Following the recent TikTok hackings targeting both major brands and celebrities, new data reveals social media users are actually 9000 times more concerned about being hacked on Facebook, in comparison to TikTok.
To identify which app users are most at risk of hacking, the experts at Independent Advisor VPN have compiled a report looking into the social media apps with consumers most concerned about being hacked.
The platforms that users are the most concerned about being hacked on:
| Rank | Platform | Monthly active users | Annual “Hacked” searches |
| 1 | 3,060,000,000 | 6,391,000 | |
| 2 | 2,350,000,000 | 3,692,000 | |
| 3 | 2,780,000,000 | 875,500 | |
| 4 | Snapchat | 750,000,000 | 200,500 |
| 5 | Telegram | 800,000,000 | 69,900 |
| 6 | TikTok | 1,670,000,000 | 68,800 |
| 7 | 371,000,000 | 55,900 | |
| 8 | Discord | 154,000,000 | 48,800 |
| 9 | 430,000,000 | 37,700 | |
| 10 | 310,000,000 | 35,680 |
1. Facebook – 6,391,000 annual “hacked” searches
The number of searches for “Facebook hacked” far exceeds other social media apps in our list at 6,391,000 annual searches. This indicates that users may be apprehensive about unauthorised access to their accounts, possibly due to the personal and sometimes financial nature of the content shared.
2. Instagram – 3,692,000 annual “hacked” searches
Instagram is the second social media app users are most concerned about being hacked on with 3,692,000 annual “hacked” searches. As a visual platform popular with younger demographics, Instagram is of particular concern when it comes to hacking. This raises serious safety and privacy concerns, as these age groups may be particularly vulnerable to the repercussions of data breaches and misuse of personal information.
3. WhatsApp – 875,500 annual “hacked” searches
Following in close third is WhatsApp with over 875,000 annual hacked searches. This could be due to the platform’s wide usage and the amount of personal information available, making it a prime target for cybercriminals.
Further study insights:
- Users feel the most at risk of scams on WhatsApp, with an overwhelming majority of searches being for “WhatsApp scam,” totalling 329,300 annual scam searches, suggesting that hacking is a significant concern for its users.
