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Mark Zuckerberg Reportedly Ordered All Facebook Executives To Use Android Phones After Tim Cook Criticized Facebook (theverge.com)

A new report from the New York Times sheds some light on what happened inside Facebook last year as the company was fighting numerous scandals, including Russian interference and the Cambridge Analytica scandal in March. In addition to reportedly hiring a public relations firm to write dozens of articles critical of rivals Google and Apple, the social media company ordered Facebook executives to use Android phones, after Apple CEO Tim Cook criticized the company in an MSNBC interview for being a service that traffics "in your personal life." According to the report, the order came from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The Verge reports: In those comments made back in March, Cook dismissed a question asking him what he would do if he were in Zuckerberg's shoes dealing with the fallout from the Cambridge Analytica scandal by saying, "I wouldn't be in this situation." Zuckerberg soon after retorted in an interview with Recode that he found Cook's comments to be "extremely glib," and that "I think it's important that we don't all get Stockholm syndrome and let the companies that work hard to charge you more convince you that they actually care more about you. Because that sounds ridiculous to me." While it's not clear how Cook's aggressive comments directly provoked Zuckerberg into issuing his Android-only order, it's still a rational decision to make Americans use Android. Android is the dominant operating system in many regions outside of the U.S., including South America, Europe, Russia, South Asia, and parts of the Middle East.

117 of 215 comments (clear)

  1. Adulting is hard by Kokuyo · · Score: 1

    That wouldn't be petty at all...

    Granted, I could see myself doing that, too ;).

    1. Re:Adulting is hard by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      He seems to have the mental age of a two year. Make an irrational decision, then find some vague reason to back it up.

    2. Re: Adulting is hard by phantomfive · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Since he spied on his users, he is worried that Apple will spy on him (and his executives). After all, he would do it in Tim Cook's position.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    3. Re:Adulting is hard by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Care to share what makes them bigots? I agree entitled hypocrites and liers (sic), but I don't see the bigot portion.

      Granted I'm not the sort of person that throws words around for the sake of throwing them around. I tend to consider what the word means and if it's appropriate in a particular case.

    4. Re: Adulting is hard by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I like to capitalize the "lie" in LIEberal so that people don't miss my subtle yet masterful jab.

    5. Re: Adulting is hard by sh00z · · Score: 5, Insightful

      How do I know for a fact this article was written by a lieberal? Because he thinks it's right to force people to use android. Only a lieberal would make such a statement that flies in the face of core American values.

      I'm a raging liberal, and I think the submitter's editorial comment of "it's still a rational decision to make Americans use Android" is the dumbest hing I've heard this year from a person not named Donald John Trump. Why in the world would I want to use an operating system (phone, computer, television, social network) that monetizes my data?

    6. Re:Adulting is hard by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      That wouldn't be petty at all...

      It's not petty, it's worse. Zuckerberg's business is data mining. He knows full well that his company mines data even when people opt out (and just flags it so it never gets revealed.) He also knows he can get messages from either party in a conversation to attain the full conversation. If another company's CEO says negative things about his company he has every reason to avoid handing them all his sensitive communications.

    7. Re:Adulting is hard by mark-t · · Score: 1

      No, what would have been petty would be to make the iOS version of their app paid, and keep the android version free, and then eventually deprecate the free version of the iOS app so that it no longer works.

    8. Re: Adulting is hard by cyberchondriac · · Score: 1

      Because pro-globalization, that's why.
      Trump says some dumb shit, but he's far from the only one, as evidenced by this piece.

      --

      Look back up at my post, now look back down, you're on the Internet. Now look back up. I'm a signature.
    9. Re: Adulting is hard by spacepimp · · Score: 1

      if you use any cellular phone your data is monetized.

    10. Re: Adulting is hard by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I like to emphasize the CON in CONservative.

    11. Re: Adulting is hard by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Its like when a person is paranoid about cheating; cheaters expect people to be like themselves.

    12. Re: Adulting is hard by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 1, Troll

      A lot of people use the word "liberal" when they really mean "leftist". There's a big difference. Liberals believe in free speech. They might disagree with what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it. http://liberalismunrelinquished.net

      Leftists will happily censor you and will engage in violence should you persist in speaking. See Lisa Feldman Barrett, a psychology professor who wrote in the New York Times defending the idea of speech as violence.

      Speech that offends campus activists is actually violence, and we've seen activists use actual violence to stop it - and to defend this as self-defense - when administrators fail to do so. http://www.dailycal.org/2017/02/07/violence-self-defense/

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    13. Re: Adulting is hard by Rob+Y. · · Score: 1

      Because you're likely to use other Google applications (mail? search?) that monetize your data regardless of what OS you run them on. Same goes for any of the other apps you use.

      So, until you convince the world to go with some other business model than 'free, but we get to make money by serving you ads', your choice of OS is going to do very little to 'protect' you. You're better off spending your energy learning exactly how the various services you use monetize your data. Not every ad-supported service gives your data (and that of all your 'friends') away to a sleazy 'analytics' company owned by a sleazy right-wing billionaire that sold it to the Trump campaign...

