Trust in Facebook and Twitter has fallen, finds study

TRUST in social media companies such as Facebook and Twitter has reached new lows, a major credibility survey has warned, over concerns that they do not do enough to tackle bullying, illegal activities and the spreading of extremist content on their sites.

Most people – 64 per cent – think the online companies are not regulated enough and lack transparency (63 per cent), according to the Edelman Trust Barometer.

Just over half – 57 per cent – believe firms take advantage of users’ loneliness, and 62 per cent think they sell people’s data without their knowledge. A third do not think social media is a force for good in society, the survey of 33,000 people found.

Ed Williams, the chief executive officer of Edelman UK, said: “After a flood of negative headlines in 2017, it’s time these companies sat up and listened.”