Despite a very vocal Twitter movement to #DeleteFacebook, new findings from investment bank and financial services company Goldman Sachs have revealed that the Cambridge Analytica data scandal, which saw the private information of up to 87 million Facebook users harvested and used to influence the 2016 US Election, had very little impact on the social network’s traffic.
As reported by Business Insider, usage actually increased during its most difficult and scrutinized period, with the firm citing comScore numbers that point to a 7% year-on-year rise in mobile traffic from unique users in the US this past April, bringing the total to 188.6 million American users.
Growing user numbers aren’t the only thing Facebook has to sing about — time spent on the app has also seen an increase, as you can see from the comScore graph below.
Everything’s coming up Zuckerberg
Citing its own advertising system checks, Deutsche Bank has also revealed that Facebook’s mass-purging of over 583 million fake accounts has shown “little to no impact on audience reach” across the network.
In a statement on the matter, Deutsche Bank said, “We note that this data represents audience reach across properties, not strictly tied to core Facebook, but we suspect they are cleaning up fake accounts across the board and view this as a broad indication that ad reach across Facebook continues to grow.”
Along with the numbers cited above, Facebook’s share price has also seen a full recovery post scandal, with shares trading at $182.68 at the time of writing.
It’s an exciting time to be in Huawei’s smartphone division. It’s now the world’s third largest and it’s basking in the glow of the launch of the P20 and P20 Pro flagships – arguably the first of its handsets to penetrate the mainstream consciousness.
According to figures from IHS Markit, Huawei has increased smartphone shipments by 14 per cent over the past year to 39.3 million and now controls 11 per cent of the market.
Anson Zhang is the man tasked with capitalising on this momentum and building its business in the UK. Having joined the company in 2009, Zhang has served as country manager for the Czech Republic and Finland before becoming the managing director for the Huawei Consumer Business Group in the UK two months ago.
Responsibility
“I think my major responsibility is how to bring the best products and quality of service to the UK,” he tells TechRadar Pro. “[To establish] Huawei as a premium brand in the UK market.
“The UK is a [key] strategic market. The UK is one of the biggest countries in Europe and we are already well recognised [across the continent] as a brand in some other countries like Spain and Italy.”
Huawei’s attempts to differentiate itself in a crowded Android marketplace have focused on innovation, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and advanced imaging features strong selling points of its recent flagships.
Zhang wants Huawei to have a reputation for innovation in the UK, but accepts that marketing will play a key role in making its products desirable
“It’s not about tech versus fashion,” he explains. “It’s our role to build the brand. On the one hand we insist on the innovation, but on the other hand, we’re trying to build up the fashion side of the brand. [It’s not just about] performance but also [things like] photography.”
It’s difficult enough building one brand, but Huawei has two. Alongside it’s high end devices under the Huawei banner, it also produces more affordable smartphones under the Honor brand too. Is this not too difficult to explain to consumers? If anything, Zhang argues, having the two ranges makes it easier to break into new markets.
“I don’t think there’s a conflict. We have a clear brand message for Huawei [and Honor],” says Zhang. “Huawei is more focused on innovation and is the premium brand in which we put most of our leading technology.
“People’s lives are going be different and people in different countries are going to be different and we need to understand the end user and und what they want and what their preferences are. With two brands we can do this more easily.”
Operator and retailer support is essential for any such expansion. With only so many devices they can stock, promote and train their staff in, keeping good relationships with partners will also be on Zhang’s priority list.
“I think it’s about trust. We are very comfortable with our products, otherwise we [wouldn’t have had the growth]. We need to do the proper communication to our partners, as well as our end users. [We will] talk to partners professionally and build their confidence.”
In the days before our meeting, Chinese rival Xiaomi (the world’s fourth largest smartphone maker) has agreed a deal with Three’s parent company CK Hutchison that will see its handsets stocked in the UK. When asked whether multiple Chinese players – unfamiliar to UK consumers – will harm Huawei’s own plans, he is nonplussed, stating his belief in the Shenzhen-based firm’s plan to be known as a company which produces high quality, innovative devices.
