5 ms·

Okay, I am as concerned about monopolization as the next guy, especially after Facebook bought WhatsApp and Instagram... But Giphy? Really? I mean, it's not

by Pxtl 5y ago

Okay, I am as concerned about monopolization as the next guy, especially after Facebook bought WhatsApp and Instagram... But Giphy? Really? I mean, it's not exactly a sticky site. It's basically plumbing.

tremon 5y ago
It's a new opportunity for the regulator to show they aren't (still) sleeping behind the wheel, I guess. Also: I disagree that Giphy has no value, it's exactly because of its ubiquitous presence on other sites that it has value for Facebook: yet another way to stalk and profile web users.
JaimeThompson 5y ago
It would allow Facebook to get even more information about what services and applications people are using.
cm277 5y ago
It's another (big) data source for Facebook to track you across the web and build a profile to sell ads against.
- sharken 5y ago
  With that logic it would mean that Facebook is barred from acquisition of big data sources in the UK. That would be breaking news indeed.
  - ben_w 5y ago
    Such things can be by degree, and bans can be caused by previous misbehaviour. For example, it’s fine to drive at 70 mph on a UK motorway (usually), but not OK to do 90. And if you’re repeatedly caught doing 90, you may have your license to drive at all revoked.
Nextgrid 5y ago
Giphy collects a ton of data which Facebook is very much interested in.
tedivm 5y ago
It's all about the Ads. > Regulators also determined that the deal was uncompetitive because it shut down Giphy's advertising business, therefore eliminating Giphy’s competition to Facebook's ad business.
- disgruntledphd2 5y ago
  To be fair, Giphy was not a serious competitor to FB's ad business. Their (Meta nee Facebook) platform really only has Google and Amazon as real competition in the ad market, and potentially Apple and TikTok in the future.
  - tedivm 5y ago
    It wasn't yet. The regulators seems to be annoyed by Facebook buying and shutting down potential competitors before they've had a chance to grow into real competition. > The CMA found that Giphy’s ad services would have been able to compete with Facebook’s own display advertising services, while also encouraging innovation from other social media sites and advertisers. > Facebook shut down Giphy’s advertising services at the time of the merger. The CMA said this is a cause for concern, especially because Facebook controls nearly half of the £7 billion ($9.4 billion) display ad market in the U.K. > Stuart McIntosh, chair of the independent inquiry group carrying out the investigation, said in a statement Tuesday that the deal has already removed a potential challenger in the display ad market. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/30/facebook-owner-meta-told-to-sell-giphy-as-uk-regulator-blocks-acquisition.html https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/30/facebook-owner-meta-told-to-...
    - disgruntledphd2 5y ago
      I just don't get it, tbh. How much money did Giphy ever make from ads? I find it really difficult to believe that this could ever be material to either Giphy's revenue or to the overall ad market. Chalk this up to (yet another) weird decision from the CMA.
fijiaarone 5y ago
Instagram was a tool for applying filters to photos and posting them on Facebook. After Facebook bought Instagram it became the rebranded version of Facebook for women. For all those who consider Facebook irrelevant, or fading, you should realize that Facebook (Instagram) is the portal through which almost half the population almost exclusively use the internet — it’s AOL and Internet explorer and Yahoo rolled into one.
- disgruntledphd2 5y ago
  > Instagram was a tool for applying filters to photos and posting them on Facebook. Incorrect, it could also post to Twitter ;)
- Apocryphon 5y ago
  Isn't Instagram itself fading because of the rise of TikTok?
Doctor_Fegg 5y ago
> But Giphy? Really? So why did Facebook buy it?

by Pxtl 5y ago

tremon 5y ago

It's a new opportunity for the regulator to show they aren't (still) sleeping behind the wheel, I guess. Also: I disagree that Giphy has no value, it's exactly because of its ubiquitous presence on other sites that it has value for Facebook: yet another way to stalk and profile web users.

JaimeThompson 5y ago

It would allow Facebook to get even more information about what services and applications people are using.

cm277 5y ago

It's another (big) data source for Facebook to track you across the web and build a profile to sell ads against.

sharken 5y ago
With that logic it would mean that Facebook is barred from acquisition of big data sources in the UK. That would be breaking news indeed.
- ben_w 5y ago
  Such things can be by degree, and bans can be caused by previous misbehaviour. For example, it’s fine to drive at 70 mph on a UK motorway (usually), but not OK to do 90. And if you’re repeatedly caught doing 90, you may have your license to drive at all revoked.

Nextgrid 5y ago

Giphy collects a ton of data which Facebook is very much interested in.

tedivm 5y ago

It's all about the Ads. > Regulators also determined that the deal was uncompetitive because it shut down Giphy's advertising business, therefore eliminating Giphy’s competition to Facebook's ad business.

disgruntledphd2 5y ago
To be fair, Giphy was not a serious competitor to FB's ad business. Their (Meta nee Facebook) platform really only has Google and Amazon as real competition in the ad market, and potentially Apple and TikTok in the future.
- tedivm 5y ago
  It wasn't yet. The regulators seems to be annoyed by Facebook buying and shutting down potential competitors before they've had a chance to grow into real competition. > The CMA found that Giphy’s ad services would have been able to compete with Facebook’s own display advertising services, while also encouraging innovation from other social media sites and advertisers. > Facebook shut down Giphy’s advertising services at the time of the merger. The CMA said this is a cause for concern, especially because Facebook controls nearly half of the £7 billion ($9.4 billion) display ad market in the U.K. > Stuart McIntosh, chair of the independent inquiry group carrying out the investigation, said in a statement Tuesday that the deal has already removed a potential challenger in the display ad market. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/30/facebook-owner-meta-told-to-sell-giphy-as-uk-regulator-blocks-acquisition.html https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/30/facebook-owner-meta-told-to-...
  - disgruntledphd2 5y ago
    I just don't get it, tbh. How much money did Giphy ever make from ads? I find it really difficult to believe that this could ever be material to either Giphy's revenue or to the overall ad market. Chalk this up to (yet another) weird decision from the CMA.

fijiaarone 5y ago

Instagram was a tool for applying filters to photos and posting them on Facebook. After Facebook bought Instagram it became the rebranded version of Facebook for women. For all those who consider Facebook irrelevant, or fading, you should realize that Facebook (Instagram) is the portal through which almost half the population almost exclusively use the internet — it’s AOL and Internet explorer and Yahoo rolled into one.

disgruntledphd2 5y ago
> Instagram was a tool for applying filters to photos and posting them on Facebook. Incorrect, it could also post to Twitter ;)
Apocryphon 5y ago
Isn't Instagram itself fading because of the rise of TikTok?

Doctor_Fegg 5y ago

> But Giphy? Really? So why did Facebook buy it?