Worth Reading: Why Facebook Torments Google

The fight between Google and Facebook can at times seem overblown since the core products are quite different. But there’s little doubt Facebook presents the greatest challenge to Google’s Internet hegemony in a way unlike past threats like Yahoo and Microsoft. Time and again, Google has failed in its attempts to make inroads into social — and the Web is undeniably becoming a more social place. Google chairman Eric Schmidt recently acknowledged that he “screwed up” social media during his long run as Google CEO. Ben Elowitz, chief executive of online publishing company Wetpaint, picks up on this theme in contributed piece on TechCrunch that boldly, if hyperbolically, predicts Facebook will put Google out of business. It all comes back to the data, of course:

Facebook’s data allows it to do more than just guess what its customers might be interested in; the company’s data can help it know with greater certainty what its customers are really interested in. And this key difference could potentially give Facebook a tremendous advantage in search when it eventually decides to move in that direction. If Google’s business has been built on choosing which Web pages, out of all those in the universe, are most likely to appeal to any given (but anonymous) query string, think about this: Facebook already knows, for the most part, which pages appeal to whom — specifically and directly. And, even more powerfully, Facebook knows each of our individual and collective behavior patterns well enough to predict what we’ll like even without us expressing our intent.
It’s an interesting argument, although a bit exaggerated. Google’s not going anywhere anytime soon. The long bet, however, might be on Facebook assuming the Web continues to become more social and Facebook becomes the central organizer, via these connections, rather than Google, via algorithmic search.
https://digiday.com/?p=4090

More in Media

From sidelines to spotlight: Esports events are putting creators center stage

Esports events’ embrace of content creators reflects advertisers’ changing priorities across both gaming and the wider culture. In the past, marketers viewed esports as one of the best ways to reach gamers. In 2025, brands are instead prioritizing creators in their outreach to audiences across demographics and interest areas, including gaming.

Condé Nast and Hearst strike Amazon AI licensing deals for Rufus

Condé Nast and Hearst have joined the New York Times in signing a licensing deal with Amazon for its AI-powered shopping assistant Rufus.

Media Briefing: AI payouts may be entering a new era 

AI compensation is evolving — and new models, not just publisher demands, are driving the shift beyond flat-fee licensing.