According to a report, recently released, by app tracker, “App Annie”, tech giant, Facebook, owns four, of the most downloaded apps, in the world, in this outgoing decade.
In 1994, the first smartphone was launched, by IBM’s Simon and it had over 10, in-built apps. The phone came pre-loaded, with several apps, like Address Book, Calculator, Calendar, Mail, Note Pad and Sketch Pad, as the app store has not been developed, then.
There has been a massive evolution of apps, now, from how it was, before, to how it is, now.
Google upgraded the app evolution, by launching the play store, where users can, basically, download any, app of their choice.
The apps that, top the list that, was released by App Annie, some days back include; Facebook, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram, SnapChat, skype, TikTok, UCBrowser, Youtube and Twitter.
The first four apps, at the top the list, are owned and run, by Facebook. The most downloaded apps between 2010 and 2019, include Facebook’s main app and next was the Facebook Messenger. Next in line, was WhatsApp that, came third and Instagram, fourth.
In 2012, Facebook purchased Instagram, for $1bn and in 2014, WhatsApp was bought for $19bn.
For every 5 people, you will find 4 active users, of the 4 apps, while the 5th user, may just be in-between. Facebook, boasts of more than, a billion users, on each platform.
It is on record that, 8 out of the top 10 apps, are owned by US corporations, while two are owned by Chinese firms.
Some individuals, are of the opinion that Facebook is, getting too powerful and according to Taha Yasseri, a Senior Research Fellow, in Computation Science, at the Oxford Internet Institute, it does not feel right and also, not ok, for one company, to own 4, of the most popular social networking and communication apps, and this can be described, as a data monopoly.
“Combined, the data from multiple platforms, can lead, to an, extremely, high level of precision, in modeling our traits and behaviors and this amount of power, should not be left unchecked. It should be regulated”, stressed Yasseri.
Market Insights Manager, at App Annie, Adithya Venkatraman, wrote in a blog that “Mobile has been, at the heart of major changes, in consumer behavior, since the turn of this decade”, wrote Adithya Venkatraman, Market Insights Manager, at App Annie, wrote in a blog.
There is, also, the issue of data security. The Competition and Markets Authority, (CMA), raised concerns and issued a warning that, people using these platforms, may not be in control of their data.
Recently, Facebook has been drawn, into one lawsuit, or, another that, on issues, centered on user data privacy.
What does the future hold, for Facebook? We shall know that, sooner, or, later.
Featured Image: boropark24
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