They didn't invent Google and Facebook, but they're responsible for transistors, lasers, Unix, C and C++, CCD digital image sensors, long distance microwave radio relays, the first transatlantic phone cable, MOSFETs, communication satellites, and cell networks.

Not modern internet services no, but all of the infrastructure it's built on is grounded on theirs.

All of which they were required to license on FRAND terms - Consider that the basic research done by bell labs was paid for by a royalty paid to it by western electric and the various bell operating companies - it was blanket royalty, not a per product one too.

Google and Facebook are ad companies. Their “innovation” isn’t even in the same ballpark as what came out of Bell Labs

Google and Facebook would look a lot different without transistors.

And lasers. And Unix. And switched networking. And binary digital computers. And long-haul undersea cables. And the first successful communications satellite. And data networking.

http://blog.tmcnet.com/next-generation-communications/2011/0...

Yes, but apart from that, what have the Romans, er, Bell Labs ever given us?

>Bell Labs invented Google, Facebook, etc? Wow, did not know that.

Compared to what they invented, Google and Facebook are insignificant in comparison.

We could go back to Altavista and no-Facebook and we'd be more or less fine.

Giving back the Bell Labs technlogy would be a much harder hit...

No-Facebook would arguably be a better world the older I get...

TBH your examples are not what people should be much proud of. If you mentioned e.g. stackexchange and similar human-grade tech, then this argument would look somewhat better. Invasive tracking and manipulation through ads is actually the style of military of thinking.