#DeleteFacebook: 9% US users have done it. When will you?
The Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal highlighted how data of 87 million users was exploited due to Facebook's lax policies regarding data collection by third-party apps. To that end, a movement called #DeleteFacebook started that stood against Facebook's disregard for data security and aimed to boycott it. And according to a report by research firm Tech.pinions, 9% of people in the US have done just that.
17% respondents removed Facebook app from smartphones
In a study of 1,000 Americans across age and gender demographics, 17% of respondents removed the Facebook app from their smartphones after the scandal, while 9% deleted their Facebook accounts altogether. Facebook reportedly has roughly 214 million users in the US. If the survey results are corresponded to that scale for better perspective, 19.26 million Facebook users in the US have deleted their accounts.
This could ultimately affect Facebook's business model
The report further stated that while 39% of respondents are now more careful about what they post, 'Like' and react to on the social network, 35% have reduced their overall usage of the website following the data breach. While this is "less drastic" than deleting your account, it "directly impacts Facebook's business model" and is more worrisome for the company, Tech.pinions said.
Don't bother with paid FB version, users won't sign up
Earlier, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg had said the #DeleteFacebook movement hadn't led to a meaningful drop off in cumulative users. However, now he has publicly hinted that a paid, premium version of Facebook might be in the offing with zero ads and stronger privacy policies. But the survey suggests that 59% of respondents wouldn't be interested in subscribing to it.
Important stats
15% of respondents said that at this stage, there is nothing Facebook can do to regain their trust. Notably, 20% of the respondents said that they are on Facebook just because they are bored, without any active agenda or intention to connect with a friend.