      --
      Posted from my Android phone. Oh, I can change this? There, that's better...
    14. Re: Adulting is hard by dryeo · · Score: 1

      Meanwhile 43% of Republicans think the President should be able to shut down news sites compared to 36% who agreed with the 1st's idea of a free press. http://www.nationalmemo.com/po...
      One of the things I hate about rightists is how quick to censor they've always been. Sure they go on about the freedom to be assholes, but anything considered immoral by them is quickly censored. This ranges from the Hayes code (not an actual law but driven by threat of law) to a woman outright saying she'll trade sex for money.
      And when you look worldwide, you have right wing countries such as Russia prosecuting Pussy riot for speaking, various religious countries that will throw you off the nearest building for what you say, or lure you into their embassy to suffocate and dis-member a journalist who their Crown Prince was pissed off at. The right wing seems to worship these types of countries, especially the ultra right wing Saudi Arabia, along with their President who continuously attacks the press.

      --
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_totalitarianism
    15. Re: Adulting is hard by RoccamOccam · · Score: 1

      From that same poll, 83% of Republicans "totally agree" that "Freedom of the press is essential for American democracy."

      However, as you state, 43% "totally agree" that "The president should have the authority to close news outlets engaged in bad behavior."

      Clearly, the Republicans don't believe, as you try to imply, that news outlets should be censored. The general consensus is that the Republicans that agreed with the second statement were inferring that "bad behavior" could include something like criminal or even treasonous behavior. Which seems quite reasonable, don't you agree?

    16. Re: Adulting is hard by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 1

      Whataboutism is a propaganda technique first used by the Soviet Union, in its dealings with the Western world.[1] When Cold War criticisms were levelled at the Soviet Union, the response would be "What about..." followed by the naming of an event in the Western world.[2][3] It represents a case of tu quoque (appeal to hypocrisy),[4] a logical fallacy that attempts to discredit the opponent's position by asserting the opponent's failure to act consistently in accordance with that position, without directly refuting or disproving the opponent's initial argument.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whataboutism

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    17. Re: Adulting is hard by dryeo · · Score: 1

      I have a hard time with the idea of a politician or anyone at that, closing a news site, especially for "bad behavior" as it is a way to censor. Much too easy to declare something illegal or treasonous.
      These people who claim to respect the freedom of the press and yet are OK with shutting down sites are being inconsistent.

      --
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_totalitarianism
    18. Re: Adulting is hard by dryeo · · Score: 1

      Well, don't engage in it.

      --
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_totalitarianism
  2. Android? by kurkosdr · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Which means Facebook employees have to use the Facebook App for Android, right? Maybe this will motivate them to fix it.

    1. Re:Android? by Kokuyo · · Score: 1

      What, that is crap, too?

      And I thought they botched the web interface intentionally just to make me install their spyware... guess they just suck at software development then?

    2. Re:Android? by fbobraga · · Score: 2

      What, that is crap, too?

      all facebook related things are crap!

    3. Re:Android? by Nidi62 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Which means Facebook employees have to use the Facebook App for Android, right? Maybe this will motivate them to fix it.

      Like most drug dealers, I would assume many Facebook employees don't use their own product.

      --
      The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
    4. Re:Android? by jfdavis668 · · Score: 1

      Next he will force them to use Google+ instead.

    5. Re:Android? by PrimaryConsult · · Score: 3, Informative

      It used to be better, but someone somewhere decided to remove features. First they separated out messenger from Facebook proper, then proceeded to nag me with a notification counter that never go away because I chose not to install yet another space/resource hogging messenger app.
      Then the most common thing I would do with it, post media directly from the gallery to a group via "share" -> "Facebook app", is no longer possible. Instead you have to open the stupid app, browse to the group, then click the photo icon and browse to it from there.
      One nice thing they added is the ability to open links by default in an external browser, for which I use adblock browser. Except this seems to only work half the time.

      Fortunately I don't spend enough time on Facebook in general to find any other usability nightmares in the app, but I'm sure they're there...

    6. Re:Android? by barc0001 · · Score: 1

      > Like most drug dealers, I would assume many Facebook employees don't use their own product.

      A lot of corporations seem to be like that. A friend of mine's sister is a mid range exec at Bell Canada and her company issued cellphone is on the Bell network, but her TV service, home phone and internet are not. When I asked her jokingly if she wasn't a "team player", she looked at me and told me flat out that most of the people she works with at Bell only use Bell services if they have no choice in the matter - like a company issued cellphone.

    7. Re:Android? by edtice1559 · · Score: 1

      Who says the use Facebook?

    8. Re:Android? by Tjp($)pjT · · Score: 1

      They still don’t understand an iPad is not an iPhone and present the desktop web interface / layout. Especially hillarious on the 12 inch iPad.

      --
      - Tjp

      I am in wallow with my inner money grubbing capitalistic pig. ... Oink!

    9. Re:Android? by Tjp($)pjT · · Score: 1

      On iOS and safari on the iPad, FB randomly switches me back to the mobile layout designed for phones. 2732x2048 isn’t exactly a phone display. The desktop layout should be the default.

      But also good to know they are pushing their execs to use an arguably less secure platform at a time when the rest of the world seems to want to subpoena Zuck.

      --
      - Tjp

      I am in wallow with my inner money grubbing capitalistic pig. ... Oink!

    10. Re:Android? by aaronb1138 · · Score: 1

      I doubt that is by accident. Touch based consumption interface for touch based consumption device and all that.

    11. Re:Android? by Actually,+I+do+RTFA · · Score: 1

      In SV, it seems most people do use their products. I know Google Engineers who love the Google VPN that logs everything they do. In fact, I don't know of any Google Engineers that don't give Google most of their information. And FB apparently has internal FB groups that they use to manage the company.

