Stronghold companies free#

Meta had already incorporated Reels, a short video feature similar to TikTok, both on Instagram and Facebook. Reportedly, Facebook is also building its feed to look much like TikTok’s. In 2020, TikTok overtook Meta to become the most downloaded app. TikTok’s growing influence has also forced YouTube (owned by Alphabet) to introduce Shorts- a short video feature similar to TikTok. It was recently revealed that nearly 40 per cent of young users preferred to use TikTok over Google for search purposes. They are currently investigating Apple and Google for their app store policies, specifically their payment methods, which could harm local app developers.Īs challenging as it may be to compete with big techs, current trends suggest that TikTok might emerge as a competitor against big tech. Ashok Kumar Gupta, chairman of CCI, on multiple occasions has referred to the big tech as ‘centres for entrenched and unchecked dominance’. And protecting startups from being acquired could be the first step in harnessing a competitive ecosystem.įor instance, in India, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) is keeping a close watch on big tech companies. Even though governments across multiple jurisdictions are working on policies and regulations in this regard, another way to tackle their growing dominance could be to encourage competition. The question then arises-‘what if Google’s acquisition of Waze was blocked in 2013?’ Would we have witnessed Google compete with Waze in the mobile app web mapping industry? However, following its acquisition, most of Waze’s features were integrated into Google Maps.Īt present, Google Maps holds nearly 80 per cent of global market share in the web mapping industry. What made Waze stand out was the way it integrated data from other drivers. In 2013, Google acquired ‘Waze’ for almost a billion dollars even though it owns the most popular mapping app. It is likely that with such predictions for the future of the Metaverse, it’d be a major cause for concern if Meta somehow manages to control the whole VR market. This wasn't by accident.- ron knox July 27, 2022Īlthough the Metaverse is still considered relatively new and unsophisticated in its current form, Gartner predicts that around 25 per cent of people would spend at least an hour a day in the Metaverse by 2026. Its dominant headset means its app store is also the main way developers access customers, and vice versa. Its Oculus headset made up 75% of all VR headset shipments in Q1 2021. The quick background: Facebook already dominates virtual reality. Meta has also acquired five VR Game studios in the last couple of years.Īccording to the FTC, Facebook’s quest to dominate the VR market began when it acquired Oculus VR in 2014.Ģ. Its VR app, Beat Saber, is also one of the most popular VR apps of all time. In Q1 2021, headsets accounted for 75 per cent of all VR headset shipments. The Oculus Quest 2 by Meta is already the top-selling VR headset. Meta currently controls almost every aspect of the VR industry. In response, Meta said that the ‘FTC’s case is based on ideology and speculation, not evidence.’ This is an illegal acquisition, and we will pursue all appropriate relief”, FTC Bureau of Competition Deputy Director John Newman said. But Meta chose to buy market position instead of earning it on the merits. “Meta already owns a best-selling virtual reality fitness app, and it has the capabilities to compete even more closely with Within’s popular Supernatural app. Meta is betting on the Metaverse and VR technology, and according to the FTC, acquiring ‘Within’ would help Meta build and ultimately control a ‘VR’ Metaverse. Some of these acquired companies were offering products and services similar to these big techs.įTC blocked Meta’s acquisition of ‘Within’ because they believe it serves a larger purpose for Meta. That’s because companies like Google and Meta have acquired a dozen companies each since their inception.

Stronghold companies free#

A free market, in theory, works well when government interventions are limited to the minimum.īut, when it comes to big techs and the space in which they operate, there is little to no competition. Firstly, any government intervention in a business deal is seldom not seen as a good thing.