Instagram Monthly Active Users Surpass 19 Million
Both Instagram and Facebook Continue User Decline
"Fake News and Scam Ads Not Controlled"... Fueling User Exodus
As fake news and scam advertisements flood social media (SNS) platforms Instagram and Facebook, domestic mobile user attrition has increased.
Users turning away from Instagram and Facebook... User numbers continue to decline
According to mobile index statistics from mobile big data company IGAWorks on the 10th, Instagram's combined domestic monthly active users (MAU) on Google Play Store and Apple App Store last month were approximately 18.65 million.
MAU refers to the number of users who have used the service at least once a month.
Instagram's MAU decreased from 19.25 million in August to 19.01 million in September, and then dropped below the 19 million mark to 18.85 million in October. Last month also recorded 18.65 million, marking a decline for three consecutive months.
Instagram is a photo and video-centered SNS operated by Meta, which gained great popularity from its initial launch.
Following the release of 'Reels' in 2021, a feature for creating and posting short videos, it gained popularity among Generation Z and established itself as a leading SNS platform. However, interpretations suggest that its growth momentum has begun to slow down.
Facebook, which once held the top spot among domestic SNS platforms, recorded an MAU of 9.8 million in February, falling below 10 million for the first time. The downward trend continued, and by November (8.94 million), it had dropped below the 9 million mark.
This is the first time since Mobile Index began combined analysis of the two major app markets in May 2020 that Facebook's monthly users have failed to reach 9 million.
Additionally, according to a survey by the Korea Press Foundation, 80.3% of elementary, middle, and high school students had experience using Facebook in 2019, but last year that figure nearly halved to 46.1%. As such, with the younger generation turning away, the number of users is likely to decline even more sharply in the future.
Fake news and scam ads rampant... Meta, whose main revenue source is advertising, remains passive
The continued user attrition on Instagram and Facebook is interpreted as being linked to Meta's lukewarm attitude toward immediate damage relief and fundamental countermeasures, despite the rampant fake news and scam advertisements on the platforms.
Meta's main source of income is advertising on its SNS platforms. For this reason, it even allows advertisements in the political sphere, which has led to the proliferation of false content to the extent that the platforms are called 'breeding grounds for fake news.'
In Facebook's case, at some point, news feeds became dominated by corporate and organizational advertisements and promotional posts, leading to a decline in user interest, according to analyses.
Meta has been criticized for its passive stance on fundamental countermeasures against various issues such as impersonation of celebrities, adult content accounts, and hacking, not only domestically but also overseas.
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