Monthly Active Users Decline from January to March
Facebook Continues to Hit Record Lows
It has been revealed that the number of domestic mobile users of Instagram and Facebook, operated by the social networking service (SNS) platform company Meta, has decreased for three consecutive months. This is interpreted as being due to the platform operator's failure to take immediate action despite the rampant spread of fake news and fraudulent advertisements within the platforms.
According to mobile index data from the mobile big data company IGAWorks on the 14th, the monthly active users (MAU; the number of people who used the service at least once a month) of Instagram mobile among domestic smartphone users decreased from 21.92 million in December last year to 21.73 million in January this year, 21.47 million in February, and 21.42 million in March, showing a decline for three consecutive months. Instagram, a photo and video-centered SNS operated by Meta, gained popularity among Generation Z starting with the launch of 'Reels,' a feature for creating and posting short videos, in 2021. However, user attrition has accelerated this year.
Facebook’s MAU also fell below 10 million for the first time this year, dropping from 10.2 million last year to 9.91 million in January. It continued to decline to 9.59 million in February and 9.58 million in March, setting monthly all-time lows each month. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Facebook’s service launch, and once the number one SNS in Korea, Facebook is now considered to have lost its former prestige.
The reason for the decline in domestic mobile users of Instagram and Facebook is analyzed to be closely related to the company’s lukewarm attitude toward immediate damage relief and fundamental countermeasures amid the rampant spread of fake news and fraudulent advertisements on the platforms. In particular, although the 'Association for Solving Online Phishing Crimes Impersonating Celebrities' (Yusamo) held a press conference on the 22nd of last month urging major platforms to make efforts to resolve the issue, celebrity impersonation scam advertisements are still openly displayed on SNS operated by Meta.
Meta recently told the Korean newsroom, "In the fourth quarter of 2023 alone, a total of 691 million fake accounts, including impersonation advertisement accounts, were deleted from Facebook and Instagram," adding, "99.2% of these were proactively removed before being reported by users." They further explained, "We have built additional detection models for celebrity impersonation advertisements by learning increasingly sophisticated methods," and "More than 40,000 professionals are deployed to ensure community safety and security." However, Yusamo raised their voice, urging "strong measures like Google, which announced permanent suspension of accounts without warning in cases of impersonation advertisements."
Meanwhile, on the 8th, the government also took action against celebrity impersonation advertisements. The Korea Communications Commission (KCC) issued the first user damage advisory in cooperation with the Korea Information and Communications Promotion Association, introducing prevention methods and response guidelines. In cases of celebrity impersonation investment scams that induce installation of specific applications (apps) or deposits to specific accounts through investment reviews or high-return advertisements, it is essential to verify whether the financial company involved is officially registered with the Financial Supervisory Service. In case of damage, it is advised to immediately report to the Financial Supervisory Service and the police station. The Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) also emphasized that it will proactively review illegal financial information from unregistered and unreported companies that induce investment advice promising high returns.
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