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> After failing to compete with new innovators, Facebook illegally bought or buried them when their popularity became an existential threat. Illegally bought o

> After failing to compete with new innovators, Facebook illegally bought or buried them when their popularity became an existential threat. Illegally bought or buried them? 1) FTC approved all the mergers. So, it is surprising that they'd say that these were illegally bought. 2) Facebook seems to be operating all key acquisitions (Instagram and WhatsApp) as separate products and hasn't made their usage conditional to having a Facebook account. This is re-writing history and it is just as dangerous when the FTC does it as it is when a political party does it.

ajoseps 5y ago
I thought Instagram and Facebook were tied/unified under a single account now
- srhngpr 5y ago
  they are not. you can do cross-messaging between FB and IG if both parties have accounts linked, but otherwise you can have an IG account that is not linked to FB.
  - radicalbyte 5y ago
    Instagram.com tries to execute a script from Facebook.com. So your data is almost certainly linked.
    - asdfasgasdgasdg 5y ago
      The origin of a script of unknown functionality to be executed on the client can only tell you so much about the linkage of accounts on the backend.
      - radicalbyte 5y ago
        It tells the site owning the endpoint at which the script it hosted your current IP address and in most instances the site you visited (referrer). Large internet companies can combine this information across other properties / sources to have a very good idea of who you are.
        asdfasgasdgasdg 5y ago
        Internet companies of all sizes can do all sorts of things to identify you. Instagram could also do things server side to link your accounts without any scripts from other origins. The fact a script from FB.com is loaded tells you zero information about account linkage.
        Zerverus 5y ago
        By that logic any company including FB ads is a Facebook company
- mgraczyk 5y ago
  Linking accounts is optional, and combined cross account data is used when they are linked. Otherwise, subsets of the apps may or may not "know" about the link between your accounts via your phone number, email address, or access patterns.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
dessant 5y ago
Facebook lied about its intentions to keep Instagram and WhatsApp user data fully independent, and in that light the FTC is reevaluating its position.
- mgraczyk 5y ago
  That isn't true. Did you read the complaint? https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/ecf_75-1_ftc_v_facebook_public_redacted_fac.pdf https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/ecf_75-1_ft... It specifically discusses the 2012 consent order, approved by the FTC, in which it penalized Facebook and allowed future uses consistent with the consent order. It's not relying on that as a basis for reevaluating the legality of the mergers. The complaint does not explicitly describe why the FTC has changed its mind, but the general idea seems to be that over time Facebook has demonstrated a pattern of buying competitors that wasn't apparent to the FTC in 2012 or 2014. It has nothing to do with data per se.
- yalok 5y ago
  did they really promise that with Instagram? and as for WhatsApp - they do keep that promise, user data is separate.
  - josefx 5y ago
    Wasn't there a larger change to the privacy policy of WhatsApp that stated otherwise?
  - joecool1029 5y ago
    Yeah, no: https://www.wired.com/2016/08/whatsapp-privacy-facebook/ https://www.wired.com/2016/08/whatsapp-privacy-facebook/ This year they were pushing to expand more data sharing between the platforms, but the profiles have been linked internally by phone number for years now.
hardtke 5y ago
There is a link to a dissenting opinion from one of the commissioners specifically calling out your first point [1] [1] https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/public_statements/1594737/facebook_-_dissenting_statement_-_first_amended_complaint_-_final.pdf https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/public_statements...
gentleman11 5y ago
Facebook also lied about requiring a Facebook account on oculus. Now they have cameras and microphones in peoples homes and a spectacular privacy history

ajoseps 5y ago

I thought Instagram and Facebook were tied/unified under a single account now

srhngpr 5y ago
they are not. you can do cross-messaging between FB and IG if both parties have accounts linked, but otherwise you can have an IG account that is not linked to FB.
- radicalbyte 5y ago
  Instagram.com tries to execute a script from Facebook.com. So your data is almost certainly linked.
  - asdfasgasdgasdg 5y ago
    The origin of a script of unknown functionality to be executed on the client can only tell you so much about the linkage of accounts on the backend.
    - radicalbyte 5y ago
      It tells the site owning the endpoint at which the script it hosted your current IP address and in most instances the site you visited (referrer). Large internet companies can combine this information across other properties / sources to have a very good idea of who you are.
      - asdfasgasdgasdg 5y ago
        Internet companies of all sizes can do all sorts of things to identify you. Instagram could also do things server side to link your accounts without any scripts from other origins. The fact a script from FB.com is loaded tells you zero information about account linkage.
      - Zerverus 5y ago
        By that logic any company including FB ads is a Facebook company
mgraczyk 5y ago
Linking accounts is optional, and combined cross account data is used when they are linked. Otherwise, subsets of the apps may or may not "know" about the link between your accounts via your phone number, email address, or access patterns.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]

dessant 5y ago

Facebook lied about its intentions to keep Instagram and WhatsApp user data fully independent, and in that light the FTC is reevaluating its position.

mgraczyk 5y ago
That isn't true. Did you read the complaint? https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/ecf_75-1_ftc_v_facebook_public_redacted_fac.pdf https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/ecf_75-1_ft... It specifically discusses the 2012 consent order, approved by the FTC, in which it penalized Facebook and allowed future uses consistent with the consent order. It's not relying on that as a basis for reevaluating the legality of the mergers. The complaint does not explicitly describe why the FTC has changed its mind, but the general idea seems to be that over time Facebook has demonstrated a pattern of buying competitors that wasn't apparent to the FTC in 2012 or 2014. It has nothing to do with data per se.
yalok 5y ago
did they really promise that with Instagram? and as for WhatsApp - they do keep that promise, user data is separate.
- josefx 5y ago
  Wasn't there a larger change to the privacy policy of WhatsApp that stated otherwise?
- joecool1029 5y ago
  Yeah, no: https://www.wired.com/2016/08/whatsapp-privacy-facebook/ https://www.wired.com/2016/08/whatsapp-privacy-facebook/ This year they were pushing to expand more data sharing between the platforms, but the profiles have been linked internally by phone number for years now.

hardtke 5y ago

There is a link to a dissenting opinion from one of the commissioners specifically calling out your first point [1] [1] https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/public_statements/1594737/facebook_-_dissenting_statement_-_first_amended_complaint_-_final.pdf https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/public_statements...

gentleman11 5y ago

Facebook also lied about requiring a Facebook account on oculus. Now they have cameras and microphones in peoples homes and a spectacular privacy history