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Comment by ziszis | Hacker News Reader

No. Instead, this is probably an example of people on this forum not being representative of global Internet users. If you want actual data, look at their quarterly earnings [1] where they report user engagement metrics. Daily active users reached an all time high of 1,227 Billion in Q4. DAU/MAU reached an enviable all-time high 66%, etc.

There are some challenges in how they present the data and it is unclear what you are including in the definition of "Facebook". The report doesn't break out Instagram & WhatsApp separately. So there could be a decline on Facebook.com which is offset with increases elsewhere.

[1] https://s21.q4cdn.com/399680738/files/doc_presentations/FB-Q...

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"We define a mobile DAU as a user who accessed Facebook via a mobile application or via mobile versions of our website such as m.facebook.com, whether on a mobile phone or tablet, or used our Messenger mobile application (and is also a registered Facebook user) on a given day. The numbers for mobile DAUs do not include Instagram, WhatsApp, or Oculus users unless they would otherwise qualify as such users, respectively, based on their other activities on Facebook."

What does that mean?

Why did they use the word "accessed" vs "authenticated"? Did the user leave a tab on their cell phone open after they logged into facebook?

Many users log in once and forget to logout... Does that continue to present itself as someone accessing facebook?

How many users access via the app? via the mobile web page?

If you take out people who used Messenger app what would this number be? Also, can I be a Messenger user and not a registered Facebook user?

Pay attention to the footnotes. It shows up on many pages of the presentation.

I would prefer knowing how many logged in each day. How many did something purposefully like look at a friends timeline, search a friend, look at possible friends. How many posted a comment, did a "like", clicked on an ad...

Good call on the footnote. The Facebook 10K [1] clarifies the definition of DAU:

"The numbers for our key metrics, our DAUs, MAUs, and average revenue per user (ARPU), do not include Instagram, WhatsApp, or Oculus users unless they would otherwise qualify as such users, respectively, based on their other activities on Facebook." -> This clarifies that they are measuring users without considering any Instagram, WhatsApp or Oculus uplift.

"We define a daily active user as a registered Facebook user who logged in and visited Facebook through our website or a mobile device, or used our Messenger application (and is also a registered Facebook user), on a given day." -> This clarifies that they only count if the login happened that day or they did a visit during that day. Not passive open tabs.

It does also have this note "For example, while user-provided data indicates a decline in usage among younger users, this age data is unreliable because a disproportionate number of our younger users register with an inaccurate age." -> This might be some of what people are experiencing. A shift in demographics to older people.

[1] https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1326801/000132680117...

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