“If we can deliver this ambition, we can win the UK market,” he says.
As the last few weeks have thrown into sharp relief, millions of people are suddenly becoming more aware of the power their own data holds, and the data collection practices that go with it. The headlines may have been full of some of the biggest names associated with the data economy, but the coming months look set to herald a new approach to data protection where privacy is balanced with the positive opportunities it can deliver for customers and businesses.
We believe that as GDPR day fast approaches on May 25th, how personal data is handled could be a real differentiator in a crowded market.
Negative approach breeds negative results
Most of the negative reaction directed at GDPR comes from the misconception that it will have a detrimental effect on businesses. Critics cite the time and cost associated with compliance and restructuring to ensure ongoing adherence to the rules, the disruption to entrenched business models and ways of working, and the time and effort involved in re-educating staff. Some organisations have been quite vocal on the topic, with the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) claiming that GDPR could drive the digital economy “two giant steps backward.”
We disagree. The fact is, new regulations can always put pressure on those not flexible enough to adapt. But organisations who are agile enough to adapt quickly in response to the ever changing technological and legislative environment will flourish.
Approaching GDPR from a positive and proactive position means acknowledging its flexibility and embracing it. There needs to be a fundamental shift in approach to technology and business, which up to now have been treated as separate entities. The new regulation recognises this and presents an opportunity for technology to be embedded into business models.
A better business model
Companies should look to evolve how they use data analytics and assess how data collection can be used to benefit theirs customers as well as the business. This is where the great opportunity lies.
So, with GDPR coming into play, it’s a perfect time to re-evaluate how a company’s products and services are created and marketed. If a business is relying on information that has not been freely given to it, or there’s no legitimate reason to collect or use it – it will have issues under GDPR. The message is clear – business models must include data protection by design, whether it’s a new start-up or an industry titan, there is no escaping it.
But if you’re struggling to conduct data analytics in compliance with the new regulation, there are other methods to meet customer needs. Companies could consider outsourcing their data analytics to a third-party, who can apply the latest analytic tools to get the most value. This has considerable benefits, from leveraging their expertise and experience with other clients to the assurance that comes from working with tools that have been created specifically to ensure regulatory compliance. This would go some way to establishing trust with consumers, who may have cause to be weary.
Organisations must focus on generating and maintaining their customers’ trust. In fact, IBMrecently found that 75% of consumers globally (82% in the UK) will not buy a product from a company if they don’t trust it to protect their data, no matter how great the products are. Communication is not only key to this, but with informed consent required under GDPR, it is now essential.
One key point to make here is that organisations should ensure that all staff are fully versed on GDPR. It’s frustrating to consumers to receive an email update on a company’s privacy policy (you may have seen these flood your inbox recently), only to be met with ignorance when they call the customer service line. If the current climate calls for anything, it’s that cybersecurity information and data protection should arguably be core pillars in customer service.
Business technology
A “cloud first strategy” has been a buzzword for analysts and vendors alike over the last few years. And there’s clear evidence companies are increasingly shifting their IT infrastructures to the cloud. But as the regulatory landscape changes, so does the way companies collect, manage and interact with their data.
The full variety of solutions to this is yet to be seen, of course. But initially, GDPR will have a radical effect on business infrastructure, such as the types of cloud products considered. In fact, industry analyst, Forrester Research, has already identified a trend of companies taking data back from public cloud hosting to corporate datacenters. There is also likely to be more monitoring and controls put in place around employee use of cloud platforms – clamping down on the dreaded “shadow IT” – and governance and IT security teams will take this opportunity to update and unify security and data policies across all devices and locations if possible.
The new wave
There will be challenges with GDPR, as with any external market force – no arguments here. However, looking at it positively, it will force organisations to become more flexible whilst embedding a strong sense of responsibility that will encourage the restoration of trust.
GDPR was never envisioned to restrict organisations, it was designed to enhance the relationship between business and consumer and ensure the data economy was being built safely. GDPR has laid the foundations for innovation – grasp the opportunity to be a part of the digital future.
