Apple, Facebook, and Google are addictions. So says Dave Farrington:
Nearly everyone I know is on Facebook. Among those are Mac and iPhone users, and Windows PC and Android users. What most of them do not know is the extent to which they are tracked by Facebook, Google, and advertisers. Of the entire group, Mac users seem to know about it far more than others, but some of that can be attributed to my small and unscientific sampling, to my own preaching on NoodleMac (friends, family, and co-workers say they pay attention but can’t name their favorite article; they all agree I rant, though), and the fact that Apple’s Mac customers tend to be better educated, have more disposable income, and are more aware of what goes on around them.
So, Apple gains revenue from Google searches?
In fact, Apple makes money from Google thanks to Safari searches. Perhaps $1-billion or more each year. That’s good enough incentive, even for Apple, to look the other way while Google culls information from our online habits. What about Facebook? What collusion there may be we don’t really know, but think of it this way. A free app on the Mac App Store or iOS App Store does not generate revenue, so Apple gets nothing for allowing Facebook or Twitter or other social media apps to be downloaded by customers (and, to Apple, you’re a customer). Yet, if I put an app on the App Stores and charge a dollar, Apple gets 30-percent of the revenue. Since Google via Chrome pays something to Apple for search engine results, why shouldn’t Facebook do the same to Apple? And who says they don’t?
Ouch.