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Facebook fights user fatigue, while Twitter is fastest growing: report

Facebook grew its active user base by 35 per cent, but user fatigue still looms

Facebook has seen some growth in its active users, but Twitter has become the fastest growing social platform in the world, according to Global Web Index.

The research firm’s Stream Social Q1 2013 report found Facebook experienced a 35 per cent increase in total active users between Q2 2012 and Q1 2013, while Twitter experienced a 40 per cent increase over the same period. Twitter’s growth in active users also surpassed Google Plus' 33 per cent.

“Twitter… is currently the fastest-growing social platform in the world by active users,” Brett Petersen, director of strategy consulting at Global Web Index, wrote in a blog post.

“Mobile is by far the main factor, and since Q1 2011, the number of people access the Internet via a mobile phone has increased by 60.3 per cent to 818.4 million across the 31 GWI markets.”

However, Facebook fatigue continues to loom in Australia and over the world, despite the reported growth in active users. According to figures from Social Bakers, 33 per cent of countries on Facebook saw a decline in monthly active users over the last six months, compared to about 11 per cent over the last year.

Australia experienced a decline of 202,880 active users over the last six months, compared to no decline over the last year. The United States saw the largest decline in active users, down by more than 8 million in the last six months.

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