The clash of tech titans Apple and Facebook continued Monday when Mark Zuckerberg’s newest executive team hire called Apple an “exclusive club” serving only “aspirant consumers with the means to buy high-value hardware and services.”
Nick Clegg, Facebook’s new head of global affairs, didn’t mention Apple by name when he spoke to a group in Berlin today. He didn’t have to.
Facebook and Apple have been beefing over privacy and business models since the Cambridge Analytical scandal involving Facebook data came to light last year.
Clegg’s remarks, reported by Business Insider follow those of Apple CEO Tim Cook, who called an unnamed social media firm a “chaos factory” during an address to Stanford University’s graduating class. Cook was urging graduates to use tech for good when he made the remark.
Both companies claim some piece of moral high ground as part of their brand. Apple claims consumer data privacy as a top priority.
Clegg, too, tried using a values-driven message to promote Facebook.
“Facebook is free — it’s for everyone,” Clegg told the audience, reported today by Business Insider. “Some other big tech companies make their money by selling expensive hardware or subscription services, or in some cases both, to consumers in developed, wealthier economies. They are an exclusive club, available only to aspirant consumers with the means to buy high-value hardware and services.
“There’s no exclusivity at Facebook. No VIP access. No business class. Our services are as accessible to students in Guatemala, cattle farmers in the Midwest United States, office workers in Mumbai, tech startups in Nairobi, or taxi drivers in Berlin. More than 2 billion people use our platforms — because they can.”
Calling Apple on its pricing is not original criticism. Its iPhones, some exceeding $1,000, are out of reach for many customers. Charging $1,000 for a monitor stand on an already pricey new Mac Pro fueled the most recent ire on Apple product costs.
Source: Business Insider
