Lady Whistledown
JF-Expert Member
- Aug 2, 2021
- 1,183
- 2,100
Kampuni ya teknolojia ya Meta, inayomilikiwa na bilionea Mark Zuckerberg, huenda ikalazimika kuuza Instagram na WhatsApp kufuatia kesi ya ukiritimba (antitrust) inayosikilizwa nchini Marekani. Meta, ambayo pia inamiliki Facebook, ilinunua Instagram mwaka 2012 na WhatsApp mwaka 2014.
Serikali ya Marekani sasa inadai kuwa ununuzi huo ulikuwa na nia ya kuondoa ushindani na kujenga ukiritimba katika sekta ya mitandao ya kijamii. Ingawa Tume ya Biashara ya Marekani (FTC) iliidhinisha manunuzi hayo wakati huo, imeendelea kufuatilia athari zake kwa ushindani wa soko. Ikiwa FTC itashinda kesi hiyo, Meta inaweza kulazimika kuuza Instagram na WhatsApp.
Wataalamu wanasema kuwa hatua hiyo itakuwa na athari kubwa katika taswira ya sekta ya mitandao ya kijamii. Mike Proulx, Mkurugenzi wa Utafiti katika kampuni ya uchambuzi wa teknolojia Forrester, amesema kesi hii, pamoja na hali ya sintofahamu inayoikabili TikTok, inaweza kuanzisha “mpangilio mpya wa dunia ya mitandao ya kijamii.”
“Matokeo ya kesi hii, yakichanganywa na hatma isiyoeleweka ya TikTok, yanatishia mwelekeo mzima wa soko la mitandao ya kijamii. Meta huenda isiwe tena kitovu cha nguvu katika sekta hiyo.”
Ameongeza kuwa hatujaona hali ya mabadiliko ya aina hii tangu enzi za awali za mitandao ya kijamii kati ya mwaka 2006 hadi 2011, na kwamba huenda tukashuhudia kuibuka kwa kizazi kipya cha mitandao mipya ya kijamii.
“Ingawa Facebook ndiyo msingi wa utawala wa Meta, inaweza kukumbwa na changamoto kubwa ya ushindani ikiwa itaachwa pekee. Instagram imekuwa ‘bima ya kijamii’ ya kampuni hiyo kwa muda mrefu. Bila Instagram na WhatsApp, Meta itakuwa nini hasa?”
Proulx ameonya kuwa Threads haiwezi kutegemewa kwa mapato makubwa, huku akiongeza kuwa ndoto ya metaverse ya Meta pia haipaswi kuwa tegemeo. Hata hivyo, amesifu maendeleo ya kampuni hiyo katika teknolojia ya miwani ya AI na kazi zake pana kwenye akili bandia (AI).
“Iwapo Meta itagawanywa, juhudi zake za AI zinaweza kuchukua nafasi ya mizizi yake ya kijamii.”
Kesi hiyo imeanza kusikilizwa jijini Washington DC na inatarajiwa kuchukua wiki kadhaa. Mwanzilishi wa Meta, Mark Zuckerberg, pamoja na aliyekuwa afisa mkuu wa uendeshaji Sheryl Sandberg wanatarajiwa kutoa ushahidi.
Meta si kampuni pekee ya teknolojia inayochunguzwa kwa tuhuma za ukiritimba. Kampuni ya Google pia inakabiliwa na uwezekano wa kulazimishwa kuuza kivinjari cha Chrome na kuvunja utawala wake katika soko la utafutaji mtandaoni. Mwaka jana, jaji aliamua kuwa Google inashikilia ukiritimba katika utafutaji mtandaoni, na Wizara ya Sheria ya Marekani ikaitaka mahakama kuamuru Google kuuza Chrome kama sehemu ya hatua za kumaliza utawala wake wa soko hilo.
.............
