Nearly half of Americans use Facebook; Only 7% use Twitter [research]

A new report from eMarketer believes that most American adults with Internet access are using Facebook at least once a month, and a full 42.3% of the total u.s. population uses a site like this month.

On the other hand Twitter's penetration rate was significantly lower, sitting at about 7% of the total population and 9% of the population are using the Internet, according to the report.

Late last year, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the company sees about 250 million daily users of its 500 million-strong user base. Young exec noted that Facebook products

eMarketer about Us Social Networking on Facebook: 57%, 11% on Twitter

Research firm eMarketer estimates that more than half of adult internet users in the United States were logged on to Facebook at least once a month at the end of last year. In 2011, the company anticipates that the U.S. 132.5 million web users will use the site monthly. Twitter, he adds, will enjoy the fastest growth rates in the near future but continue to attract ' few Americans online.

An increase of 13.4% in the number of users would mean that Facebook will reach almost 9 out of 10 users of social networking and 57.1% of Internet users this year.

Until 2013, eMarketer estimates that 62% of Web users and nearly half (47.6 per cent) of the total u.s. population is on Facebook.

On the other hand, Twitter was used by 16.4 million adults in the U.S., or 9% of the adult population of the internet, at the end of 2010. eMarketer expects a growth to overcome 26 percent in 2011, as Twitter reaches 11% of Internet users and 16.5% of adult social network users in the United States. Until 2013, eMarketers predicts that about 28 million Americans will be tweeting.

Estimates are based on analysis of visitor statistics and search data from more than a dozen sources and include users of U.S. using any Internet-enabled device to access your accounts from Facebook and/or Twitter at least once per month, including access through third-party applications.

See also: Global Ad spending on Facebook will reach $ 4B by year end

After Twitter, LinkedIn now also blocked in China

It seems that LinkedIn was blocked in China, after the professional social network has become a platform for organizing antigovernment protests. The report was observed for the first time by Renmedia.

According to the WSJ, protesters are moving from multiple social networking sites like Twitter and LinkedIn, to organize protests as the Chinese Government blocks these sites. Check out access to LinkedIn WebsitePulse and JustPing and both sites indicate that LinkedIn is being blocked from cities in China. It also appears that Twitter is blocked as well.

Interestingly, former employee of LinkedIn Surya Yalamanchili notes that one reason why China could block LinkedIn is because many of their status updates were published from Twitter.

We already contacted LinkedIn for comment.

UPDATE: here is the response we received from LinkedIn: we are aware of reports of disruption to our service for our members in China. We are studying the situation now.