      --
      Your ad here. Ask me how!
    12. Re:Android? by sd4f · · Score: 1

      It really makes you wonder, what are they putting their programming effort on?

    13. Re:Android? by Lord_Jeremy · · Score: 1

      I know a couple people that work at Facebook. One of them recently mentioned in passing that when he was interviewing, he created a Facebook account for the first time. That was because he had been nudged by the guy who recommended the position to him that they won't hire anyone who doesn't have a Facebook account.

    14. Re: Android? by misnohmer · · Score: 1

      Unless Facebook employees don't use Facebook, since they know first hand all the data they'd be handing over.

  3. Rational Decision? by mentil · · Score: 4, Insightful

    it's still a rational decision to make Americans use Android. Android is the dominant operating system in many regions outside of the U.S., including South America, Europe, Russia, South Asia, and parts of the Middle East.

    Bandwagon Fallacy = 'rational decision' now?

    --
    Corruption is convincing someone that the selfless ideal is the same as their selfish ideal.
    1. Re: Rational Decision? by luvirini · · Score: 3, Insightful

      There are two major reasons for "the average user" to chose Android devices over iOS devices.

      1) Price. In many parts of the world even the basic iPhone is way too expensive to most people, but the budget Android devices are much more possible.

      2) Choice of devices. With so many manufacturers doing so many different types of Android phones there is obviously a lot more choice in what to pick.

      In US, the first option affects less people, though obviously still many people, but the second option is definitely a valid effect in US too.

    2. Re: Rational Decision? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Number 2 is why I have an iPhone. There are so many options that no one can make a solid, well rounded phone. They all want to differentiate themselves and they end up with things like holographic screens and bixby.

    3. Re:Rational Decision? by kamakazi · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I am glad that line jumped out at more than just me. Totally disregarding the actual content in the article, here I am reading "news" and all the sudden there is this drum beating editorial line that has no basis in the article. It was very discordant, and felt to me like something that may have been stuck in after the article was written by an editor with an axe to grind.
      Gettin back to the actual content, 'rational' and 'make Americans ...' very seldom belong in the same sentence, in fact one of the founding tennets of a free America is supposedly that making people decide things in their private life isn't allowed.
      I don't have a problem with Facebook requiring their employees to use particular company provided phones for work, for any reason they want, security or paid product promotion, or because they like the color.
      I do have problems when people in positions of power throw juvenile temper tantrums because somebody said something that hurt their feelings. Unfortunately that seems to be the methodolgy of power these days, whether it is entertainment celebrities, politicians of all persuasions, or corporate CEOs.

      --
      "Proximity to wonder has blunted our perception and appreciation of it" --Tim Hartnell in 'Exploring ARTIFICIAL INTELLI
    4. Re: Rational Decision? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Wait. Rationality is determined by market share? So any time you aren't using the most popular of anything you are fundamentally being irrational?

      That argument seems.....irrational.

    5. Re: Rational Decision? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      How do you expect anybody to make a well rounded phone when Apple holds the design patent on rounded corners?

    6. Re: Rational Decision? by PrimaryConsult · · Score: 1

      Reason 2 is why I've stuck with Android all these years.

      Way back in the era of Android 2.3, I picked a phone that still had a slide out keyboard. Good times were had for 3 years.
      Then I joined the Samsung bandwagon because physical keyboards fell out of style.
      Gave up on Samsung when they started copying Apple's bad ideas. Now I have a flagship phone that still has a memory card slot and headphone jack.
      iDevice can suck it.

    7. Re: Rational Decision? by tcc3 · · Score: 1

      3. Dont like Apple, its business practice, "encouragement" to use other Apple products, lock in

      4. Dont like iOS function design or feature set.

      People can have preferences. Its not always about price.

    8. Re:Rational Decision? by cyberchondriac · · Score: 1

      I am glad that line jumped out at more than just me. Totally disregarding the actual content in the article, here I am reading "news" and all the sudden there is this drum beating editorial line that has no basis in the article. It was very discordant, and felt to me like something that may have been stuck in after the article was written by an editor with an axe to grind. .

      That's 2018 for you. Objective, strictly on-topic articles no longer exist.

      --

      Look back up at my post, now look back down, you're on the Internet. Now look back up. I'm a signature.
    9. Re: Rational Decision? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Be honest. Androidâ(TM)s market dominance is almost completely due to bargain basement models for people who donâ(TM)t have money to spend on a premium handset, or donâ(TM)t care to spend it.

      There are plenty of reasons to prefer one over the other, but price is driving market share.

    10. Re: Rational Decision? by caution+live+frogs · · Score: 3, Insightful

      What are you talking about? I have data on my iPhone 8 that came from games I originally installed on my first iPhone, which was a 3GS. I have never had an OS update wipe the phone and delete everything (and I generally choose to push new OS versions on day of release). I have had media on my phone that was from all over the damned place - only 4% of my music is purchased from Apple. The only lawsuit I see regarding "wiped" data is a British suit initiated after a Genius Bar employee erased a phone. The only OS I have seen that did something like this was Windows - in the 32/64 bit transition. iOS and macOS converted to 64 bit seamlessly without a wipe.

      Perhaps you have been clicking "Restore" rather than "Update". Those words mean different things. Perhaps you jailbroke your phone. The company is under no obligation to support your device after you deliberately circumvented the software. They certainly are under no obligation to provide software updates that preserve the bug or hack used to circumvent the OS in the first place. You can be indignant, but you can only blame yourself for loss of data.

