The theory, for what it’s worth, was that the big brand name services would behave better than the fly-by-night shady data brokers. Much as CVS is perceived as less likely to put Fentanyl into your medicine than, say, the drug dealer on the corner.
The sole redeeming feature of the centralization of the web was supposed to be improved data handling. Better security and oversight of partners (like ad networks etc.) Instead we got Facebook treating your data the way a teenager treats a house when the parents go out of town.
The Facebooks and Googles would do this voluntarily, in part because it’s smart business — don’t give away the store. But mostly because it’s way easier for governments to target them with punitive regulations.
The management teams of Facebook and Google have both blown it terribly on this front. I guess it’s hard to think strategically when you can grab a bunch of little tactical wins. But strategic thinking was supposed to be the advantage of these founder-led businesses.
