Platform Dependence (Platform Risk)
Platform dependence describes the business risk of holding reach and customer contacts exclusively on someone else's platform. Rule changes, account suspensions, discontinued features or a network's decline can devalue that reach at short notice, with no influence available to the company.
In practice
Treat followers as borrowed reach rather than an asset. The practical countermeasure is simple: move interested people to channels you own, such as your website, newsletter or customer database, and keep images and copy stored locally rather than only inside the platform app. Also expect account suspensions without warning; set up two-factor authentication and keep at least two people inside the company with administrative rights so an account is not lost when an employee leaves. The stability of large networks is frequently overestimated: even established platforms have discontinued features such as their own review or shop sections.