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Mark Zuckerberg Reportedly Ordered All Facebook Executives To Use Android Phones After Tim Cook Criticized Facebook (theverge.com) 215

Posted by BeauHD from the executive-order dept.
A new report from the New York Times sheds some light on what happened inside Facebook last year as the company was fighting numerous scandals, including Russian interference and the Cambridge Analytica scandal in March. In addition to reportedly hiring a public relations firm to write dozens of articles critical of rivals Google and Apple, the social media company ordered Facebook executives to use Android phones, after Apple CEO Tim Cook criticized the company in an MSNBC interview for being a service that traffics "in your personal life." According to the report, the order came from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The Verge reports: In those comments made back in March, Cook dismissed a question asking him what he would do if he were in Zuckerberg's shoes dealing with the fallout from the Cambridge Analytica scandal by saying, "I wouldn't be in this situation." Zuckerberg soon after retorted in an interview with Recode that he found Cook's comments to be "extremely glib," and that "I think it's important that we don't all get Stockholm syndrome and let the companies that work hard to charge you more convince you that they actually care more about you. Because that sounds ridiculous to me." While it's not clear how Cook's aggressive comments directly provoked Zuckerberg into issuing his Android-only order, it's still a rational decision to make Americans use Android. Android is the dominant operating system in many regions outside of the U.S., including South America, Europe, Russia, South Asia, and parts of the Middle East.
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Mark Zuckerberg Reportedly Ordered All Facebook Executives To Use Android Phones After Tim Cook Criticized Facebook More

Mark Zuckerberg Reportedly Ordered All Facebook Executives To Use Android Phones After Tim Cook Criticized Facebook

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  • That wouldn't be petty at all...

    Granted, I could see myself doing that, too ;).

    • Re: Adulting is hard (Score:5, Insightful)

      by phantomfive ( 622387 ) on Thursday November 15, 2018 @09:09AM (#57648266) Journal
      Since he spied on his users, he is worried that Apple will spy on him (and his executives). After all, he would do it in Tim Cook's position.
    • Comment removed based on user account deletion

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by mark-t ( 151149 )
      No, what would have been petty would be to make the iOS version of their app paid, and keep the android version free, and then eventually deprecate the free version of the iOS app so that it no longer works.

  • Android? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by kurkosdr ( 2378710 ) on Thursday November 15, 2018 @06:16AM (#57647792)
    Which means Facebook employees have to use the Facebook App for Android, right? Maybe this will motivate them to fix it.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Kokuyo ( 549451 )

      What, that is crap, too?

      And I thought they botched the web interface intentionally just to make me install their spyware... guess they just suck at software development then?

    • Re:Android? (Score:5, Funny)

      by Nidi62 ( 1525137 ) on Thursday November 15, 2018 @08:25AM (#57648166)

      Which means Facebook employees have to use the Facebook App for Android, right? Maybe this will motivate them to fix it.

      Like most drug dealers, I would assume many Facebook employees don't use their own product.

      • > Like most drug dealers, I would assume many Facebook employees don't use their own product.

        A lot of corporations seem to be like that. A friend of mine's sister is a mid range exec at Bell Canada and her company issued cellphone is on the Bell network, but her TV service, home phone and internet are not. When I asked her jokingly if she wasn't a "team player", she looked at me and told me flat out that most of the people she works with at Bell only use Bell services if they have no choice in the matt

      • In SV, it seems most people do use their products. I know Google Engineers who love the Google VPN that logs everything they do. In fact, I don't know of any Google Engineers that don't give Google most of their information. And FB apparently has internal FB groups that they use to manage the company.

      • I know a couple people that work at Facebook. One of them recently mentioned in passing that when he was interviewing, he created a Facebook account for the first time. That was because he had been nudged by the guy who recommended the position to him that they won't hire anyone who doesn't have a Facebook account.
    • Next he will force them to use Google+ instead.

    • Re:Android? (Score:4, Informative)

      by PrimaryConsult ( 1546585 ) on Thursday November 15, 2018 @10:36AM (#57648626)

      It used to be better, but someone somewhere decided to remove features. First they separated out messenger from Facebook proper, then proceeded to nag me with a notification counter that never go away because I chose not to install yet another space/resource hogging messenger app.
      Then the most common thing I would do with it, post media directly from the gallery to a group via "share" -> "Facebook app", is no longer possible. Instead you have to open the stupid app, browse to the group, then click the photo icon and browse to it from there.
      One nice thing they added is the ability to open links by default in an external browser, for which I use adblock browser. Except this seems to only work half the time.

