More on moderation, including why Cloudflare is important systematically, a reminder that there are no more gatekeepers, which means moderation is always reactive, and why Facebook and YouTube still deserve the most scrutiny.
Facebook’s FTC Settlement, Assigning Blame, Facebook’s Earnings
The FTC has released its complaint against Facebook, leading me to change my mind and put more blame on the company. Complaints about the FTC are still misplaced, though: the real problem is Congress. Meanwhile, Facebook continues growing undeterred.
Snap Earnings, Notes and Concerns, DoorDash and Tipping
Snap’s earnings were impressive, including the most valuable AR application of all time, but the company still needs to show it can earn advertisers broadly. Then, DoorDash responds to pressure from the demand side.
Facebook’s FTC Fine, Apple and Microsoft’s Mistake, IBM’s Unbundling
Facebook’s FTC fine is being pilloried, but it really is large and unprecedented. Plus, why Facebook critics were asleep at the wheel. Then, Microsoft saving Apple has an analogy to IBM, and is a potential argument in favor of antitrust action.
Tech and Antitrust
A review of the potential antitrust cases against Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon suggests that only Google is vulnerable.
Chris Hughes Versus Facebook, Breaking Down Hughes Article, The Privacy Paradox
Breaking down the Chris Hughes article about breaking up Facebook: it’s better than you think. Plus, the fundamental paradox when it comes to arguments about regulating Facebook.
Facebook’s Cryptocurrency, The Problem — and Benefit — of Credit Cards, The Facebook Payment Network
Facebook is coming out with its own cryptocurrency; the implementation details are less interesting than the opportunity in payments generally, and why Facebook is uniquely placed.
Microsoft and Slack Follow-up, F8, Facebook versus Snapchat
How Microsoft Teams differs from Slack, then Facebook’s F8 keynote is nominally about privacy-focused social networking, but is in fact about competing with Snapchat (again!).
Microsoft’s Earnings, Microsoft’s Growth Opportunities, Facebook’s Earnings
Microsoft is a trillion dollar company, and has more growth opportunities than ever; Facebook, meanwhile, remains firmly in control of its own destiny when it comes to driving revenue growth in the long run.
Twitter’s Earnings, Snap’s Earnings, Escaping the Duopoly
Twitter and Snap both had encouraging earnings, for reasons that were both similar and also unique to each company and their history. Perhaps there is hope for consumer tech companies after all — and maybe Facebook and Google aren’t so bad.