    11. Re: Rational Decision? by unimacs · · Score: 1

      There are two major reasons for "the average user" to chose Android devices over iOS devices.

      1) Price. In many parts of the world even the basic iPhone is way too expensive to most people, but the budget Android devices are much more possible.

      2) Choice of devices. With so many manufacturers doing so many different types of Android phones there is obviously a lot more choice in what to pick.

      In US, the first option affects less people, though obviously still many people, but the second option is definitely a valid effect in US too.

      Yes, but I think we want more than just a choice of devices that all run the same OS. We'd also like at least two competitive OS options and 2 ecosystem options.

      Would you also suggest that we all drive Toyotas because they have the largest world wide share of the auto market?

      If everyone always chose the more dominant player in terms of market share, we'd never get anything better than the status quo.

  4. Good for them by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Zuckerberg got one right for a change

  5. Make Americans Android Again..? by geekmux · · Score: 3, Insightful

    "...it's still a rational decision to make Americans use Android. Android is the dominant operating system in many regions outside of the U.S., including South America, Europe, Russia, South Asia, and parts of the Middle East."

    I'm not here to get the iNerds and 'Droid Dorks all fired up, I merely question how the hell OS dominance equates to a rational decision to make Americans use a particular smartphone OS. Smartphones have become black box devices that run apps (go ahead, ask an smartphone user to find the "operating system" on their phone), and all smartphones pretty much do the same damn thing. The OS that the consumer can hardly touch is damn near irrelevant.

    And where it works outside the U.S. is becoming more and more irrelevant for Americans too. They spent all their travel money on a $1000+ fashion accessory and an unlimited everything plan. They can hardly afford to change their mind, let alone their location.

    1. Re:Make Americans Android Again..? by fbobraga · · Score: 1

      make developers (and people near to it) to use the most worldwide app used by far makes sense to me

    2. Re:Make Americans Android Again..? by Drethon · · Score: 1

      "...it's still a rational decision to make Americans use Android. Android is the dominant operating system in many regions outside of the U.S., including South America, Europe, Russia, South Asia, and parts of the Middle East."

      I'm not here to get the iNerds and 'Droid Dorks all fired up, I merely question how the hell OS dominance equates to a rational decision to make Americans use a particular smartphone OS. Smartphones have become black box devices that run apps (go ahead, ask an smartphone user to find the "operating system" on their phone), and all smartphones pretty much do the same damn thing. The OS that the consumer can hardly touch is damn near irrelevant.

      And where it works outside the U.S. is becoming more and more irrelevant for Americans too. They spent all their travel money on a $1000+ fashion accessory and an unlimited everything plan. They can hardly afford to change their mind, let alone their location.

      The last time I tried an iOS device I found no access to the file system so I could easily move files between applications. Due to this (and lower costs) I've stuck to Android. There may have been a work around or this may no longer be an iOS issue but I've just gotten comfortable with Android (and Android is cheaper... see any pattern?) since then. For the average smartphone user, they probably could care less about this.

    3. Re:Make Americans Android Again..? by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: 1

      The Android platform isn't just about the OS. You also have the bundled apps and the Play store rather than Apple store. Suggesting that the only difference between Apple and Android is iOS vs Linux at the core is either disingenuous or a reflection of a phenomenal level of ignorance.

      --
      Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
    4. Re:Make Americans Android Again..? by geekmux · · Score: 1

      The Android platform isn't just about the OS. You also have the bundled apps and the Play store rather than Apple store. Suggesting that the only difference between Apple and Android is iOS vs Linux at the core is either disingenuous or a reflection of a phenomenal level of ignorance.

      The statement was directed at "Americans", which 99% of them don't care what mechanisms are behind the curtain that makes their black box of magical apps work. All they care about is if XX app works on my phone, because that's what I use. Bundled apps, default apps, Play store, Apple Store...names are irrelevant from a consumer standpoint because they all do the same damn thing. And the worlds most popular apps are developed for both platforms, which I don't see that changing anytime soon regardless of OS dominance.

      If the statement was directed at those who do have legitimate reasons to care (software developers, engineers, etc.) then it would make sense.

    5. Re:Make Americans Android Again..? by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: 1

      It was directed at people who wouldn't reply with some of the most ridiculous bullshit I have read in a long time used to try to hide the fact that they made a ridiculous claim by doubling down on the absurdity. So definitely not directed at you.

      --
      Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
  6. very petty by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Are all CEO's big babies with OCD? It would seem so.

  7. And your point is? by ebonum · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Bring an Android phone into Apple HQ, and see how well that works out for you!

    1. Re:And your point is? by WankerWeasel · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Dell was a client of mine and I one visited their Round Rock headquarters. I had my Mac laptop in meetings and one of the directors I worked with mentioned it wasn't a deal breaker for them but if I was up on the C-level floor and they saw an Apple computer, you'd be escorted from the building. Seems a bit strange that they're so hardcore against anything Apple, yet they're perfectly fine with visitors using Toshiba, Sony, Lenovo, and any other brand of Windows laptop, which seems more directly in competition with them.

    2. Re:And your point is? by GuB-42 · · Score: 1

      I guess it is that weird situation where everyone is fine with X but everyone think the others aren't. C-levels are normally above that.

      What is possible is that they don't want the public to see Apple computers at Dell, because it gives out the image of a company not trusting their own products. And that can be mistaken as "executives don't wan't to see an Apple computer", while in fact, they may be the ones who care the least when they are in private.

