Privacy Concerns & Lack of Trust Blamed as Users Delete Social Media Accounts
According to new research conducted by PR consultancy
Edelman, 40% of users have deleted at least one social media account within the
past year. That’s a pretty alarming statistic for the companies behind these
platforms, and one that could only rise if corrective measures are not taken.
The cause of this mass departure from online platforms will
likely come as no surprise in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal and
accusations over the facilitation of outside interference in the US election,
as the blame is being placed squarely on a combination of privacy concerns,
unreliable or fake news, and an overall lack of trust in these companies.
In a statement to CNBC,
Edelman’s President and CEO Richard Edelman stated, “We learned that there is a
serious lack of confidence in social media in all regions of the world. This is
a cry from the heart; people are scared. They are outraged about the violation
of their privacy, and uncertain about the truth because of the plague of fake
news.”
This severe lack of trust is also having an impact beyond
the platforms themselves and is now affecting outside parties making use of
these sites, with 70% of respondents saying they expect businesses and
advertisers to take a stand and put pressure on social media companies to
address these longstanding issues. 48% went so far as to say that it is a brand’s
own fault if its advertising appears alongside hateful, violent or otherwise
harmful content.
The aforementioned results come from a survey of 9,000
individuals throughout Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, the
United Arab Emirates, the UK and the US, published as part of the Cannes Lions
International Festival of Creativity in France.
Sam
is an aspiring novelist with a passion for fantasy and crime thrillers.
Currently working as Editor of Social Songbird, he hopes to one day drop that
'aspiring' prefix. Follow him @Songbird_Sam
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Privacy Concerns & Lack of Trust Blamed as Users Delete Social Media Accounts
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Monday, June 18, 2018
Rating:
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Monday, June 18, 2018
Rating:
Unknown
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