UK mobile phone users are leading the way in taking social networking websites mobile, research has revealed.
Some 1.7 per cent of UK mobile phone subscribers, or 810,000 users, used their handsets to visit popular social networking sites like Facebook, Bebo and MySpace in the first quarter (Q1) of 2008, Nielsen Mobile research said.
It said this was slightly ahead of the European average of 1.6 per cent accessing such sites on the move in December 2007 and on a par with US levels.
"Social networking is already a global phenomenon, and going mobile is the next big thing," said Jeff Herrmann, Nielsen Mobile media vice president. "In the UK and the US especially, we already see millions of users of MySpace, Facebook and other social networks interacting with their virtual spaces while on the go."
And, while MySpace.com is the most popular site among US mobile users followed by Facebook, by contrast Facebook had the largest mobile audience among social networking sites in the UK with 557,000 unique users each month during Q1. MySpace comes second in the UK with 211,000 in the same period.
Perhaps surprisingly, given the popularity of Facebook and MySpace in the UK and US, Microsoft MSN Windows Live Spaces was ranked highly in other European countries. It took the number one spot in Italy, with 154,000 unique mobile users, and in France with 106,000. But it also came in second with 45,000 users against MySpace with 52,000 in Germany.
Herrmann suggested demand for such web content may help drive competition among mobile service provider pricing models, "evidenced by Vodafone UK's recent move to offer unlimited internet access as a standard feature of its new monthly mobile price plans," he added.
-
What does modern security success look like for financial services?Sponsored As financial institutions grapple with evolving cyber threats, intensifying regulations, and the limitations of ageing IT infrastructure, the need for a resilient and forward-thinking security strategy has never been greater
-
Yes, legal AI. But what can you actually do with it? Let’s take a look…Sponsored Legal AI is a knowledge multiplier that can accelerate research, sharpen insights, and organize information, provided legal teams have confidence in its transparent and auditable application
-
Meta to pay $725 million in Cambridge Analytica lawsuit settlementNews The settlement closes the long-running lawsuit into how Facebook's owner, Meta, handled the Cambridge Analytica scandal
-
Meta's earnings are 'cause for concern' and 2023 looks even bleakerAnalysis Calls for investor faith in metaverse tech only emphasise the worries that its investment strategy won't pay off
-
Microsoft and Meta announce integration deal between Teams and WorkplaceNews Features from both business collaboration platforms will be available to users without having to switch apps
-
Facebook is shutting down its controversial facial recognition systemNews The move will see more than a billion facial templates removed from Facebook's records amid a push for more private applications of the technology
-
'Changing name to Meat': Industry reacts to Facebook's Meta rebrandNews The rebrand attempts to provide a clearer distinction between Facebook and its umbrella company
-
Facebook's Oversight Board demands more transparencyNews Board bashed the social media giant for its preferential treatment of certain high-profile accounts
-
Facebook claims AI managed to reduce hate speech by 50%News The social media platform has hit back at claims the tech it uses to fight hate speech is inadequate
-
Facebook to hire 10,000 workers across the EUNews The high-skilled jobs drive is a “vote of confidence” in the European tech industry
