NOTES ON DATA VARIANCE, MISMATCHES, AND CURIOSITIES This report uses data from a wide variety of Similarly, reports of internet user numbers It’s unlikely that one hundred percent of sources, including market research agencies, vary considerably between different sources. internet users in any given country will use internet and social media companies, In part, this is because there are fewer the same social media platform though, so in governments and public bodies, news media, commercial imperatives for governments cases where internet and social media user journalists, and our own internal analysis. and regulators to collect and publish regular numbers are the same, it’s likely that the actual internet user data. However, the user numbers number of internet users will be higher than the Wherever possible, we’ve prioritised data published by social media platforms can be number we’ve reported. sources that provide broader geographical a useful proxy for the number of internet users coverage, in order to minimise the potential in countries where no other reliable data are Lastly, a number of metrics that we reported in variations between data points, and offer available, because all active social media last year’s Global Digital reports have been more reliable comparison across countries. users must have an active internet connection revised by the original data provider since However, where we believe that an individual in order to access social media. These data publication, and as a result, some figures metric provides a more reliable reference, are also more likely to be updated on a in this year’s reports may appear to have we’ve used such individual numbers to ensure regular basis, as social media companies changed in unexpected ways. Wherever the most accurate reporting. relies on this data to help sell their advertising we’re aware of these changes, we’ve included products and services. details in the footnotes of each relevant chart, Furthermore, due to differing data collection but please use caution when comparing data and treatment methodologies used by these As a result, on occasion, we’ve used the latest from different reports in case the original base organisations, and the different sample addressable advertising audience data from has changed. periods during which data were collected, social media platforms’ self-serve advertising there may be significant differences in the tools to inform our internet user numbers, If you have any questions about specific data reported metrics for similar data points especially in less-developed economies, points in these reports, or if you’d like to offer throughout this report. In particular, data where ‘official’ internet user numbers are your organisation’s data for consideration in collected via surveys often vary from one published less frequently. Consequently, there future reports, please email our reports team: report to another, even if those data were are a number of instances in this report where [email protected]. collected by the same organisation using the the reported number of social media users same approach in each wave. equals the reported number of internet users.