    3. Re:And your point is? by rsborg · · Score: 1

      Apple isn't insecure about it's phone/computer image. People there probably wouldn't even give you a 2nd look.
      You might not be able to get on their wifi network though.

      --
      Make sure everyone's vote counts: Verified Voting
    4. Re:And your point is? by Lord_Jeremy · · Score: 1

      I know an Apple engineer that uses an Android phone. Last I saw he had a Pixel. Another guy I know who does sales for an Apple B2B reseller carries both an Android phone and a Windows Surface into his meetings with Apple SEs.

  8. No surprice that Facebook likes Android by luvirini · · Score: 5, Insightful

    As the privacy controls on iOS are better than Android(though the difference is a lot less than it used to be) and Facebook does not seem to like such things.

    1. Re: No surprice that Facebook likes Android by monkeyxpress · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I think it is more fundamental than that: The Android business model depends on harvesting your data, while Apple's does not (yet).

      Google can't really change that, since their whole existence depends on watching you on the internet, and Tim Cook has decided to make privacy a key product differentiator for Apple. So Google is fundamentally aligned with Facebook's business model, while Apple is becoming fundamentally opposed. Is there any surprise then that Zuckerberg would rather the world move towards Android?

      While I'm no fan of Tim Cook, I do think he is on the right path with the privacy thing. It is one of the main reasons I have little interest in moving over to Android. Google already has so much info on me, it just feels creepy to give them pretty much everything. I also hope he ties Apple up with enough promises to ensure that, like the 'stylus' thing, it becomes very hard for them to back track when (not if) they figure out they can make lots more money by harvesting data.

    2. Re: No surprice that Facebook likes Android by Actually,+I+do+RTFA · · Score: 1

      As the privacy controls on iOS are better than Android(though the difference is a lot less than it used to be)

      Are you claiming Android is getting better, or Apple is getting worse?

      --
      Your ad here. Ask me how!
    3. Re: No surprice that Facebook likes Android by Actually,+I+do+RTFA · · Score: 1

      Google business model depends on securing your data.

      That doesn't help is Google is who I want to secure the data from!

      --
      Your ad here. Ask me how!
  9. Companies that charge more? by Evtim · · Score: 1

    Interesting! You see if Zuckerberg has any sense he would never agree Facebook to be paid service. Even if all users pay him, say 10$ per month, but then he is not allow to collect ANY data, no ads, no nothing...say 1 billion people use it that's 10 billion per month. In 1 year you are ahead of Bezos. Same for Google.

    You see, that would never happen. Because the personal data are simply priceless. Truly, utterly, absolutely priceless!!! I cannot think of anything else that compares or even comes close. Having the data makes you more powerful than the whole of the rest of the world combined with all their economies, armies and nukes. You can change the entire society in a very short timespan (that's happening right now in the West; in fact I think it is over, now follows the descent into hell). You can sway people's opinions however you like; you control the information flow (in English; soon in other languages); you control who has access to platforms; you can blackmail anyone with their data if you please (something about 5 lines written by the best man comes to mind).

    You are simply the ruler of the world. When an algorithm can learn more about you than you know about yourself, discover the blind spots in your worldview, your fears, insecurities, ambitions, likes, dislikes, desires, political leanings, diets, travels, your mental and physical health, who is your family (and everything about them, of course), who are your friends, where do you work, what is your education, what do you work on (do you think that when I use sometimes Google translate for work - something I am very reluctant to do but there is no alternative - they do not store that somewhere and link it to me and the company?), where do you shop, what do you buy, how much energy you use at home and when, your exact address, what is your income, every query you ever put in a search engine, every site you ever visited, every post you ever wrote, what movies do you watch, what books do you read, what music do you listen to, how much you exercise, the drugs you use (both medicine and narcotics), how fast you drive your car...I think I can go on for quite a while...

    Never before was anyone capable of collecting, handling and exploiting so much data. Now the machines are more than capable of doing this and they get faster and more sophisticated all the time.

    And somehow the whole world was scammed to give away the most precious thing we have for "free" service. All the above is the reason I never joined any of this. I lost all my friends, I missed hundreds of parties, I have very small social circle (which is murder for extreme extrovert as me). But I'd rather have that than betray myself to evil. And yes, I know that Google knows everything about me and Facebook is running shadow profiles and basically I am just as screwed as you are. But at least I saw it from the very beginning and resisted and talked about it. Can't do much more...

    1. Re:Companies that charge more? by fbobraga · · Score: 1

      Even if all users pay him, say 10$ per month

      it would make billions in revenues :P

    2. Re:Companies that charge more? by fbobraga · · Score: 1

      Because the personal data are simply priceless

      Speak for you: I'll gladly sell my personal data for some millions :P

    3. Re:Companies that charge more? by GuB-42 · · Score: 1

      You are overthinking things. Your data aren't priceless, nothing about you is priceless. There are people whose entire job is to put a dollar amount on everything about you, including your personal data. Google and Facebook are for profit companies, and it is all that matters.

      As for taking over the world, you can't do that without force, and Google doesn't have that. On the physical side of things, they are helpless. The second the US government decides that Google is a serious threat, then goodbye Google. These data are useless if you can't access them because there is a guy with a gun between you and the terminal. Big companies are limited to monetizing your data within the socially acceptable limits. And CEOs are perfectly fine with it, because that's how they get to keep their yachts.

