Facebook says it hopes proposed EU rules 'set boundaries' for Apple
Facebook took another swipe at Apple on Tuesday, saying it hopes Apple's power will be reigned in by new European Union draft proposals.
Credit: Solen Feyissa
The European Commission on Tuesday introduced two pieces of draft legislation that would impose new regulations on tech companies in the EU, and levy hefty fines for noncompliance. One of those acts, the Digital Markets Act, would mean major changes for the Apple App Store.
In a statement to Reuters, Facebook said that it hopes the DMA, which could restrict companies highlighting their own products on an app marketplace, "will also set boundaries for Apple."
"Apple controls an entire ecosystem from device to app store and apps, and uses this power to harm developers and consumers, as well as large platforms like Facebook," the company said.
On the other hand, another draft proposal introduced by the EU on Tuesday would also target Facebook. The Digital Services Act would require major platforms to do more to tackle illegal or harmful content. Facebook, which has been criticized for not taking enough action to stem misinformation and hate speech, didn't comment on the DSA.
Facebook has been a vocal critic of certain App Store policies, including the Cupertino tech giant's cut of in-app purchases.
The social media company has also pushed back against a planned iOS 14 privacy feature that would make cross-application tracking opt-in. Facebook says that feature could reduce advertising revenue as much as 50%.
Both companies are known to spar over their divergent business models and policies. In November, Apple took a swipe at Facebook in a letter to advocacy groups, saying that Facebook's business model is to "collect as much data as possible" and "develop and monetize detailed profiles" of users.
In response, Facebook claimed that Apple was "using their dominant market position to self-preference their own data collection while making it nearly impossible for their competitors to use the same data."
Credit: Solen Feyissa
The European Commission on Tuesday introduced two pieces of draft legislation that would impose new regulations on tech companies in the EU, and levy hefty fines for noncompliance. One of those acts, the Digital Markets Act, would mean major changes for the Apple App Store.
In a statement to Reuters, Facebook said that it hopes the DMA, which could restrict companies highlighting their own products on an app marketplace, "will also set boundaries for Apple."
"Apple controls an entire ecosystem from device to app store and apps, and uses this power to harm developers and consumers, as well as large platforms like Facebook," the company said.
On the other hand, another draft proposal introduced by the EU on Tuesday would also target Facebook. The Digital Services Act would require major platforms to do more to tackle illegal or harmful content. Facebook, which has been criticized for not taking enough action to stem misinformation and hate speech, didn't comment on the DSA.
Facebook has been a vocal critic of certain App Store policies, including the Cupertino tech giant's cut of in-app purchases.
The social media company has also pushed back against a planned iOS 14 privacy feature that would make cross-application tracking opt-in. Facebook says that feature could reduce advertising revenue as much as 50%.
Both companies are known to spar over their divergent business models and policies. In November, Apple took a swipe at Facebook in a letter to advocacy groups, saying that Facebook's business model is to "collect as much data as possible" and "develop and monetize detailed profiles" of users.
In response, Facebook claimed that Apple was "using their dominant market position to self-preference their own data collection while making it nearly impossible for their competitors to use the same data."
Comments
F U Facebook
Amazon however is likely to face significant scrutiny, as they utilise sales statistics to develop their own brands.
Edit: I might also just add: Apple delayed implementing IDFA, but with how Facebook is attempting to bully Apple in the court of public opinion, I don't think there will be any more extensions.
APPLE MUST BE STOPPED!!!
-Suckerberg
Data --> Information --> Intelligence
Harvesting raw data in and of itself is not necessarily a bad thing, especially when it is anonymized and not traceable back to any individual. Apple does this. This is the lowest layer, the "it's just data" layer. Nothing to lose sleep over at this layer.
It's the second layer when things start to get dicey - the "information" layer. This is where multiple sources of data are collected to identify specific trends, spot correlations, and identify associations. The information layer refines the raw data material into something with much more marketable. People will pay for information. If you shop on Amazon or contributed to any site that has membership, you've contributed to the creation of information and fleshed out this second layer.
The last layer is the "intelligence" layer. This is where information from the second layer is processed, typically with non-trivial algorithms, deeper levels of contextualization, and oftentimes with a feedback loop back into the other two layers. Rather than just being another level of information refinement, this layer can try to predict future behavior and engagement, tailor individualized experiences, and even try to stimulate/drive behaviors that are beneficial to the owner of the data harvesting platform - not the individual. This is the layer where you become the product.
Facebook does full-stack data harvesting unlike any other company on the planet. There's a big difference between companies like Amazon, Walmart, or Alibaba, who are using data and information processing to drive their e-commerce objectives, and Facebook. With Amazon and e-commerce platforms you pay your money to the store owner and get a product delivered to your doorstep in return for your cash. That's a pretty clear transaction.
So what do you really get from Facebook and how are you really paying for it? It's not so clear, but somehow Facebook is walking away with a boatload of cold hard cash and you ... not so much. That's because they are selling YOU and doing so using sophisticated algorithms that keep you locked into their corral like you're a little farm animal. You're not even getting a little kibble out of it for selling, or perhaps simply leasing, your soul to Facebook. You've been royalty Zucked.