Users leave Facebook for closed forums like WhatsApp amid privacy fears, fake stories and toxic debate
People feel more comfortable chatting on closed platforms in countries where it can be dangerous to express political views openly, such as in Malaysia and Turkey
Many people are switching from Facebook to closed forums like WhatsApp to discuss daily news because of worries about privacy, fake stories and toxic debates, a survey said on Thursday.
The latest Digital News Report from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism found that news consumption via Facebook is falling, particularly among the young, who prefer WhatsApp, Instagram and Snapchat.
“People are … getting a little bit bored with Facebook,” Nic Newman, lead author of the seventh annual report told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
People feel more comfortable chatting on closed platforms in countries with polarised divides and where it can be dangerous to express political views openly, such as in Malaysia and Turkey, the study said.
