Facebook, Amazon etc....



I didn't know that Clegg was even kicking it with these guys

Feck me, they actually want to go bankrupt don't they?

I did a podcast on big tech from an investing perspective last week which might be of interest.

 
Going to be great when 10% of the planet speak Amazon Patois as their first language 20 years from now.
You laugh but I reckon Amazon having their own language is a fairly predictable end game. A limited, efficient language which is taught to kids in Amazon sponsored schools. A limited language which has no scope for small talk, gossip and criticism of the company.
 
You laugh but I reckon Amazon having their own language is a fairly predictable end game. A limited, efficient language which is taught to kids in Amazon sponsored schools. A limited language which has no scope for small talk, gossip and criticism of the company.

I was thinking more of the language the workers are going to have to end up inventing to get around the 7,000 words you'll eventually not be allowed to say. Both could indeed probably happen. :(
 
You laugh but I reckon Amazon having their own language is a fairly predictable end game. A limited, efficient language which is taught to kids in Amazon sponsored schools. A limited language which has no scope for small talk, gossip and criticism of the company.
There are already some images flying around Twitter of an 'Amazon-Approved Vocabulary' pamphlet:
Screenshot-20220405-012325.jpg
 
It seem some might be sympathetic to the union effort


Shouldn't be a surprise. I would imagine overwhemling majority of these executives would be from AWS and other tech verticals while those on retail side would feel the opposite. A good portion of Amazon tech workers have particpated in rallies against Amazon itself in Seattle over the years.
 
Amazon raising their prime membership from $7.99 a month to $9.99 a month in Canada. :lol:

feck right off Bezos you greedy bald cnut.
 


Who could have forseen it?

Amazon this week gave marching orders to one of its consultants: Push hard on the narrative that legislation to rein in Amazon’s power will harm communities of color.

Legislation targeting Amazon, Google, Facebook and Apple would hurt Hispanic business owners. An overhaul of antitrust laws would harm Black-owned newspapers. A bill targeting online sales of counterfeit goods would hurt people of color in the same way as voter ID laws.

These are some of the arguments that lawmakers considering tougher regulations on the tech industry are hearing from groups representing Black and Hispanic businesses — including several groups with financial backing from the nation’s wealthiest online companies.

At least six such groups advancing these arguments receive funding from or have close partnerships with Google, Amazon and Facebook’s parent company Meta, according to public financial disclosures. The tech companies, along with trade associations they belong to, are amplifying those messages as they seek to combat bipartisan regulatory proposals in both houses of Congress.

The tech companies are participating in a lobbying tradition: Large corporations have long donated to so-called affinity organizations that later take the companies side in Congress

There were leaks last year about similar techniques being used to squash unions.
 


This is just a bitter thread by ex-Facebook executive. Just some bullet points below:

- Apple still allows user to opt in for tracking their data to apps if they want to. Anyone can still do it if they want to. Bizarre to argue that users should not even be given that option.
- :lol: at the notion that FB is not using the signals it is receiving from Apple users as part of its ad serving platform.
- Duopoly for ads business already exists between Facebook and Google. Again this is just FB exec now bitter about Apple wanting a share of the pie.

Ads business is generally controlled by companies with "real estate" in digital world. Amazon also makes a lot of money from ads on its website by sellers wanting the desired space on the results or other pages. It also then allows you to advertise outside Amazon also on other sites using its framework. Similarly google primarily monetises on ads on its search pages along with other products like Youtube. Now apple wants its share of the pie given the apps are installed on their real estate.
 
Do we have a Tik Tok thread? If so can someone move my post there since I can't find it.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-63213567.amp

Displaced families in Syrian camps are begging for donations on TikTok while the company takes up to 70% of the proceeds, a BBC investigation found.


Even before this I thought Tik Tok looks far worse than even the likes of Facebook and Instagram, but this is ridiculous.

Also, I have noticed that TIK TOK is mostly used by kids, majority of kids from my neighborhood who know how to hold the phone are using it, and I am literally talking about kids that are 3 years age and older. I hate their parents for allowing them, and I regulary criticise them for that, but the fact that the society allows those networks to be used by those kids is lowest thing we've reached in last 30-40 years probably.

Companies getting rich on kids and the likes of these people from Syria is sickening. I seriously cannot describe how much I hate this world we live in.

Rant over
 
Do we have a Tik Tok thread? If so can someone move my post there since I can't find it.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-63213567.amp




Even before this I thought Tik Tok looks far worse than even the likes of Facebook and Instagram, but this is ridiculous.

Also, I have noticed that TIK TOK is mostly used by kids, majority of kids from my neighborhood who know how to hold the phone are using it, and I am literally talking about kids that are 3 years age and older. I hate their parents for allowing them, and I regulary criticise them for that, but the fact that the society allows those networks to be used by those kids is lowest thing we've reached in last 30-40 years probably.

Companies getting rich on kids and the likes of these people from Syria is sickening. I seriously cannot describe how much I hate this world we live in.

Rant over
Was reading this earlier - and was going to post it in the Hypernorm thread. Crazy stuff, but not really surprised given how social media companies behave.
 
https://www.dataprotection.ie/en/ne...nounces-conclusion-two-inquiries-meta-ireland

TLDR
After a 4.5 year long legal process Meta has been fined nearly 400 million euros. But more importantly they now have 3 months to become GDPR compliant. In short, this means that Facebook users in Europe must be able opt out of personalised ads. Up until now Meta have contested that users should have to agree to Facebook's terms and conditions before using the app, but the EU rules clearly state that both options must be available(i.e. using the app without personalised ads).

Meta can appeal but it will probably not be overturned. This is a huge financial blow since personalised ads pretty much is how they earn money. Having said that, I wonder if the average Facebook user even cares about this? They'll probably just click "accept all" anyways.