Study: Users Like Facebook, But They Don’t Trust It

facebook iconFor better or worse, Facebook has become an integral part of modern life. It’s how we connect with friends, share events, get our news, and so much more. Many users have come to rely on the platform — but as a new wide-reaching study from The Verge found, that doesn’t mean users necessarily trust it.

The survey, which gathered information from about 1,500 people nationwide, found that Facebook has the lowest percentage of users who like its products compared to four other major tech companies. Also, fewer people recommended using Facebook than Amazon, Google, Apple and others. However, users also say that they would miss Facebook if it disappeared. And strangely enough given recent fake news controversies, most users also say they trust news they find on Facebook roughly the same as content from other sources.

But while the survey is a mixed bag for Facebook, there are underlying trends that could prove troubling for the social media giant. For instance, 57 percent of people who don’t use Facebook say they don’t trust it. For a site constantly seeking ways to grow, that’s very bad news. If Facebook wants to maintain its dominant position in our culture, it will likely need to become more open and transparent with users.