In the fourth quarter of 2023, Facebook took action on 691 million fake accounts, down from 827 million in the previous quarter. A record figure of approximately 2.2 billion fake profiles were removed by the social media platform in the first quarter of 2019. Meta considers fake accounts to be those that are created with malicious intent, or created to represent a business, organization, or non-human entity.
Facebook and inauthentic activity
As Facebook is the most used social media platform worldwide it is not surprising that the service is a target for inauthentic activity and potentially harmful content. Facebook's parent company, Meta, has regulations in place known as Facebook Community Standards that outline what is and is not permitted on the network. Spam content is an ongoing issue that the platform faces, with 1.4 million pieces of spam content being removed in the third quarter of 2022.
Facebookâs ongoing popularity
The vast majority of internet users have awareness of Facebook as a brand. Almost all social media users in the United States are aware of Facebook, and three-quarters of U.S. social media users have a Facebook account. Furthermore, despite the idea that Facebook is most popular amongst older generations, its largest U.S. demographic can be found with users aged 25 to 34 years.
Actioned fake accounts on Facebook worldwide from 4th quarter 2017 to 4th quarter 2023
(in millions)
fake accounts that were successfully created but later removed by Facebook, does not include unsuccessful attempts to create fake accounts that were blocked at the time of registration
Supplementary notes
According to Facebook, "our goal is to remove as many fake accounts on Facebook as we can. We prioritize enforcement against users and accounts that seek to cause harm and find many of these fake accounts are used in spam campaigns and are financially motivated."
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Facebook. (March 1, 2024). Actioned fake accounts on Facebook worldwide from 4th quarter 2017 to 4th quarter 2023 (in millions) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 13, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1013474/facebook-fake-account-removal-quarter/?hss_channel=lcp-28878671&utm_content=285892426&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin
Facebook. "Actioned fake accounts on Facebook worldwide from 4th quarter 2017 to 4th quarter 2023 (in millions)." Chart. March 1, 2024. Statista. Accessed December 13, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1013474/facebook-fake-account-removal-quarter/?hss_channel=lcp-28878671&utm_content=285892426&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin
Facebook. (2024). Actioned fake accounts on Facebook worldwide from 4th quarter 2017 to 4th quarter 2023 (in millions). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 13, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1013474/facebook-fake-account-removal-quarter/?hss_channel=lcp-28878671&utm_content=285892426&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin
Facebook. "Actioned Fake Accounts on Facebook Worldwide from 4th Quarter 2017 to 4th Quarter 2023 (in Millions)." Statista, Statista Inc., 1 Mar 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1013474/facebook-fake-account-removal-quarter/?hss_channel=lcp-28878671&utm_content=285892426&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin
Facebook, Actioned fake accounts on Facebook worldwide from 4th quarter 2017 to 4th quarter 2023 (in millions) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1013474/facebook-fake-account-removal-quarter/?hss_channel=lcp-28878671&utm_content=285892426&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin (last visited December 13, 2024)
Actioned fake accounts on Facebook worldwide from 4th quarter 2017 to 4th quarter 2023 (in millions) [Graph], Facebook, March 1, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1013474/facebook-fake-account-removal-quarter/?hss_channel=lcp-28878671&utm_content=285892426&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin