Hong Kong social media migration tide

This year, "immigration" has become a hot topic in Hong Kong. Unexpectedly, even social media has set off an "immigration wave".

WhatsApp announced the implementation of a new privacy policy at the beginning of the month. Users' personal data will be shared with the parent company Facebook. If you do not agree to the updated terms before February 8, you will not be able to continue to use the program. As a result, there has been a violent backlash from the public, and social media "migration waves" have appeared around the world. Users have switched to other messaging apps: Signal, Telegram, LINE, and more. Later, WhatsApp announced the extension of the updated privacy policy, and the scale of the "immigration wave" severely hit WhatsApp's development.

In addition to WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram are also service products of Facebook. They are both social media and communication software commonly used by Hong Kong people. However, it is often mentioned: "Don't put all your eggs in one basket". Many personal data are stored in the same enterprise. The "Hong Kong pigs" who used to be petty and cheap usually ignore these loves, but in the past two years With the rapid changes in the social atmosphere, the awakened people have already felt the crisis of comprehensive control of personal life in the era of big data, and the leakage of private information by power.

Language Censorship and Eavesdropping Surveillance

Do you have such experience? If your smart phone has the voice function turned on, although you are not swiping your phone, you are just chatting with your friends all the time, and then you open Facebook to check your friends' news, but you find that the recommended posts and advertisements seem to be related to the conversation between you and your friend just now. Great connection.

Ten years ago, Facebook was a very simple friend interaction platform. With the rapid increase of global users, we continue to upload photos, check in, and develop our own set of algorithms to continuously improve the user experience. It seems to be more convenient and suitable for us. life needs. But think about it, it is actually behind the program that constantly monitors our every move on Facebook, eavesdropping on the topics we are most interested in. Don’t you feel goosebumps if you turn into a real person and do this?

However, Facebook's most recent dissatisfaction is the "word wheel censorship." For the sake of "harmony" and "political correctness", there are more and more cases of blocking and message management, severe censorship, hiding and deletion of articles. Hong Kong users feel this very deeply. The post is slightly politically aware, and the performance of the tweet is much worse than that of eating, drinking, and entertainment. Friends who have opened a Facebook page (fan page) also feel that the reach of the post is getting worse and different. The strength of the review is also divided and criticized.

Algorithms that cannot be mastered

In fact, this kind of trouble is not only on Facebook, but YouTube, which many people love to watch, is becoming more and more strange. With the constantly changing algorithm, is the content recommended by the platform really the content we love to watch? More and more people are aware of the shortcomings of calculus, and the information we get from social media tends to be single, because it will only recommend things we are used to watching, so that everyone can stay in the "stratosphere" and "warm around the fireplace", and open up with the Internet. The meaning of social is the opposite.

This also affects influencers who rely on online media to work, including YouTubers and Internet celebrities. The most obvious example is YouTube's yellow label system, where creators cannot help censoring themselves in order to gain profits. However, YouTubers found that the platform's algorithm has changed recently, and subscribers may not notice their latest videos, which indirectly affects the number of views. They can't figure out the algorithm, and they can't find a successful formula to restore the glorious income of the past.

Free and most expensive for a single platform

It is undeniable that Facebook and YouTube are domineering. In fact, we users have cultivated them for ten years. When they become the big brothers in the industry, they are an indispensable part of people's lives. A unique nature can control your life decisions. Although MeWe's layout and interactive function experience are not as professional as Facebook's, Hong Kong people are also actively switching to MeWe, in order to get rid of the control of a single platform, commercial competition, and blooming flowers, I believe that the ultimate benefit is still our users.

No one knows whether MeWe will compete with Facebook, or eventually be acquired at a high price, and some people remind everyone that this new platform still has some privacy gaps. But Facebook and WhatsApp are examples to teach everyone, don't rely too much on one platform, it is free and easy to use, and the cost will be higher in the future.

It is social media and advertisers who continue to sell personal data every day, and ultimately profit from social media and advertisers, and they have no guarantees at all. Even if you switch to a new program, please think carefully about what to upload and share with the public.