The Core

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Did you see the cover story on Time magazine this week?

"The Stories of Migrants Risking Everything for a Better Life."

That story?

Jan 28 issue

"I Mentored Mark Zuckerberg. I Loved Facebook. But I Can't Stay Silent About What's Happening." by Roger McNamee
http://time.com/5505441/mark-zuckerberg-mentor-facebook-downfall/

But there are about 5 articles that all basically say "Facebook is Evil"

http://time.com/magazine/us/5505429/january-28th-2019-vol-193-no-3-u-s/

"Facebook is Evil"

They learned from G

May 2010

Facebook founder called trusting users dumb f*cks • The Register
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/05/14/facebook_trust_dumb/

>> They learned from G

G have had a pass. Fuck knows how they have pulled it off. G hold so much more data (and are cunts to deal with)

Apple is trying to capitalize on the mess. This ad outside CES a few weeks back:

Unless they FaceTime you :-)

Well NOW they are all finished :-)

AOC Slams Facebook, Google, Microsoft CEOs "Complicit In Denying Climate Change"

Facebook Moves to Block Ad Transparency Tools

https://www.propublica.org/article/facebook-blocks-ad-transparency-tools

Facebook is facing GDPR-like regulations in the USA, starting with California in 2020.
FTC is about to fine Facebook for violating privacy agreement.

What both have in common is that anytime "privacy" is discussed, the real topic is interest based advertising. Without that, Facebook only has geotargeting and banner ads to sell.

Then there are the conservatives in politics who believe Facebook is against them and is shutting down their right to free speech.

IBA is more lucrative and marketers want it because it's useful to target people with such granular specificity.

If Facebook gets regulated, then those ads are going to get regulated or worse, FB's business model disappears.

So what is Facebook doing? It's hired privacy advocates away from the Electronic Frontier Foundation and is proposing an independent board to hear appeals of Facebook decisions involving free speech.

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/facebook-privacy-updates/290349/

Apple just punished Facebook more directly while everybody else dithers.
https://mashable.com/article/apple-bans-facebook-research-app/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+(Mashable)#5FSNi7t_Qsq8

Word is, this sent Facebook into emergency mode because nobody can work on iOS apps right now.

^{We need a *FACEPALM* Dept.}

Facebook keeps growing despite scandals and privacy outrage - The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2019/1/30/18204186/facebook-q4-2018-earnings-user-growth-revenue-increase-privacy-scandals

Cost to walk away from Facebook for a year? More than $1,000, new study finds: Real-life auctions reveal consistent value for users that exceeds Facebook market value -- ScienceDaily

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181219142558.htm

Honestly, that study strikes me as ridiculous.

QuoteThe average bid to deactivate Facebook for one year in the student group was $2,076 while the average bid in the community group was $1,139.

Assuming that "average" here means "median," that means that if they suddenly started charging $173 per month for Facebook access, half of the students would keep their accounts.

I gotta call "no clothes" on that one. I think at $17/mo Facebook would lose people in droves. At $170/month, it would make MySpace look like a vibrant and growing community.

The timeline is worth a read

Facebook admits 18% of Research spyware users were teens, not <5%
https://techcrunch.com/2019/02/28/facebook-research-teens/