Sample Solution

the U.S has held steady. It seems millions of U.S. Facebook users are either completely oblivious to Facebook’s recent mishaps, or they are simply not concerned. Overall, the platform has gained over five million DAU since the 2016 election. Further, a recent poll reports that more than half of Americans under the age of 53 are either against the regulation of tech companies or believe that any attempts at regulation would make no difference. Many regulatory advocates have responded to this data by arguing that Facebook users are suffering from a “privacy paradox” – understanding the value of privacy but failing to advocate for devices—such as legislation—that would better protect them. However, these regulatory advocates fail to understand the value that users derive from Facebook; they like having their family and friends, photo albums, and messaging all in one place. Most reasonable consumers understand that Facebook is a for-profit enterprise—one that has a legal obligation to maximize value for its shareholders. They understand that data collection and targeted advertising serve as the main drivers of profit which make Facebook’s valuable services possible. Naturally, users expect to be treated fairly, but it would be unrealistic for users to assume that the platform will never make mistakes as it continues to innovate.

Indeed, rather than quitting Facebook in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, it seems as though users responded by giving Facebook a chance to make improvements. The scandal’s relatively small effect on Facebook’s bottom line may be related to Facebook having a resilient “brand personality” such that users understand that it is an imperfect and evolving platform. Indeed, Facebook experienced an increase in engagement from U.S. users following the Cambridge Analytica scandal, as users went online to update their privacy settings.

However, U.S. users do quit Facebook. In fact, Hill Holiday’s recent survey of Generation Z found that more than one-half had switched off social media for an extended period of time and one-third had canceled all of their social media accounts. While 44% of respondents cited “time wasting” as the largest factor behind their decisions, 22% cited privacy concerns. Risk of declining user engagement, on its own, is enough to catalyze change at Facebook. A perfect example of this reality comes from Facebook’s recent attempt to change its model to emphasize posts from family and friends over news. In response to the changed model and Cambridge Analytica scandal, the market reproved the com