“Facebook hides default settings that are not privacy-friendly in its privacy centre and does not provide sufficient information about it when users register,” states Litigation Policy Officer, Heiko Duenkel.
As security concerns surround Facebook, recent research affirms the social media platform is becoming less fashionable, especially in the eyes of teenage users.
According to eMarketer, in 2018 less than half of American users between the ages of 12 and 17 state they use Facebook [at least] once a month.
Following the decline of Facebook, rival Snapchat is emerging as the preferred social media platform for this demographic.
eMarketer reports Snapchat will gain 1.9 million users under the age of 24 this year, whilst Facebook stands to lose 2 million users from the segment.
However, to rival Snapchat, Facebook-owned Instagram continues to go from strength to strength. eMarketer reports Instagram will gain 1.6 million younger users this year – notching a total user base of 104.7 million.
Disclosed at Facebook’s recent investors’ earnings call, CEO Mark Zuckerberg affirms the company is focused on its long-term strategy:
“By focusing on meaningful connections, our community and business will be stronger over the long term”.