Facebook owner could be forced to sell off Instagram and WhatsApp
Social media giant Meta could be forced to sell off Instagram and WhatsApp as a legal battle begins in the US. Owned by billionaire Mark Zuckerberg, the tech business which also owns Facebook bought Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014.
An antitrust lawsuit from the US government now alleges that the firm made these transactions to eliminate competition and create a social media monopoly.
Although both acquisitions were approved by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at the time, the competition watchdog has continued to monitor the outcomes. If it wins the case it could force Meta to sell off both Instagram and WhatsApp.
This would mark a major change in the social media sector landscape, experts say. Mike Proulx, vice president research director at analyst firm Forrester, said the case’s possible ramifications, and the ongoing uncertainty around the future of TikTok, could see a “new social media world order” appear.
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee, 31 January 2024 (Getty Images)
“The ramifications of this trial, coupled with TikTok’s future in limbo, potentially puts the very core of the social media market at play. No longer would Meta be its centre of gravity.
“We haven’t seen anything like this since around 2006-2011 – social media’s earliest days.
“We’d likely see a renaissance of social media start-ups looking to grab a piece of new social media world order.”
Mr Proulx said that, although Facebook is the original and centre pillar of Meta’s empire, it could struggle to compete as a social media power and may need to redirect its focus.
“Meta is trying to make Facebook cool again, but the company’s social media ‘insurance’ is – and has been for a while – Instagram.
“Without Instagram and WhatsApp, what really is Meta? Could Facebook seriously compete with a stand-alone Instagram? Can Threads monetise at scale? Doubtful. And the company absolutely should not hang its hat on its fledgling metaverse ambitions.
“Its AI (artificial intelligence) glasses are a bright spot, as is its broader AI work.
“That means, in a broken-up Meta, the company’s AI initiatives would usurp its social media roots.”
The trial, which begins in Washington DC on Monday, is expected to last several weeks, with Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg and former chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg both expected to give evidence.
Meta is not the only US tech giant under scrutiny over holding an alleged monopoly, with Google also facing the prospect of being forced to sell its Chrome web browser and break up its online search empire.
After a judge ruled that the firm does hold a monopoly in online search last summer, the US Department of Justice demanded that a court require Google to sell Chrome, among other remedies to end its market dominance – a position it reiterated last month.
Serikali ya Marekani sasa inadai kuwa ununuzi huo ulikuwa na nia ya kuondoa ushindani na kujenga ukiritimba katika sekta ya mitandao ya kijamii. Ingawa Tume ya Biashara ya Marekani (FTC) iliidhinisha manunuzi hayo wakati huo, imeendelea kufuatilia athari zake kwa ushindani wa soko. Ikiwa FTC itashinda kesi hiyo, Meta inaweza kulazimika kuuza Instagram na WhatsApp.
Wataalamu wanasema kuwa hatua hiyo itakuwa na athari kubwa katika taswira ya sekta ya mitandao ya kijamii. Mike Proulx, Mkurugenzi wa Utafiti katika kampuni ya uchambuzi wa teknolojia Forrester, amesema kesi hii, pamoja na hali ya sintofahamu inayoikabili TikTok, inaweza kuanzisha “mpangilio mpya wa dunia ya mitandao ya kijamii.”
“Matokeo ya kesi hii, yakichanganywa na hatma isiyoeleweka ya TikTok, yanatishia mwelekeo mzima wa soko la mitandao ya kijamii. Meta huenda isiwe tena kitovu cha nguvu katika sekta hiyo.”
Ameongeza kuwa hatujaona hali ya mabadiliko ya aina hii tangu enzi za awali za mitandao ya kijamii kati ya mwaka 2006 hadi 2011, na kwamba huenda tukashuhudia kuibuka kwa kizazi kipya cha mitandao mipya ya kijamii.
“Ingawa Facebook ndiyo msingi wa utawala wa Meta, inaweza kukumbwa na changamoto kubwa ya ushindani ikiwa itaachwa pekee. Instagram imekuwa ‘bima ya kijamii’ ya kampuni hiyo kwa muda mrefu. Bila Instagram na WhatsApp, Meta itakuwa nini hasa?”
