Publishers are in ever more trouble, thanks to the GDPR. It increasingly seems like Facebook and Google are the inevitable saviors, for better or worse.
Five Years, Facebook’s Apology, Facebook’s New Scandal
First, a reminder that social media has big benefits, before diving back in to Facebook’s burgeoning scandal; it seems clear the company doesn’t understand exactly what it is facing.
What Was Facebook Thinking?, Facebook’s Platform Folly, Does This Mean Regulation?
The answer to “What Was Facebook Thinking” may be less about strategy and more about not understanding the type of company Facebook was meant to be. Plus, why regulation probably isn’t imminent.
The Difference Between Google and Facebook, Facebook’s Pedantry, Facebook and the Value of Data
More on the fallout from Facebook and Cambridge Analytica: why Google and Facebook are different, why that explains how they treat data, and why Facebook seems so oblivious.
The Facebook Brand
The Facebook brand is, due to Facebook’s strategic choices, about not respecting privacy. That is why the Cambridge Analytica story is such a problem for the company.
The Athletic Raises $20 Million, Four Stories on Tech and Politics
The Athletic is right to go for it, and raise more VC money. Then, tech and politics is only becoming more complicated as national security concerns enter the debate.
The Aggregator Paradox
Google is winning with AMP and blocking ads in Chrome: both seem bad, but aren’t they actually good for consumers? That is the paradox of aggregation.
The Mueller Indictment, Russian Sophistication, Facebook Tweets
The Mueller investigation produced its first indictment, and the biggest takeaway was the degree of Russian sophistication. This was good news for Facebook, until an executive undid it all.
Facebook Earnings, Microsoft Earnings
Amazon Health was not about the health insurance industry, but about Amazon. Then, Facebook’s earnings were stronger than most appreciate (and as predicted), while Microsoft’s hybrid strategy continues to pay off.
Amazon Go and the Future
Amazon Go exemplifies how Amazon is building its monopoly in three ways: horizontally, vertically, and financially. Plus, why automation is worth being optimistic about.