  10. That's funny. by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 1

    He effectively told them to stop using BSD based computers (iOS) and start using Linux based computers (Android). I suppose it's a good thing he didn't insist they switch to a Lumia phones.

    Though if you think this is going to ruffle feathers then just wait until he starts insisting on Emacs instead of Vi! ;)

    --
    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
    1. Re:That's funny. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      If he uses Emacs, I'm deleting my account.

    2. Re:That's funny. by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: 1

      That is like saying that if he insists on Mazda over Chevy the big difference is a rotary engine over a standard engine. It's true, but it isn't something the user cares about.

      --
      Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
    3. Re:That's funny. by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: 1

      What drugs are you taking?

      --
      Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
    4. Re:That's funny. by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: 1

      Yes, let's compare the worse case scenario rotary engine against an electric car. There are rotary engines with better mileage than the worst case Chevy as well. But you missed the point completely. The user cares about the mileage, not what type of engine acheives the mileage. DOH!

      --
      Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
  11. Industrial espionage by Meneth · · Score: 1

    One wonder if Apple would use their total control over all iPhones to sneak peeks at what Facebook executives are talking about. 'Course, if they did, there's no way for anyone outside to know about it...

  12. Did Apple a favor by DarkOx · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Mark probably did Apple a favor if only a very tiny one.

    1) No such thing as bad publicity. In this case its not even bad. People HATE facebook, they don't trust facebook. There are people who have feelings like that about Apple too of course but they don't count they were never going to buy an iWhatever anyway. Mark probably will drive some anti-fb folks into the arms of Apple.

    2) I have seen this stuff play out in the corporate world. His staff will have to go buy new Android phones; but its not like Apple loses anything on the phones they have already sold those users; or any of their cut on the apps those users already bought. Meanwhile Mark's anger will at some point find a new target. At which point most of those people will go back to their preferred device. They may even end up buying a new one having given their old one away to friends or family (there by bringing some new people into the apple fold) and increasing Apples sales even more.

    Zuck is being short sighted and stupid here.

    --
    Repeal the 17th Amendment TODAY! Also Please Read http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/right-to-read.html
    1. Re:Did Apple a favor by Nidi62 · · Score: 1

      2) I have seen this stuff play out in the corporate world. His staff will have to go buy new Android phones; but its not like Apple loses anything on the phones they have already sold those users; or any of their cut on the apps those users already bought. Meanwhile Mark's anger will at some point find a new target. At which point most of those people will go back to their preferred device. They may even end up buying a new one having given their old one away to friends or family (there by bringing some new people into the apple fold) and increasing Apples sales even more.

      Zuck is being short sighted and stupid here.

      It wasn't everyone, it was just executives who most likely have two phones: a personal phone and a work issued phone . Zuckerberg simply ordered them to change their work phone to Android. They could still keep their personal phones which were most likely iPhones. In fact, the link article even states that tweets from the accounts of executives still showed them using iPhones. It's not really that big of a deal, corporations switch all the time-my company switched from Blackberries to iPhones a few years ago.

      --
      The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
  13. Tweedledee and Tweedledum by Tough+Love · · Score: 1

    Tweedledee and Tweedledum, one trafficking in addiction, the other in voyeurism. Which is worse? Please beat each other to death.

    --
    When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
    1. Re:Tweedledee and Tweedledum by Actually,+I+do+RTFA · · Score: 1

      FB is worse. FB is more addictive, spys on you, and lets other people spy on you. Apple just wants you to keep wrtiing them checks (or CC approvals.)

      I used to be afar bigger fan of both Apple and MS than Google, at least from a business plan side. Thye both said "give us money, then STFU". Google spied on me. Now, only Apple just wants cash.

      --
      Your ad here. Ask me how!
  14. Makes sense by thegarbz · · Score: 1

    It would be a bit embarrasing for your C-suite to flaunt devices manufacturerd by some of your biggest critics.

  15. Hardly the only bad actor by Tough+Love · · Score: 1

    Facebook is hardly the only bad actor. Let's not forget Google, looking the other way while Trump/Russian shitposters swarm Youtube.

    --
    When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
  16. Re:Next step by fbobraga · · Score: 2

    Next step, all Facebook engineers must use Windoze laptops instead of Macbooks.

    FTFY (matter of market-share :P)

  17. Old hardware, old android, extremely low prices by perpenso · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Well, Android is the dominant OS for some reasons right?

    Its largely cost. Not just current device but old devices running old versions of Android are plentiful at very low prices. I can get a Samsung Galaxy S4 running Android 4.4 at Walmart for $115. According to Google 8% of Android users are running this ancient version of Android, 4.4, 18% Android 5, 21% Android 6. Pick a price point and you can find legacy hardware and legacy android matching that price. So its not necessarily that people chose Android over iPhone, for many it was Android was all they could afford.

    1. Re:Old hardware, old android, extremely low prices by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Problem. I rate Android as 2/10 (Apple 8/10). why- because there is no way to upgrade old devices. Seriously - why is this? Not even a try this - it may not work.
      You should be able to relink and patch security flaws..

      Android = disposable product with short lifetime, and would any same person do online banking on android 4.4 in a hotspot?

      Now is Google made Android quality and aimed at OpenBSD quality - my fears
      would be less. As Google will not support older google devices and 3 years? then I see their offerings as junk

    2. Re:Old hardware, old android, extremely low prices by freeze128 · · Score: 1

      I think Facebook execs can afford iPhones...

