I wasn't trying to make it a superiority issue. I am very much aware that the same issues exist in the 'analog-world' and that it applies to big German conglomerates as well. It's just that in their case people are more sensible and at least try to hold them accountable. Very few people would argue that Volkswagen is supposed to stand above the law or operate outside of it.

In the case of digital companies or spaces like Facebook this has only recently reached public discourse. Which makes it so much more problematic because they already have two billion users on the planet. It took Volkswagen a hundred years to get where they are now and the way we manage them has naturally followed. We are not up to speed at all as far as internet giants are concerned.

Before FB had global world domination, a clone called StudiVZ was fairly popular in Germany. It was regarded at least as controversial.