Just as encryption is only viable on closed systems, so it is that increased privacy regulations will only entrench walled gardens. That should affect thinking on regulation.
Zuckerberg’s House Hearing, Toutiao’s Apology, Apple’s Siri Hire
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was back on the hill, using his usual talking points; the contrast with a Chinese news app, facing its own political pressure, was striking. Plus, why Apple’s Siri hire is so important.
The Facebook Current
The Senate hearing about Facebook was a bigger deal than it might have seemed, both because it happened and because of what was said.
Technologists, Politics, and Facebook; Publishers and the GDPR; Facebook and The Denver Post
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.
Spotify Debuts; Trump, Amazon, and the USPS; The Politics of Amazon
Spotify debuts, and I really want to be bullish, but it’s hard. Then, Trump might have a point about Amazon, but it’s moot: the company should be defended.
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.
Qualcomm, National Security, and Patents
The Trump administration blocked Broadcom’s acquisition of Qualcomm, and I think it was the right move. Understanding why means understanding Qualcomm and Broadcom’s plan for the company — and the problem with patents.