In February 2022, Meta Platforms reported Facebook's first-ever quarterly drop in daily users, which led to an internal study into user patterns in India, which is Meta's biggest market in the world. The study, which covers a period of two years till the end of 2021, discovered some unique problems.
Many Indian women are now shunning Facebook not only because it is overtly male-dominated, but also because they're worried about safety and privacy concerns. "Concerns about content safety and unwanted contact impede women's FB use," the study revealed, adding that, "Meta cannot succeed in India while leaving women behind."
The study also noted other obstacles that are putting Indian women users off, including nudity content, the perceived complexity of the app's design, local language and literacy barriers, and a lack of appeal among users seeking quality video content. The research was based on surveys of tens of thousands of users as well as internal user data.
Meta has lost almost half of its value this year amid broader tech sell-off, and so, Facebook’s fortunes in India have broader implications for the company. “India contains more FB users than any other country,” said the research. “Teams across the company should explicitly consider their strategic position and growth opportunities in India. Outcomes in India could drive global results.”
While platforms like Facebook are seeing a down surge in women’s participation, Indian women are now turning to safer communities, like Her Circle, to connect and consume content—primarily because these platforms are not only women-run and women-oriented, but also offer more secure ways of connecting online.