Previously, Big Tech was primarily politically orient towards left-liberal values, with ties between email data democratic governments and tech companies like Meta and Google. Now that Trump, Musk and Zuckerberg are charting a different course, we see how quickly social mia can switch camps. This reflects a broader trend: social mia platforms are no longer seen as neutral infrastructure, but as political playing fields .
alternative services such as Signal and Telegram.
Signal offers a clear alternative in this respect: no ads, no data collection and full transparency. The fact that the number of downloads of Signal in the Netherlands has grown enormously since January indicates a clear ne for secure and privacy-orient solutions. This trend also ties in with the broader privacy awareness in the Netherlands, where users are increasingly critical of their digital footprint.
Criticism of Meta’s policy
Recent policy changes at Meta, parent company of WhatsApp, have rais concerns among users. For example, the challenges of moderation and misinformation CEO Mark Zuckerberg announc that he would stop fact-checking, which has rais questions among some users about the reliability and integrity of the platform. This move has only serv to encourage people to seek out safer and more reliable alternatives for their communications. A similar trend was seen with the rise of Bluesky as an alternative to X, where users flock to the platform due to dissatisfaction with the policy changes and a lack of confidence in the platform’s new direction under Elon Musk.
strategy for your school on LinkIn. In 7 steps to a strong content. No more loose shots, but a plan that works and that you can marketing list implement together.
What about social mia use in the Netherlands? WhatsApp, YouTube and Instagram continue to grow, but Facebook is taking a hit in that regard. And where X was still growing last year, there is a large decline in the number of users this year. This and more will be reveal in the 2025 social mia research this year.