Opinion: Coronavirus has turned the Facebook narrative


Facebook’s announcement on Tuesday that its business was being 'adversely affected' because of a 'weakening in our ads business' shouldn’t have come as a big surprise. — Reuters

The tension between the media and technology industries has long been characterised as a fight for users’ attention. The more of it they have, the greater the opportunity to sell new products and services.

The advertising technology giants Facebook Inc and Google have turned that into a US$200bil (RM868.76bil)-a-year business. Now that millions of people are stuck at home trying to isolate themselves from the coronavirus, there should be greater opportunity to secure their attention. Facebook’s particular vector for securing users’ attention is connecting them with others, and in the era of self-isolation digital connections have become a lifeline.

Limited time offer:
Just RM5 per month.

Monthly Plan

RM13.90/month
RM5/month

Billed as RM5/month for the 1st 6 months then RM13.90 thereafters.

Annual Plan

RM12.33/month

Billed as RM148.00/year

1 month

Free Trial

For new subscribers only


Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
   

Next In Tech News

What next for TikTok in the US?
Atos says the group will need more cash than expected
TikTok to fight US ban law in courts
STMicro cuts FY revenue outlook as slowing car market bites
Tesla driver in Seattle-area crash that killed motorcyclist told police he was using Autopilot
Spurred by teen girls, US states move to ban deepfake nudes
DR Congo accuses Apple of using ‘blood minerals’ from war-torn east
German police swoop on Nigerian dating scammers
74-year-old US woman charged in armed robbery of credit union was scam victim, family says
In which country do people spend the most time on screens?

Others Also Read