      Fortunately I don't spend enough time on Facebook in general to find any other usability nightmares in the app, but I'm sure they're there...

    • Who says the use Facebook?
    • They still don’t understand an iPad is not an iPhone and present the desktop web interface / layout. Especially hillarious on the 12 inch iPad.
      • I doubt that is by accident. Touch based consumption interface for touch based consumption device and all that.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by sd4f ( 1891894 )
      It really makes you wonder, what are they putting their programming effort on?

    • Unless Facebook employees don't use Facebook, since they know first hand all the data they'd be handing over.

  • Rational Decision? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by mentil ( 1748130 ) on Thursday November 15, 2018 @06:21AM (#57647810)

    it's still a rational decision to make Americans use Android. Android is the dominant operating system in many regions outside of the U.S., including South America, Europe, Russia, South Asia, and parts of the Middle East.

    Bandwagon Fallacy = 'rational decision' now?

    • Re:Rational Decision? (Score:4, Insightful)

      by kamakazi ( 74641 ) on Thursday November 15, 2018 @09:37AM (#57648356)

      I am glad that line jumped out at more than just me. Totally disregarding the actual content in the article, here I am reading "news" and all the sudden there is this drum beating editorial line that has no basis in the article. It was very discordant, and felt to me like something that may have been stuck in after the article was written by an editor with an axe to grind.
      Gettin back to the actual content, 'rational' and 'make Americans ...' very seldom belong in the same sentence, in fact one of the founding tennets of a free America is supposedly that making people decide things in their private life isn't allowed.
      I don't have a problem with Facebook requiring their employees to use particular company provided phones for work, for any reason they want, security or paid product promotion, or because they like the color.
      I do have problems when people in positions of power throw juvenile temper tantrums because somebody said something that hurt their feelings. Unfortunately that seems to be the methodolgy of power these days, whether it is entertainment celebrities, politicians of all persuasions, or corporate CEOs.

      • I am glad that line jumped out at more than just me. Totally disregarding the actual content in the article, here I am reading "news" and all the sudden there is this drum beating editorial line that has no basis in the article. It was very discordant, and felt to me like something that may have been stuck in after the article was written by an editor with an axe to grind. .

        That's 2018 for you. Objective, strictly on-topic articles no longer exist.

  • Good for them (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    Zuckerberg got one right for a change

  • Make Americans Android Again..? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by geekmux ( 1040042 ) on Thursday November 15, 2018 @06:32AM (#57647842)

    "...it's still a rational decision to make Americans use Android. Android is the dominant operating system in many regions outside of the U.S., including South America, Europe, Russia, South Asia, and parts of the Middle East."

    I'm not here to get the iNerds and 'Droid Dorks all fired up, I merely question how the hell OS dominance equates to a rational decision to make Americans use a particular smartphone OS. Smartphones have become black box devices that run apps (go ahead, ask an smartphone user to find the "operating system" on their phone), and all smartphones pretty much do the same damn thing. The OS that the consumer can hardly touch is damn near irrelevant.

    And where it works outside the U.S. is becoming more and more irrelevant for Americans too. They spent all their travel money on a $1000+ fashion accessory and an unlimited everything plan. They can hardly afford to change their mind, let alone their location.

    • make developers (and people near to it) to use the most worldwide app used by far makes sense to me

    • "...it's still a rational decision to make Americans use Android. Android is the dominant operating system in many regions outside of the U.S., including South America, Europe, Russia, South Asia, and parts of the Middle East."

      I'm not here to get the iNerds and 'Droid Dorks all fired up, I merely question how the hell OS dominance equates to a rational decision to make Americans use a particular smartphone OS. Smartphones have become black box devices that run apps (go ahead, ask an smartphone user to find the "operating system" on their phone), and all smartphones pretty much do the same damn thing. The OS that the consumer can hardly touch is damn near irrelevant.

      And where it works outside the U.S. is becoming more and more irrelevant for Americans too. They spent all their travel money on a $1000+ fashion accessory and an unlimited everything plan. They can hardly afford to change their mind, let alone their location.

