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I'm not sure why this isn't considered anti-competitive behavior. Once a communication company has 1-billion users perhaps we need to classify them as a more of

I'm not sure why this isn't considered anti-competitive behavior. Once a communication company has 1-billion users perhaps we need to classify them as a more of a utility and hold them to stricter standards of openness.

coldpie 2y ago
> why this isn't considered anti-competitive behavior Considered by who? Setting aside the 2021-2024 Lina Khan anomaly, the US Federal government has not enforced anti-trust law for decades, and the States do not have enough power to create their own anti-trust laws. We also just elected an extremely big-tech-friendly government, so that won't be changing for the foreseeable future.
- SllX 2y ago
  It remains to be seen how big-tech friendly the incoming Trump administration will be, but friendlier than Biden’s would be a low bar to clear.
- throwaway48476 2y ago
  States are governments too and a lot of them are suing big tech.
HumblyTossed 2y ago
Probably why Zuck is getting all cozy with the incoming administration - to see to it that something like this won't happen.
- ein0p 2y ago
  He has three hundred million reasons to "cozy up" to it. Trump believes (and not without evidence) that he lost in 2020 because of $300M+ Zuckerberg spent on electing Biden. Really difficult times could be ahead for Meta - Trump is extremely vindictive. I strongly suspect Musk will be "cozying up" to the next administration similarly in 2028, or outbidding everyone else again. Neither Zuck bucks, nor Musk bucks bode well for democracy, IMO.
  - JumpCrisscross 2y ago
    > Trump is extremely vindictive He’s cultivated an aura of vindictiveness. I’m not recalling any great examples of him being unpragmatically vindictive.
    - ein0p 2y ago
      Not against businesses, but he did destroy several political dynasties by now: Romneys, Clintons, Bushes, some argue even Obama's minions are dead in the water. In Zuck's case there are plenty of 100% legitimate issues the Trump administration could (and IMO should) legitimately bring up against Meta. Indeed, they could bring up the exact same issues that the Biden administration was already bringing up, but ratchet things up a notch or two. If Zuck insufficiently bends the knee, that's what's going to happen. So far I see his efforts as half-hearted, and I'm not even Trump. Trump would see them as laughable at best, or even insulting.
      - JumpCrisscross 2y ago
        > he did destroy several political dynasties by now: Romneys, Clintons, Bushes, some argue even Obama's minions are dead in the water This isn’t vindictive, though. In some cases it was straight-up competition. > If Zuck insufficiently bends the knee, that's what's going to happen This is transactional, possibly corruptly so. But it’s not really revenge as much as exerting control. If there were nothing Zuckerberg could reasonably do to avoid Trump’s wrath on account of what Zuck did in 2020, that would be vindictiveness.
        pempem 2y ago
        Those dynasties - problematic as they inherently are - have survived presidencies in both parties over the decades. I would argue its destruction and I'm pretty sure folks like Ted Cruz, Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham when they think no one is listening, would agree. They've bent so far and so deeply to stay afloat.
        2y ago

coldpie 2y ago

> why this isn't considered anti-competitive behavior Considered by who? Setting aside the 2021-2024 Lina Khan anomaly, the US Federal government has not enforced anti-trust law for decades, and the States do not have enough power to create their own anti-trust laws. We also just elected an extremely big-tech-friendly government, so that won't be changing for the foreseeable future.

SllX 2y ago
It remains to be seen how big-tech friendly the incoming Trump administration will be, but friendlier than Biden’s would be a low bar to clear.
throwaway48476 2y ago
States are governments too and a lot of them are suing big tech.

HumblyTossed 2y ago

Probably why Zuck is getting all cozy with the incoming administration - to see to it that something like this won't happen.

ein0p 2y ago
He has three hundred million reasons to "cozy up" to it. Trump believes (and not without evidence) that he lost in 2020 because of $300M+ Zuckerberg spent on electing Biden. Really difficult times could be ahead for Meta - Trump is extremely vindictive. I strongly suspect Musk will be "cozying up" to the next administration similarly in 2028, or outbidding everyone else again. Neither Zuck bucks, nor Musk bucks bode well for democracy, IMO.
- JumpCrisscross 2y ago
  > Trump is extremely vindictive He’s cultivated an aura of vindictiveness. I’m not recalling any great examples of him being unpragmatically vindictive.
  - ein0p 2y ago
    Not against businesses, but he did destroy several political dynasties by now: Romneys, Clintons, Bushes, some argue even Obama's minions are dead in the water. In Zuck's case there are plenty of 100% legitimate issues the Trump administration could (and IMO should) legitimately bring up against Meta. Indeed, they could bring up the exact same issues that the Biden administration was already bringing up, but ratchet things up a notch or two. If Zuck insufficiently bends the knee, that's what's going to happen. So far I see his efforts as half-hearted, and I'm not even Trump. Trump would see them as laughable at best, or even insulting.
    - JumpCrisscross 2y ago
      > he did destroy several political dynasties by now: Romneys, Clintons, Bushes, some argue even Obama's minions are dead in the water This isn’t vindictive, though. In some cases it was straight-up competition. > If Zuck insufficiently bends the knee, that's what's going to happen This is transactional, possibly corruptly so. But it’s not really revenge as much as exerting control. If there were nothing Zuckerberg could reasonably do to avoid Trump’s wrath on account of what Zuck did in 2020, that would be vindictiveness.
      - pempem 2y ago
        Those dynasties - problematic as they inherently are - have survived presidencies in both parties over the decades. I would argue its destruction and I'm pretty sure folks like Ted Cruz, Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham when they think no one is listening, would agree. They've bent so far and so deeply to stay afloat.
        2y ago