Proulx ameonya kuwa Threads haiwezi kutegemewa kwa mapato makubwa, huku akiongeza kuwa ndoto ya metaverse ya Meta pia haipaswi kuwa tegemeo. Hata hivyo, amesifu maendeleo ya kampuni hiyo katika teknolojia ya miwani ya AI na kazi zake pana kwenye akili bandia (AI).
“Iwapo Meta itagawanywa, juhudi zake za AI zinaweza kuchukua nafasi ya mizizi yake ya kijamii.”
Kesi hiyo imeanza kusikilizwa jijini Washington DC na inatarajiwa kuchukua wiki kadhaa. Mwanzilishi wa Meta, Mark Zuckerberg, pamoja na aliyekuwa afisa mkuu wa uendeshaji Sheryl Sandberg wanatarajiwa kutoa ushahidi.
Meta si kampuni pekee ya teknolojia inayochunguzwa kwa tuhuma za ukiritimba. Kampuni ya Google pia inakabiliwa na uwezekano wa kulazimishwa kuuza kivinjari cha Chrome na kuvunja utawala wake katika soko la utafutaji mtandaoni. Mwaka jana, jaji aliamua kuwa Google inashikilia ukiritimba katika utafutaji mtandaoni, na Wizara ya Sheria ya Marekani ikaitaka mahakama kuamuru Google kuuza Chrome kama sehemu ya hatua za kumaliza utawala wake wa soko hilo.
.............
Facebook owner could be forced to sell off Instagram and WhatsApp
Social media giant Meta could be forced to sell off Instagram and WhatsApp as a legal battle begins in the US. Owned by billionaire Mark Zuckerberg, the tech business which also owns Facebook bought Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014.
An antitrust lawsuit from the US government now alleges that the firm made these transactions to eliminate competition and create a social media monopoly.
Although both acquisitions were approved by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at the time, the competition watchdog has continued to monitor the outcomes. If it wins the case it could force Meta to sell off both Instagram and WhatsApp.
This would mark a major change in the social media sector landscape, experts say. Mike Proulx, vice president research director at analyst firm Forrester, said the case’s possible ramifications, and the ongoing uncertainty around the future of TikTok, could see a “new social media world order” appear.
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee, 31 January 2024 (Getty Images)
“The ramifications of this trial, coupled with TikTok’s future in limbo, potentially puts the very core of the social media market at play. No longer would Meta be its centre of gravity.
“We haven’t seen anything like this since around 2006-2011 – social media’s earliest days.
“We’d likely see a renaissance of social media start-ups looking to grab a piece of new social media world order.”
Mr Proulx said that, although Facebook is the original and centre pillar of Meta’s empire, it could struggle to compete as a social media power and may need to redirect its focus.
“Meta is trying to make Facebook cool again, but the company’s social media ‘insurance’ is – and has been for a while – Instagram.
“Without Instagram and WhatsApp, what really is Meta? Could Facebook seriously compete with a stand-alone Instagram? Can Threads monetise at scale? Doubtful. And the company absolutely should not hang its hat on its fledgling metaverse ambitions.
“Its AI (artificial intelligence) glasses are a bright spot, as is its broader AI work.
“That means, in a broken-up Meta, the company’s AI initiatives would usurp its social media roots.”
The trial, which begins in Washington DC on Monday, is expected to last several weeks, with Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg and former chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg both expected to give evidence.
Meta is not the only US tech giant under scrutiny over holding an alleged monopoly, with Google also facing the prospect of being forced to sell its Chrome web browser and break up its online search empire.
After a judge ruled that the firm does hold a monopoly in online search last summer, the US Department of Justice demanded that a court require Google to sell Chrome, among other remedies to end its market dominance – a position it reiterated last month.
