In recent weeks, the conflict between Facebook and Apple has escalated significantly. Apple started by changing its privacy policies in iOS 14, requiring apps like Facebook to obtain user consent before collecting data for advertising purposes.
Facebook argues that this action will kill small businesses. Facebook even ran full-page ads in major newspapers like The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Washington Post to criticize Apple.
In this battle, Facebook has become utterly desperate. But it’s not surprising, as this is the climax of a series of events that began many years ago.
How Facebook Rapidly Grew and Broke Everything
“Move fast and break things. Unless you are breaking stuff around you, you are not moving fast enough.”, Mark Zuckerberg.
“Move fast and break things” has been Facebook’s motto for many years. This motto was set for managers and designers at Facebook but also became part of the company’s DNA.
Indeed, Facebook has grown very rapidly and has broken quite a few things.
Facebook began to break important things, like user trust. Many users started to realize that although Facebook is free, they are paying by becoming Facebook’s product.
For instance, in exchange for features like tracking friends and family, receiving rich news updates, and watching videos tailored to their interests, users are encouraged to sell their online souls—in the form of personal data that Facebook will then use to sell to advertisers.
When users realized that their personal data was valuable, anti-Facebook movements began to emerge. There have been waves of boycotts against Facebook, calls to delete Facebook. But after all, this social network is too big and has remained resilient through major storms. After all the scandals, there are still billions of Facebook users.
Facebook is not afraid of those things. But there is one thing Facebook is very afraid of: Apple’s new update, which could allow users to block Facebook from collecting personal data.
The Meaningless War of Facebook
The fact that Facebook is vehemently opposing, even declaring war on Apple, is because Facebook knows that Apple’s changes will significantly affect the social network’s advertising revenue.
And what about Facebook’s argument that Apple’s changes will make the internet worse?
Facebook claims this change will lead to the websites you love having to shift to a paid model. “Making the internet more expensive and reducing the amount of high-quality free content.”
However, the free content model on the internet has been gradually phased out in recent years. Many online publications have shifted to alternative revenue models, possibly monthly subscription fees or selling products.
In other words, Facebook is not just fighting against Apple but against the future itself.
Facebook declared war on Apple to force Apple to change its new privacy rules. But that is pointless; Facebook cannot control Apple’s policies, which not only comply with the law but also protect users. Apple has no reason to listen to Facebook.
If Facebook continues to engage in this war with Apple, it will not gain any benefits. Instead, perhaps Facebook should find another way to cope: by changing its own business model.
Declaring a meaningless war on Apple shows that Facebook does not want to change. It’s understandable, given that Facebook has weathered many storms in the past without a scratch, and even its revenue and user base have increased.
Clearly, Facebook has been sitting on its throne in its own world for a long time. There has been no threat to compel Facebook to change. But that has come, and if there are no changes, Facebook has predetermined its own downfall.
Source: inc