Last week, Meta revealed (in a motion trying to dismiss an FTC anti-monopoly lawsuit) that Instagram made an astonishing $32.4 billion in advertising revenue in 2021. That figure becomes even more shocking when you consider Google's YouTube made $28.8 billion in the same period. Bloomberg reports that the

This is the state of the modern internet — ultra-profitable platforms outright abdicating any responsibility toward the customer, offering not a “service” or a “portal,” but cramming as many ways to interrupt the user and push them into doing things that make the company money. The greatest lie in tech is that Facebook and Instagram are for “catching up with your friends,” because that’s no longer what they do. These platforms are now pathways for the nebulous concept of “content discovery,” a barely-personalized entertainment network that occasionally drizzles people or things you choose to see on top of sponsored content and groups that a relational database has decided are “good for you.”

  • @PowerCrazyEnglish
    25•1 month ago

    I now want you to go on Facebook, scroll down, and see how quickly you hit an advertisement.

    Nah, I stopped using facebook after college and I don’t really associate with people who do use facebook (or Ig, or any others.)

    • haui
      1•1 month ago

      That would actually be an ingenious way to make people try facebook again… urgh

  • @CaptObvious@literature.cafe
    8•1 month ago

    sponsored content and groups that a relational database has decided are “good for you.”

    I don’t think they could possibly care less what’s good for you.

  • Optional
    4•1 month ago

    Just for funsies, the Instagram profits for 2021 are roughly half of the Department of Education budget. Which is one of the larger federal programs.

  • @EatATaco@lemm.eeEnglish
    2•1 month ago

    I always thought that facebook got a bad rap. I mean, it was stupid, but I always enjoyed it because I could catch up with old friends, who might not be actively in my life at the time, and for that it was special.

    However, sometime recently (as in years, I guess) as people have left or become more private, my feed has slowly been taken over by suggested content. It’s always pushed front and center. Literally unavoidable because there is no setting to say “don’t suggest anything to me.” and no matter how often you hide shit, they’ll just keep feeding more. I’ve all but completely abandoned using facebook now…I just go on to check my local buy nothing group, or post things myself. Occasionally I go to see what stupid shit my previous good friend, who got totally sucked into Trump world, is saying.

  • @Midnitte@beehaw.orgEnglish
    1•1 month ago

    Redefine the internet and the definition of web 3.0 - the future should be decentralized and interoperable, not a bag holding contest for the ultra wealthy.