User confidence in social media giants has been plummeting in the wake of data privacy scandals and the rise of ‘fake news’. As a result, many are choosing to connect with like-minded individuals in micro-spaces that they believe can offer better security and a sense of community.

As concerns about data privacy mount, American tech giants are facing a global backlash. In France, the government has announced plans to ditch Google as its default search engine, instead opting to use Qwant. How is the home-grown firm ensuring security and ‘digital sovereignty’?

As part of Facebook’s push for greater privacy transparency, it has launched a ten-week-long, UK-wide campaign with the aim of educating people on how to safely manage their digital lives. Amid confusion around data protection laws, companies are stepping in to help people gain a better understanding.

People often claim to care about data privacy but do very little in order to protect themselves online. Facebook, however, is giving users the chance to download their own personal data and delete it if necessary. In turn, this is giving users a deeper understanding of how to protect their privacy online.