      The last time I tried an iOS device I found no access to the file system so I could easily move files between applications. Due to this (and lower costs) I've stuck to Android. There may have been a work around or this may no longer be an iOS issue but I've just gotten comfortable with Android (and Android is cheaper... see any pattern?) since then. For the average smartphone user, they probably could care less about this.

    • The Android platform isn't just about the OS. You also have the bundled apps and the Play store rather than Apple store. Suggesting that the only difference between Apple and Android is iOS vs Linux at the core is either disingenuous or a reflection of a phenomenal level of ignorance.

      • The Android platform isn't just about the OS. You also have the bundled apps and the Play store rather than Apple store. Suggesting that the only difference between Apple and Android is iOS vs Linux at the core is either disingenuous or a reflection of a phenomenal level of ignorance.

        The statement was directed at "Americans", which 99% of them don't care what mechanisms are behind the curtain that makes their black box of magical apps work. All they care about is if XX app works on my phone, because that's what I use. Bundled apps, default apps, Play store, Apple Store...names are irrelevant from a consumer standpoint because they all do the same damn thing. And the worlds most popular apps are developed for both platforms, which I don't see that changing anytime soon regardless of O

        • It was directed at people who wouldn't reply with some of the most ridiculous bullshit I have read in a long time used to try to hide the fact that they made a ridiculous claim by doubling down on the absurdity. So definitely not directed at you.

  • very petty (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    Are all CEO's big babies with OCD? It would seem so.

  • And your point is? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by ebonum ( 830686 ) on Thursday November 15, 2018 @06:38AM (#57647862)

    Bring an Android phone into Apple HQ, and see how well that works out for you!

    • Re:And your point is? (Score:5, Interesting)

      by WankerWeasel ( 875277 ) on Thursday November 15, 2018 @10:51AM (#57648710)
      Dell was a client of mine and I one visited their Round Rock headquarters. I had my Mac laptop in meetings and one of the directors I worked with mentioned it wasn't a deal breaker for them but if I was up on the C-level floor and they saw an Apple computer, you'd be escorted from the building. Seems a bit strange that they're so hardcore against anything Apple, yet they're perfectly fine with visitors using Toshiba, Sony, Lenovo, and any other brand of Windows laptop, which seems more directly in competition with them.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by GuB-42 ( 2483988 )

        I guess it is that weird situation where everyone is fine with X but everyone think the others aren't. C-levels are normally above that.

        What is possible is that they don't want the public to see Apple computers at Dell, because it gives out the image of a company not trusting their own products. And that can be mistaken as "executives don't wan't to see an Apple computer", while in fact, they may be the ones who care the least when they are in private.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by rsborg ( 111459 )

      Apple isn't insecure about it's phone/computer image. People there probably wouldn't even give you a 2nd look.
      You might not be able to get on their wifi network though.

    • I know an Apple engineer that uses an Android phone. Last I saw he had a Pixel. Another guy I know who does sales for an Apple B2B reseller carries both an Android phone and a Windows Surface into his meetings with Apple SEs.

  • No surprice that Facebook likes Android (Score:5, Insightful)

    by luvirini ( 753157 ) on Thursday November 15, 2018 @06:39AM (#57647864)

    As the privacy controls on iOS are better than Android(though the difference is a lot less than it used to be) and Facebook does not seem to like such things.

    • Re: No surprice that Facebook likes Android (Score:5, Insightful)

      by monkeyxpress ( 4016725 ) on Thursday November 15, 2018 @08:09AM (#57648114)

      I think it is more fundamental than that: The Android business model depends on harvesting your data, while Apple's does not (yet).

      Google can't really change that, since their whole existence depends on watching you on the internet, and Tim Cook has decided to make privacy a key product differentiator for Apple. So Google is fundamentally aligned with Facebook's business model, while Apple is becoming fundamentally opposed. Is there any surprise then that Zuckerberg would rather the world move towards Android?

      While I'm no fan of Tim Cook, I do think he is on the right path with the privacy thing. It is one of the main reasons I have little interest in moving over to Android. Google already has so much info on me, it just feels creepy to give them pretty much everything. I also hope he ties Apple up with enough promises to ensure that, like the 'stylus' thing, it becomes very hard for them to back track when (not if) they figure out they can make lots more money by harvesting data.

