Some number of people are downloading alternative messaging apps after WhatsApp changed its privacy policy; Facebook’s problem is a narrative one, not a factual one.
Two Crises, Tech’s Costs, Looking Forward
Too much tech power has been an impending crisis for years; that doesn’t change just how costly the crisis was. Then again, centralization might yet win.
Internet 3.0 and the Beginning of (Tech) History
The actions taken by Big Tech have a resonance that goes beyond the context of domestic U.S. politics. Even if they were right, they will still push the world to Internet 3.0.
Facebook and Twitter Suspend Trump, Parler Suspended Everywhere, Context and Culture
Facebook and Twitter ban Trump; Apple, Google, and Amazon ban Parler; this wasn’t an ideal solution, but it was a uniquely American one.
Facebook and Apple, Continued; Facebook’s iOS 14 Changes; Georgia and Tech
Facebook made major changes to accommodate Apple’s iOS 14 policies, probably because Apple leveraged their control of the App Store to give them no choice. Then, the implications of the Georgia outcomes for tech.
Google Sued by States, Ranking the Cases, Fantasy Basketball and Silver Linings
Google’s many antitrust cases, ranked! Plus, one small way that COVID is pushing one group of friends into the future.
Context Collapse, Circles and Timing, Facebook’s Missing Platform
The ideas behind Social Networking 2.0 are not new, but the Idea Adoption Curve takes time. Plus, how Facebook missed its platform chance a decade ago.
Social Networking 2.0
Facebook and Twitter represent the v1 of Social Networking; it’s a bad copy of the analog world, whereas v2 is something unique to digital, and a lot more promising.
Facebook Sued by FTC and States, The FTC’s Case, Antitrust and Politics
Facebook clearly tried to eliminate competition by acquiring Instagram and WhatsApp, but it’s not clear they were successful, which is the question that matters in a case that is ultimately about politics and power.
Privacy Labels and Lookalike Audiences
Apple’s position on privacy seems unimpeachable, but it ignores trade-offs, and risks a bad outcome for the Internet as a whole.