> ABC won't let Netflix run ads

I suspect Netflix can run its ads on other TV channels (and if they can't/aren't allowed that's a problem in itself).

As far as I can tell Facebook is the only place in town when it comes to social networks in the Western world, and it's a pretty big town, so to speak. As such, FB not letting a company like Google to advertise its services on this "only place in town" proves that either the town needs expanding (quite a difficult thing to do, as pretty much the whole current "town" population is pretty saturated with these FB-only products) or the "place" needs breaking up, i.e. Facebook needs to be split into different social networks.

CBS All Access is running ads for Apple TV+

As is Hulu, owned by Disney. I actually saw the other day a Disney+ ad directly follow an Apple TV+ ad.

That’s because Apple TV+ is a joke right now and literally a threat to no one.

Why not take the money and seem like a good sport while you’re at it?

A free market should regulate itself.

A company like Facebook can regulate the market.

That's when it becomes a problem.

> A free market should regulate itself.

... but it won't. Never has, never will. 'Regulation' serves a larger context, and the market does not value externalities.

> A free market should regulate itself. ... but it won't. Never has, never will.

The concept that capitalism works best if it's free from any/all regulation could work with a very strong shared societal moral fabric.

Sadly, Western culture accepts and even promotes greed and selfishness over the common good.

I don't think Facebook has a monopoly on eye-ball shares in particular. They might have monopoly on social networking as such but given they're not the only thing a person will see in a day by a long-shot, I can't see how they're being more anti-competitive than a TV network (which also has a large but limited share of views).

> They might have monopoly on social networking as such but given they're not the only thing a person will see in a day by a long-shot, I can't see how they're being more anti-competitive than a TV network

Almost no-one bellow the age of 40 cares about TV anymore (apart from sports events), you're pretty off on this one.

Uh, even if you're right, the US is full of the 40+ people and their eye balls are high monetizable.

Even more, TV networks are just an example and it is fricken obvious that Facebook doesn't have an advertising monopoly in the US or world-wide.

> A free market should regulate itself.

Hoo boy. I agree it totally should. Been waiting for a while on that one though...

That´s an incorrect theory from 18th century economics.

It´s equivalent to saying, the Internet should regulate itself, and there is no need for any kind of security to protect against exploits.

Facebook can not regulate the market when it only controls 19% of it.

The behavior is the same, but the situations are different. ABC is a second-tier television network struggling for survival while Facebook is the dominant social network company and is abusing its position to stifle competition.

ABC is a second-tier television network owned by The Walt Disney Company, one of the largest media and entertainment companies in the world, operating a vast international industry of television networks, film studios, and theme parks.

And is about to launch a direct competitor to Netflix.

ABC, the network that is literally available for free via an HDMI antennae, does not care about Netflix. Disney, arguably the single biggest company in entertainment or media and ABC's parent, is about to launch a direct competitor to Netflix. Which party is more likely to be driving the decision not to air Netflix ads.

It was the case when there were only three major national networks as well.

That said, google is in a different business. Their ranking should be fair (aside for their paid rankings). In this case they should not be favoring themselves over others, that’s to say they should not artificially bury competitors in the fair ranking.

I don't think that changes anything. There's plenty of other illegal, monopolistic behavior to pick at here without demanding that ad companies run ads for their direct competitors.