    3. Re:Old hardware, old android, extremely low prices by perpenso · · Score: 1

      I think Facebook execs can afford iPhones...

      Yes, but they are making the switch as a political statement, not a feature/security based statement.

  18. Re:You MUST vote for XYZ and use product ABC by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: 1

    Most likely your "friends" unfollowed you because they came to the realization that you are a Trumptard.

    --
    Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
  19. Re:So what? by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: 1

    Those who think it is any of their business if I have an FB account aren't the kind of over-reaching meddlers in their employees personal life for whom anyone in their right mind should work.

    --
    Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
  20. Mental breakdown? by Futurepower(R) · · Score: 3, Interesting

    "He seems to have the mental age of a two-year-old. Make an irrational decision, then find some vague reason to back it up." (Fixed)

    This Slashdot article, and this other one today seem to indicate a mental breakdown:

    Facebook Reportedly Hired a PR Firm That Wrote Negative Articles About Rivals, Pushed George Soros Conspiracy Theory

    That kind of breakdown indicates a very poor childhood, in my opinion.

  21. Re:You MUST vote for XYZ and use product ABC by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Being anti-Hillary does not equal being pro-Trump. You are everything that is wrong with American politics today.

  22. Re:So what? by Camembert · · Score: 1

    I find this overly interfering with the private lives of the employees.

  23. This is How Democrats Do. Tyranny. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Tyranny is the way of the autocrat, the national socialist, the democrat. They aren't racist just because they think non-whites are inferior; they think everyone is inferior to the chosen few Party Elite. They even mocked Obama behind closed doors, but he emulated their autocratic ways.
    OBEY THEM!

  24. word salad sentence by epine · · Score: 1

    While it's not clear how Cook's aggressive comments directly provoked Zuckerberg into issuing his Android-only order, it's still a rational decision to make Americans use Android.

    What?

    Am I the only one who can barely even parse the argument embedded here?

    1. Re:word salad sentence by Actually,+I+do+RTFA · · Score: 1

      It seems clear. "It's not clear to [me, the article's author] why Zuckerburg would be so petty [even though he is]. That said, it's still a good decision because [I, the article's author] think Android is better. As evidence, I will say many people outside the US use Android, so FB should only use Android internally to appeal to them."

      --
      Your ad here. Ask me how!
  25. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  26. Glad he is evolving. by 140Mandak262Jamuna · · Score: 1
    Next step would be to dance to the song "developers developers developers". Then throw chairs. Grab the phone of employees and smash them on the ground.

    Eventually wind up owning some ever losing sports team. Actually all the loss in corporate management is just preparation for the losses in sport franchises.

    --
    sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
  27. Hmm by jon3k · · Score: 1

    "I think it's important that we don't all get Stockholm syndrome and let the companies that work hard to charge you more convince you that they actually care more about you. Because that sounds ridiculous to me."

    I'd love to hear more about how Mark Zuckerberg is trying to charge his customers (advertisers) less.

    1. Re:Hmm by infolation · · Score: 1

      On a more terrifying level, a company that holds people's personal information compares itself to a survival strategy that develops in hostage situations.

      To be really clear, the definition of Stockholm syndrome is a condition that causes hostages to develop a psychological alliance with their captors as a survival strategy during captivity. These alliances, resulting from a bond formed between captor and captives during intimate time spent together, are generally considered irrational in light of the danger or risk endured by the victims.

      Really happy my data isn't being held by a company who's CEO says its customers are captives in danger, who are surviving that captivity by bonding with his company.

    2. Re:Hmm by jon3k · · Score: 1

      Unfortunately your data probably *is* being held by Facebook, even if you do not have an account.

  28. Bratt Master by sdinfoserv · · Score: 1

    It’s so comforting to know that a tyrannical, vindictive, petulant child who brazenly lies before congress (“shadow profiles”) is ultimately lord god over a greedy international corporate behemoth that can alter democracy and contains all user personal information what could possibly go wrong?

  29. Re: Old hardware, old android, extremely low price by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Find me a company that has a usable, unlockable bootloader, and doesn't want to penalize people because they desire a "#" prompt.

    With root, Android is very secure, especially with a utility like xPrivacy that happily passes bogus data to asks that asks for way too much. Root also gives firewalling, ability to backup/archive apps with Titanium Backup, ability to present the phone as a CD, hard drive, or what ever you want via USB, and many other things. Hell, I have a HTC Desire phone running as a DNS cache and a NTP server, and its battery is long since gone, but it performs a network function without issue.

    Without root, Android is a privacy nightmare. Yes, newer apps have switches, but it is often all or nothing, and Android permissions allow for apps to slurp a lot of data.

    Until Android fixes the privacy issue, or there is a decent rootable phone, I'll stay with iOS.

  30. Slashdot: The National Enquirer of Tech by Whatsmynickname · · Score: 1

    That's what this article seems like.

  31. Hey Mark? by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1
    I'm a little more concerned the you have the morals of a weasel and have already been caught as an inside player in weaponizing people's personal data, and would sell us out again and again as long as you made a few bucks.

    Your ordering employees to use Android phones just shows how pathetically petty, vindictive, and authoritarian you are.

    Nothing personal, but go fuck yourself.

    --
    The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
  32. Thank you - Tracking Android is easier ... by ripvlan · · Score: 1

    Dear all FB employees - we need to track you more easily. I can't tell what you are thinking. Let us develop the new level of tracking daily lives by having you beta test our new listening device on Android. It is impossible to implement this on iOS.

