Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) is seeing an increase in inactive users in the United Kingdom. According to a recent report from YouGov Sixth Sense Social Media, the usage of both the micro blogging site and Facebook dropped to 10% and 9% respectively in the UK over the last 12 months. This suggests that out of every ten users, one has stopped using their Facebook or Twitter over the past year.
Users annoyed over privacy void and ads
The report included responses related to seven major social media sites from 2217 active UK social media users in February. Data in the report indicated that 55% of the people said that they have no interest in their social accounts. Nearly 26% of the users said that they are doubtful over the privacy policies followed by these companies in the wake of the news that governments frequently undertake mass surveillance. Among the 21% of regular users, one in every five said that they do not like the constant advertising on the sites, which is an important stream of revenue for these websites. One in six of the 17% users said that they didn’t like third parties using their personal content.
Coming to children between the ages of 8 and 15 years, Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) and other such social networking sites are not popular because children perceive such social networks are for adults. Around 32% of the children believe that Facebook is for the adult audience, while 30% feel same about Twitter.
Asia-Pacific holds potential for Twitter
According to a separate report, overall growth in Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR)’s user base is expected to increase at an impressive rate of 25% this year, according to research firm Emarketer. The report from this independent research firm predicts that the micro-blogging site will log double-digit growth until 2018 as it penetrates deeper into emerging markets. It also anticipates the firm reaching 400 million users within four years.
The high growth region for Twitter is Asia-Pacific, where users have already growing more than the United States and Western Europe. In 2014, Asia-Pacific will contribute almost third of Twitter’s users, compared to 23.7% in North America. By 2018 this percentage will rise 40% as per Emarketer’s projections.
China has not been included in the report as the service is officially banned in the country. If China revokes the ban, then the Asia-pacific numbers are expected to rise even further. Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) is also banned in North Korea and Iran, and has been banned blocked at times in Turkey and Pakistan.