    • As the privacy controls on iOS are better than Android(though the difference is a lot less than it used to be)

      Are you claiming Android is getting better, or Apple is getting worse?

  • Interesting! You see if Zuckerberg has any sense he would never agree Facebook to be paid service. Even if all users pay him, say 10$ per month, but then he is not allow to collect ANY data, no ads, no nothing...say 1 billion people use it that's 10 billion per month. In 1 year you are ahead of Bezos. Same for Google.

    You see, that would never happen. Because the personal data are simply priceless. Truly, utterly, absolutely priceless!!! I cannot think of anything else that compares or even comes close. Havi

    • Even if all users pay him, say 10$ per month

      it would make billions in revenues :P

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by GuB-42 ( 2483988 )

      You are overthinking things. Your data aren't priceless, nothing about you is priceless. There are people whose entire job is to put a dollar amount on everything about you, including your personal data. Google and Facebook are for profit companies, and it is all that matters.

      As for taking over the world, you can't do that without force, and Google doesn't have that. On the physical side of things, they are helpless. The second the US government decides that Google is a serious threat, then goodbye Google.

  • He effectively told them to stop using BSD based computers (iOS) and start using Linux based computers (Android). I suppose it's a good thing he didn't insist they switch to a Lumia phones.

    Though if you think this is going to ruffle feathers then just wait until he starts insisting on Emacs instead of Vi! ;)

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      If he uses Emacs, I'm deleting my account.

    • That is like saying that if he insists on Mazda over Chevy the big difference is a rotary engine over a standard engine. It's true, but it isn't something the user cares about.
  • One wonder if Apple would use their total control over all iPhones to sneak peeks at what Facebook executives are talking about. 'Course, if they did, there's no way for anyone outside to know about it...

  • Next step, all Facebook engineers must use Linux laptops instead of Macbooks. Imagine all the piteous crying, nothing hurts as much as going cold turkey on an addiction. But in the end, the Linux laptop is just better as an engineering tool. There are some very nice Windows ultrabooks that make great Linux laptops. Bonus: more computer for less money.

    Of course they could also use Windows laptops if getting constantly owned inside the network is ok.

    • Next step, all Facebook engineers must use Windoze laptops instead of Macbooks.

      FTFY (matter of market-share :P)

    • Sure if Facebook wants to get into the business of entirely supporting Linux laptops in their IT department. I am not aware that any major manufacturers like Dell or HP support Linux laptops. Linux servers, yes but not laptops.

      Also the usage of Facebook on a laptop isn't necessarily dependent the OS but the browser. On phones, it is more tied to the phone OS.

  • Did Apple a favor (Score:4, Insightful)

    by DarkOx ( 621550 ) on Thursday November 15, 2018 @07:29AM (#57647978) Journal

    Mark probably did Apple a favor if only a very tiny one.

    1) No such thing as bad publicity. In this case its not even bad. People HATE facebook, they don't trust facebook. There are people who have feelings like that about Apple too of course but they don't count they were never going to buy an iWhatever anyway. Mark probably will drive some anti-fb folks into the arms of Apple.

    2) I have seen this stuff play out in the corporate world. His staff will have to go buy new Android phones; but its not like Apple loses anything on the phones they have already sold those users; or any of their cut on the apps those users already bought. Meanwhile Mark's anger will at some point find a new target. At which point most of those people will go back to their preferred device. They may even end up buying a new one having given their old one away to friends or family (there by bringing some new people into the apple fold) and increasing Apples sales even more.

    Zuck is being short sighted and stupid here.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Nidi62 ( 1525137 )

      2) I have seen this stuff play out in the corporate world. His staff will have to go buy new Android phones; but its not like Apple loses anything on the phones they have already sold those users; or any of their cut on the apps those users already bought. Meanwhile Mark's anger will at some point find a new target. At which point most of those people will go back to their preferred device. They may even end up buying a new one having given their old one away to friends or family (there by bringing some new people into the apple fold) and increasing Apples sales even more.

      Zuck is being short sighted and stupid here.

      It wasn't everyone, it was just executives who most likely have two phones: a personal phone and a work issued phone . Zuckerberg simply ordered them to change their work phone to Android. They could still keep their personal phones which were most likely iPhones. In fact, the link article even states that tweets from the accounts of executives still showed them using iPhones. It's not really that big of a deal, corporations switch all the time-my company switched from Blackberries to iPhones a few year

  • Tweedledee and Tweedledum, one trafficking in addiction, the other in voyeurism. Which is worse? Please beat each other to death.

