Californians trust social media companies about as much as they trust Big Pharma

Not a good look anymore.
Not a good look anymore.
Image: Reuters/Dado Ruvic
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Tech industry is still the most trusted industry in California. But it’s losing its luster.

Quartz looked at three years of survey data from the marketing firm Edelman to see what Californians think of Silicon Valley. In its 2018 survey of 1,702 adult residents, Edelman found the tech sector enjoys favorable ratings (62% rank it as trustworthy), but its stature has fallen  6% since 2016.

Social media’s dismal reputation, only a few points above the pharmaceutical industry, is leading the downward plunge. Only 37% of respondents ranked social media companies as trustworthy, the first year Edelman asked the question on its survey.