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A comment on Facebook and Google pressured EU experts to soften fake news regulations. Parent comment

Re:Facebook and Google pressured EU experts to soften fake n... by riskable on Tuesday May 21, 2019 @12:01PM (#19971427)
As a business you need a way to engage with potential or existing customers. Yesterday that "way" was to pay newspapers, the Yellow Pages, etc to place ads. Then it moved to banner ads on various websites and today they use Facebook and Google (and other publishers/communities where people gather).

If both Facebook and Google were to disappear business would just use whatever replaces them. The companies aren't essential. The service they provide is. The good news is that service can be provided by basically any business. It's just a problem concentration/monopoly that they're the current focus.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Facebook and Google pressured EU experts to soften fake n... by anoncake on Tuesday May 21, 2019 @12:21PM (#19971646)
The world does not need Facebook. If Facebook went away, people would use another service to find and communicate with businesses. Businesses would use another service to be found and be communicated with.

But today, people need Facebook because businesses (and other people) use Facebook and businesses need Facebook because people use Facebook. Facebook is completely replaceable for society, but that doesn't make it less critical for many individuals.

[ Parent | on HN ]