Facebook generally offers a more robust and safer environment for advertisers due to its larger user base, more proactive content moderation, and better brand safety measures. However, both platforms have their strengths and weaknesses, and the choice between them depends on specific advertising goals and priorities.
| Attribute | X (formerly Twitter) | |
|---|---|---|
| User base size and demographics | Around 600 million monthly active users; Approximately 245 million daily users; Predominantly male (60.9%); Most users (58%) are under 35; Largest segment (36.6%) between 25 and 34; Approximately 100 million users in the United States | Over 3 billion monthly active users. Men aged 25-34 are a significant demographic for advertising reach. |
| Content moderation policies and effectiveness | Uses machine learning and human review; Rolled back rules on hate speech and COVID-19 misinformation; Reduction in actioned accounts for hateful content; 2,361 accounts taken down for hate speech | Uses a combination of AI, human reviewers, and community guidelines to moderate content. Employs a 'remove, reduce, and inform' strategy. AI algorithms scan posts, images, and videos, flagging potentially harmful content. AI can struggle with nuances, different languages, and cultural contexts. |
| Advertising options and targeting capabilities | Various ad formats and targeting options; Follower lookalikes, conversations, and keywords targeting; AI-powered optimized targeting | Offers core audience targeting (demographics, interests, behaviors), custom audience targeting (using existing customer data), and lookalike audiences. Detailed targeting allows reaching users based on demographics, interests, and behaviors. Allows advertisers to target users based on their behaviors, such as past purchases. |
| Data privacy practices and user data control | Collects biometric information (with user consent) and extended professional data; Users can manage data sharing with business partners, control cross-platform data flows, and adjust advertising preferences | Has tools like 'Off-Facebook Activity' to let users track and control data collected from third-party websites and apps. Users can disconnect this data from their Facebook profile. |
| Algorithm transparency and content ranking | Not very transparent | Considers factors like who posted content, when it was posted, and a user's internet connection speed. Assigns relevancy scores to content to determine News Feed order. Has made some efforts to increase transparency by providing information on why certain content appears in feeds. |
| Prevalence of misinformation and fake news | Identified as the biggest source of fake news and disinformation; Largest "ratio of discoverability" of disinformation | Misinformation can spread rapidly on Facebook. Visual misinformation, particularly through images, is a significant issue. Algorithms have been criticized for potentially amplifying misinformation. |
| Community features and user engagement tools | Community replies and posts visible to followers and wider X audience; All X users can reply to Community posts | Offers various community features to foster user engagement and interaction. |
| API availability and developer ecosystem | Not mentioned in the provided search results | Facebook integrations enable data sharing between the platform and other apps. |
| Integration with other platforms and services | 88.1% of X users also use Instagram | Integrates with many platforms and services, including Shopify, HubSpot, Hootsuite and others. |
| Mobile app usability and features | Not mentioned in the provided search results | The Facebook mobile app aims for consistency with the website. |
| Customer support and user assistance | Not mentioned in the provided search results | Details on specific customer support responsiveness levels weren't found in the search results. |
| Brand safety for advertisers | Confidence in X for brand safety has plummeted; Only 4% of marketers believe that ads on the platform provide brand safety | Meta has updated its brand safety policies to give advertisers more control over where their ads appear. They can specify appropriate content types and prevent ads from appearing alongside harmful topics. |