    • FB is worse. FB is more addictive, spys on you, and lets other people spy on you. Apple just wants you to keep wrtiing them checks (or CC approvals.)

      I used to be afar bigger fan of both Apple and MS than Google, at least from a business plan side. Thye both said "give us money, then STFU". Google spied on me. Now, only Apple just wants cash.

  • It would be a bit embarrasing for your C-suite to flaunt devices manufacturerd by some of your biggest critics.

  • Facebook is hardly the only bad actor. Let's not forget Google, looking the other way while Trump/Russian shitposters swarm Youtube.

  • While it's not clear how Cook's aggressive comments directly provoked Zuckerberg into issuing his Android-only order, it's still a rational decision to make Americans use Android.

    What?

    Am I the only one who can barely even parse the argument embedded here?

    • It seems clear. "It's not clear to [me, the article's author] why Zuckerburg would be so petty [even though he is]. That said, it's still a good decision because [I, the article's author] think Android is better. As evidence, I will say many people outside the US use Android, so FB should only use Android internally to appeal to them."

  • Next step would be to dance to the song "developers developers developers". Then throw chairs. Grab the phone of employees and smash them on the ground.

    Eventually wind up owning some ever losing sports team. Actually all the loss in corporate management is just preparation for the losses in sport franchises.

  • Hmm (Score:2)

    by jon3k ( 691256 )

    "I think it's important that we don't all get Stockholm syndrome and let the companies that work hard to charge you more convince you that they actually care more about you. Because that sounds ridiculous to me."

    I'd love to hear more about how Mark Zuckerberg is trying to charge his customers (advertisers) less.

    • On a more terrifying level, a company that holds people's personal information compares itself to a survival strategy that develops in hostage situations.

      To be really clear, the definition of Stockholm syndrome is a condition that causes hostages to develop a psychological alliance with their captors as a survival strategy during captivity. These alliances, resulting from a bond formed between captor and captives during intimate time spent together, are generally considered irrational in light of the dan
  • It’s so comforting to know that a tyrannical, vindictive, petulant child who brazenly lies before congress (“shadow profiles”) is ultimately lord god over a greedy international corporate behemoth that can alter democracy and contains all user personal information what could possibly go wrong?
  • That's what this article seems like.
  • I'm a little more concerned the you have the morals of a weasel and have already been caught as an inside player in weaponizing people's personal data, and would sell us out again and again as long as you made a few bucks.

    Your ordering employees to use Android phones just shows how pathetically petty, vindictive, and authoritarian you are.

    Nothing personal, but go fuck yourself.

  • Dear all FB employees - we need to track you more easily. I can't tell what you are thinking. Let us develop the new level of tracking daily lives by having you beta test our new listening device on Android. It is impossible to implement this on iOS.

    Plus I don't like Tim Cook.

    Thanks,
      -The Big Z. :-D

  • Zuckerberg soon after retorted in an interview with Recode that he found Cook's comments to be "extremely glib," ...

    ... there's a good GLib [wikipedia.org] vs. Core Foundation [wikipedia.org] joke in here somewhere.

  • He should just have bought highest end android he could, and gifted them to every executive with a note saying he was looking forward to seeing them all using his gift. Then have some minions write a program that only runs on that phone model, for secure (and ironic) communication with his execs.

    carrot and stick. Carrot works better.
  • I'm not sure how the comment comes to that conclusion. The rational decision for a company as large and as influential as Facebook is to ensure all their executives, especially the ones who travel or work in other jurisdictions are using secure devices that a resilient to hacking / trojans or other forms of espionage. Not just by state actors, but potentially their rivals in Google or Apple who... make the most popular phone platforms. Really their execs should be running handsets stripped of all Google / A

  • Zuck's comment a few years ago that he could "buy the country of Greece" with his new stock profits was a bit glib too.

    One day that self-important man is going to realize that he is not actually in charge any more. If he decides that the monster he's created needs trimming down, or breaking apart, or any number of other things that result in a decline in user base or profitability but also are good for things like democracy, culture, or mental health, he will be dumped out to pasture. Perhaps he already h

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