Leading social networks used weekly for news in France 2021

Survey findings showed that Facebook was the most frequently used social network for news access in France in 2021, with nearly 40 percent of respondents using the platform for news every week. YouTube and WhatsApp rounded out the top three that year.

Social media usage is soaring in France

The number of social media users in France has steadily increased since the start of the new millennium. Today, an estimated 38 million people have an account on one of the various social networks to post pictures and videos, communicate with friends and strangers, stay up to date with their favorite celebrities and influencers, or catch up on news headlines. While video-sharing apps such as TikTok have shaken up the scene and amassed millions of users recently, Facebook remains the most popular social media platform in France, followed by Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram – all Meta-owned properties.

Audiences lack trust in social media news

Even though millions of social media users check their feeds for news each day, recent reports have indicated that a significant share of French online users are wary of news reports circulating on platforms such as Facebook. Less than 40 percent of survey respondents felt confident about the accuracy of posts shared on social media by official channels in 2021. Meanwhile, French adults' trust in news on social media was even lower for information shared online by friends. Many French social media users stated they regularly encountered fake news on their feeds, explaining why social media stands out as the least trustworthy news source according to French consumers.