    Plus I don't like Tim Cook.

    Thanks,
      -The Big Z. :-D

  33. Ironic! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    "I think it's important that we don't all get Stockholm syndrome and let the companies that work hard to charge you more convince you that they actually care more about you. Because that sounds ridiculous to me."

    Hilarious coming from the man who runs a company that does the exact same thing! The only difference is that his currency of choice is personal data and not dollars. It really shows us how disconnected from reality he really is, so much so that he doesnt see the reflection on his self in those words. Facebook is always looking for ways to collect more data from us, all the while trying to tell us that they care, yet it is clear by their operation that all they care about is the profits from advertising dollars.

  34. But you can keep your MacBook by bornando · · Score: 1

    There are 20K+ MacBooks at Facebook and that's not likely to change.

  35. Re:So what? by mark-t · · Score: 1

    This.

    Seriously.... I have no qualms whatsoever with employers not allowing people to check Facebook while at work (not even on their own devices, let alone using work equipment to do so), but this policy runs afoul of trying to tell employees what sort of people they are allowed to have as friends or family, because for some people, it really is a primary mode of communication.

    Honestly, as another AC suggested, I'm skeptical that this "firm" even exists.

  36. Watch what they do not what they say by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Tim Cooke is one to talk. Following his "curation" of free speech..

    https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/yw95kg/this-is-why-apple-ceo-tim-cook-banned-alex-jones

    1. Re:Watch what they do not what they say by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 1

      Tim Cooke is one to talk. Following his "curation" of free speech..

      https://news.vice.com/en_us/ar...

      Tim thinks it's better for people to not be able to keep an eye on what Jones is saying than to do so. Seems foolish to me.

      --
      My God, it's Full of Source!
      OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
  37. I can't quite see it, but ... by fahrbot-bot · · Score: 1

    Zuckerberg soon after retorted in an interview with Recode that he found Cook's comments to be "extremely glib," ...

    ... there's a good GLib vs. Core Foundation joke in here somewhere.

    --
    It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
  38. He should be more subtle by Tjp($)pjT · · Score: 1

    He should just have bought highest end android he could, and gifted them to every executive with a note saying he was looking forward to seeing them all using his gift. Then have some minions write a program that only runs on that phone model, for secure (and ironic) communication with his execs.

    carrot and stick. Carrot works better.

    --
    - Tjp

    I am in wallow with my inner money grubbing capitalistic pig. ... Oink!

  39. Re: Next step by UnknowingFool · · Score: 1

    Sure if Facebook wants to get into the business of entirely supporting Linux laptops in their IT department. I am not aware that any major manufacturers like Dell or HP support Linux laptops. Linux servers, yes but not laptops.

    Also the usage of Facebook on a laptop isn't necessarily dependent the OS but the browser. On phones, it is more tied to the phone OS.

    --
    Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
  40. A rational decision? by DrXym · · Score: 1

    I'm not sure how the comment comes to that conclusion. The rational decision for a company as large and as influential as Facebook is to ensure all their executives, especially the ones who travel or work in other jurisdictions are using secure devices that a resilient to hacking / trojans or other forms of espionage. Not just by state actors, but potentially their rivals in Google or Apple who... make the most popular phone platforms. Really their execs should be running handsets stripped of all Google / Apple software, or at least designed in a way to silo / protect any information they might get on their phones from other processes.

  41. Just like Ballmer... by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 1

    Because he was terrified of Apple's success, Ballmer famously wouldn't allow his kids to own an iPod, forcing them to use the "uncool Zune" instead.

    Zuckerberg is also ridiculous, immature, narcissistic and petty.

    Tim Cook's comments were the truth; too bad Suckerberg thinks we're all too stupid to realize it.

  42. Re: Old hardware, old android, extremely low price by perpenso · · Score: 1

    Google used to be better at updates. Speaking as a Nexus 4 and 5 owner. Google is my first choice for Android but the longevity of their support has diminished.

  43. Re: So what? by mark-t · · Score: 1

    People without a Facebook account are more positive, more driven, more motivated. They are socially more skilled, have better communication, they're simply better. It's a proven fact.

    I'd very much like to see the so-called proof of that.

    Of course, I'd like even more if you said what so-called "firm" this is that you represent, because I find your claims to be a bit dubious. Given the existence of support groups for all kinds of things on Facebook, you might even be running afoul of discriminating against a protected class if you happened to offer a job to a person who utilized such groups.

  44. *sigh* by garote · · Score: 1

    Zuck's comment a few years ago that he could "buy the country of Greece" with his new stock profits was a bit glib too.

    One day that self-important man is going to realize that he is not actually in charge any more. If he decides that the monster he's created needs trimming down, or breaking apart, or any number of other things that result in a decline in user base or profitability but also are good for things like democracy, culture, or mental health, he will be dumped out to pasture. Perhaps he already has been, and the most impactful thing he can do at this point is issue petulant orders to his fellow execs to use a different phone.

  45. Re:You MUST vote for XYZ and use product ABC by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: 1

    Your best approach would have been to admit you completely missed the point, that you failed miserably at making your point, and move on with your life. You also assumed I am a man and then went on to use one of the most stupid words to be made up in recent history. Good luck at learning to behave like an adult!

    --
    Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
  46. Re:You MUST vote for XYZ and use product ABC by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: 1

    You have convinced me. My big concern should be what you think of me. How could I have missed it!?

    --
    Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun