515 New Apps Mark the Rise of Anonymity

The rise of the internet created a lot of connections between people, but it also had a side effect of publicizing most of the things that we do on a day to day basis. It turns out that people are starting to value their anonymity because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up surfing online without having their privacy violated. This trend can be seen with the startling rise in apps that tout anonymity as a key feature with all things having been considered and taken into account.

The recent App Intelligence report released by Sensor Tower shows that the number of new anonymous apps have been rising for quite some time. Back in 2014, there were 527 new apps that used anonymity related keywords in their descriptions. With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that this more than doubled by 2021 to 1,257.

The first half of 2022 has seen 515 new apps enter the fray. That is somewhat lower than 2021, but in spite of the fact that this is the case it still indicates that consumers are valuing their online privacy and are willing to use anonymous apps to ensure it. One of the apps in this category, Safe Security, has managed to receive about 448 million worldwide downloads. Its main function has less to do with providing anonymity, though. Rather, it is supposed to block calls from anonymous callers since this can help users feel safer than might have been the case otherwise.

Around 446 of the 1,257 anonymity focused apps in 2021 were privacy tools. 172 of them were social media platforms, and that indicates that the world of social media might change somewhat moving forward. Users who want to connect with others whilst maintaining an anonymous image would turn to such apps, and they are also using this method on Twitter.

It will be interesting to see the continued rise of anonymity providing apps. They mark a shift in the cultural consciousness surrounding internet usage in lots of ways.

Read next: Gen Zs are Paying More Attention to Social Media Influencers, Here’s What That Means for the Industry
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World