As IPO looms poll reveals undercurrent of user mistrust of Facebook

Along with the moans and bitching accompanying Facebook's test of paid-for status highlighting that peppered my newsfeed last week was an air of mistrust and musings about what will take over from Facebook once the appeal fades.

The paid-for status test has highlighted user mistrust for Facebook, and so has a recent AP-CNBC poll of 1,004 Facebook users. It found that, despite spending between 6 and 7 hours per month on the social network, nearly 6 out of 10 users had little or no trust that Facebook kept their personal information private.

Furthermore, as Facebook nears its IPO, almost half (46%) of those polled said they thought Facebook was a passing fad while 43% believe the social network is here to stay for the long term.

When it comes to advertising, on which Facebook relies for revenue, over half (57%) of users aren't clicking on ads or sponsored content. Another 26% say they rarely click on such content.

Facebook commerce could also be a hard nut for Zuckerberg to crack with just 8% of users polled saying that they felt "very" or "extremely" safe using Facebook to purchase goods or services. Over half (54%) said they don't feel safe conducting financial transactions over Facebook.

As for the Facebook valuation of nearly $100 billion, 50% thought it was too high. Nearly two-thirds of active investors think it will be over-valued and just 27% say it will be fairly priced.

CNBC is reporting that a source close to the deal, who wishes to remain anonymous, has advised that Facebook is closing the books on the IPO today (Tuesday, May 15) in preparation for trading to begin on Friday.

Tags: ecommerce, Facebook, social marketing, social network