Facebook’s Third-quarter Earnings Report Reveals Soaring Numbers of Fake & Duplicate Accounts
The decision-makers over at Facebook were likely pretty
pleased with themselves on Wednesday night when their third-quarter earnings
report was made public. The social media behemoth continues to enjoy an
ever-increasing user base and continually-rising profits, with the company revealing
a staggering 79% increase in quarterly profits which brings the figure for Q3
up to a more-than-healthy total of $4.7bn (£3.6bn).
Hidden within the small sprint however were a couple of
figures of which Facebook are decidedly less proud, as it has emerged that the
platform is littered with far more fake and duplicate accounts than previously
stated with up to 270 million accounts on the social network deemed to be illegitimate
in one form or another. The platforms number of fake accounts, which includes “user-misclassified
and undesirable accounts”, tripled in relation to their July estimates, leaping
from 1% to 3% in the time since. Similarly the number of duplicate accounts on
the network rose from 6% to 10%, bringing the total number of illegitimate accounts
on the platform up to nearly 270 million, which equates to roughly 13% of
Facebook’s 2.1bn monthly users.
According to Facebook however this increase in the number of
illegitimate accounts reportedly still active on the site is not due to an
actual rise in fake or duplicate users; rather the increase is a result of “a
new methodology for duplicate accounts that included improvements to the data
signals we rely on.” Basically what they are saying is that the number of said
undesirable accounts has not in fact increased - Facebook have just got better
at identifying them.
The revelation may nonetheless have a negative impact upon
the company’s perceived integrity, particularly in the wake of ongoing investigations
into Russian election meddling via the use of advertising on their platform, and
the recent questions raised regarding their advertising figures in which they claimed
to be able to reach more people than actually exist within a given demographic,
at least according to official census data.
There are plans in the pipeline intended to help deal with
these issues however, as a spokesperson for Facebook told Business Insider that
the same improved methodology updates which revealed the apparent uptick in illegitimate
accounts will also be used in an effort to improve the accuracy of
Facebook’s tools for advertisers; this improved accuracy should specifically
affect Facebook’s estimates for the number of real people it can reach with an
advertiser’s campaign, the source said.
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
Contact
us on Twitter,
on Facebook, or
leave your comments below. To find out about social media training or
management why not take a look at our website for more info: TheSMFGroup.com
Facebook’s Third-quarter Earnings Report Reveals Soaring Numbers of Fake & Duplicate Accounts
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Tuesday, November 07, 2017
Rating:
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Tuesday, November 07, 2017
Rating:
Unknown
Keeping you up to date on social media, digital marketing, apps, news & reviews. Social media, and digital marketing as a whole, are rapidly and constantly changing, adapting to new developments at an ever increasing rate. Just keeping up to date can be a nightmare. Our team of writers know their field, and keep an ear to the ground. We aim to keep you informed of all recent developments in the online world, and teach you a little something along the way. So whether you just want to stay connected, or gain some knowledge for yourself, the Social Songbird will keep on singing! More articles are posted every day so keep checking back! Join the discussion on Twitter - #SocialSongbird Or contact us directly - @SocialSongbird_
Entrepreneur, international speaker on Social Media Marketing. First one in the UK to write and speak in conferences about Twitter as a marketing tool. Consultant to Corporate Companies, Government Organizations, Marketing Managers and Business Owners.
Aspiring novelist with a passion for fantasy and crime thrillers. He hopes to one day drop that 'aspiring' prefix. He started as a writer and soon after he was made Executive Editor and Manager of the team at Social Songbird. A position he held for 5 years.
Adrienne is a passionate writer with experience in editing, content creation, and social media marketing. She’s a lover of animals, helping others improve their writing, and 2000s pop culture.
Musician, audio technician, professional tutor and a Cambridge university English student. Interested in writing, politics and obsessed with reading.
Recently graduated with a BA in English Literature from the University of Exeter, and he is about to study an MA in Journalism at the University of Sheffield. He is an aspiring journalist and novelist; in his free time he enjoys playing chess, listening to music and taking long walks through nature.
Lucy is an undergraduate BSc Politics and International Relations student at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Anna Coopey is a 4th year UG student in Classics at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. She is a keen writer and researcher on a number of topics, varying from Modern Greek literature to revolutionary theory.
Ellie is a recent BA English Literature graduate and aspiring publisher with a passion for writing. Her favourite pastimes include reading and shopping.