Instagram, Facebook sees decline in mobile users in Korea

[Photo by MK DB]

Instagram and Facebook, the social networking platforms managed by Meta Platforms Inc., have seen a decline in the number of mobile users in South Korea for a third straight month this year, data showed on Sunday.

According to IGAworks Co., Instagram‘s monthly active users (MAUs) among Korean smartphone users went down from 21.92 million in December 2023 to 21.73 million in January, 21.47 million in February, and 21.42 million in March.

The number of users declined more sharply for Facebook, with its mobile MAUs dropping from 10.2 million in December to 9.91 million in January, marking the first time it fell below the 10 million mark.

The decline continued in February and hit 9.58 million in March, the lowest monthly total ever recorded.

The decline in MAUs is seen as primarily due to the lack of legal action against fake news and fraudulent ads from Meta Platforms.

Since last year, some fake ads featuring celebrities have been spread on the social media platforms to trick trusting consumers, but the operator has been under scrutiny for its lack of action against fake ads.