Facebook has officially acknowledged that 13% of its accounts are not legitimate, based on revelations from a recent earnings call. Here's what you need to know:

The breakdown of non-legitimate accounts:

• 10% are duplicate accounts from existing users
• 2-3% are misclassified and undesirable accounts
• In total numbers: 207 million duplicates and 60 million fake accounts

This admission comes despite Facebook's strong financial performance:

• $10.3 billion in quarterly revenue (up 47% year-on-year)
• 2.07 billion monthly users
• 6 million companies advertising on the platform
• 35% growth in advertising costs

The company attributes these findings to:

• A new methodology for detecting duplicate accounts
• "Episodic spikes" in fake accounts from countries like Vietnam and Indonesia
• Improved data signals for tracking non-legitimate accounts

In response, Facebook is taking action:

• Implementing new security measures
• Improving tools for advertiser accuracy
• CEO Mark Zuckerberg has committed to addressing the issue, stating it will impact profitability

This revelation has sparked increased scrutiny:

• US lawmakers are pressing for identification of users exposed to Russian-backed ads
• The platform faces pressure to notify users who accessed suspicious content
• Questions remain about the accuracy of advertising reach metrics

The issue is expected to grow as the platform ages, affecting both user engagement metrics and advertising effectiveness. Facebook continues to work on solutions while balancing security measures with profitability goals.

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