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from the wheels-of-justice-"with-a-computer" dept.
Facebook is only 15 years old, yet in that time it has become the world's dominant social media platform, boasting more than 2.4 billion users. It has also become the world's second-largest digital advertising platform, effectively the runner-up in a worldwide duopoly dominated by Google. Now, it is under a baker's dozen of investigations alleging that it rose to the top by using unfair, anticompetitive tactics—and at least one competitor kept records.
Snap, parent company of Snapchat, kept a dossier "for years" detailing Facebook's attempts to thwart it, sources told The Wall Street Journal.
The Department of Justice publicly confirmed that its antitrust division was actively investigating widespread "concerns that consumers, businesses, and entrepreneurs have expressed" about "market-leading online platforms." The agency didn't name names, but that list of "market-leading" platforms is generally considered to include Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google.
The wheels of justice may move slowly, but here's hoping the "with a computer" companies find that they do work.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by ikanreed on Tuesday September 24 2019, @07:11PM (11 children)
Like, not just use it and have a place for it, but is there a single goddamn person who's like "Man [facebook/snapchat/instagram/twitter] improves my life in a real way"?
When it was newish, some people legit thought it was cool, but is there a single goddamn person on the planet who likes any of it now?
(Score: 2, Interesting) by CheesyMoo on Tuesday September 24 2019, @07:43PM
I think grandmas still like seeing photos and propoganda on Facebook.
Also independent artists/writers/musicians, freelancers, businesses certainly enjoy the ability to communicate with their fans/customers/network. But I think this is also due to the experience of being a minor celebrity. If you get on Twitter with no followers and no one likes you, I doubt you will enjoy yourself. If you have 10k + people responding disseminating your words, that may be a neat feeling?
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 24 2019, @07:51PM (6 children)
Only way the rest of my extended family communicates. If I want to keep up with them, that's how I have to do it - not because I like to do it but I feel compelled to keep up with my family. We used to use blogs and email... not anymore. :(
(Score: 4, Touché) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday September 24 2019, @08:43PM (3 children)
I hate Facebook for exactly that reason.
One of my favourite cousins-in-law recently retired, and now she constantly posts amazing photos from all the exotic places she is visiting. Over the last few weeks I have had to watch her enjoying herself in Antigua, Lombardy, some amazing place in Germany and a vineyard in Sussex.
Damn you Facebook!
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday September 24 2019, @10:37PM (2 children)
Heh, the life after mortgage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday September 24 2019, @11:49PM (1 child)
Yes, I tease her about early onset Alzheimer's.
She has forgotten where she lives and winds up in all these exotic places instead.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Wednesday September 25 2019, @12:25AM
Lucky her
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by acid andy on Tuesday September 24 2019, @09:59PM (1 child)
What I don't get is why should they expect you to be the one to switch to Farcebook when they can't be bothered to switch to email? I'm not talking about just your family in particular--it seems to be the attitude of all its users--do as they do, or don't reach them.
Maybe it's got something to do with the fact that none of them seem to be able to maintain an email account for more than a year or so without it being hacked or their just leaving the organization that provided it.
If a cat has kittens, does a rat have rittens, a bat bittens and a mat mittens?
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 25 2019, @04:27AM
It applies to social networking just like it applies to asymmetric social interactions in real life.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 24 2019, @09:07PM
Twitter is legitimately useful even if you don't have an account.
You can get updates from people or websites you want to track, and you can gauge real time opinions/reactions using the search.
Instagram is good for THOT PORN I guess.
(Score: 2) by Snotnose on Tuesday September 24 2019, @11:43PM
My stepson does. I ask "what's up with the grandkids", and he's "check my FB". He doesn't get why I don't have a FB account, and won't even setup a fake one on my laptop.
When the dust settled America realized it was saved by a porn star.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 25 2019, @01:06AM
At first it was cool getting in touch with old friends and family. Catching up. Then they basically blasted me every day on their feeds reminding me why I stopped hanging with them.
It has some modicum of use for following makers and hackers doing reverse engenering. But for its intended use? Not so much. I could get the same with an RSS feed and follow their blogs.
'microbloging' is here to stay. These sites allow people to do just that but without having to setup any infrastructure. That has value to them.
The agency didn't name names, but that list of "market-leading" platforms is generally considered to include Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google
If these same people were willing to fuck over their employees for a few thousand bucks each what are they willing to do to small fry and you? The fix is in and your not invited and you are not even to know about the party. These people live in highschool still.