An all too familiar name is back in the spotlight for yet another less than savory reason. For years, Facebook has notoriously tried to outdo their competitors by either copying their features, or simply buying them from them. Even though Facebook is only 15 years old, it’s the most widely used social media platform on the market. Though many other social media networks have come close, none have surpassed the giant. Introducing Snapchat, the company who wants to take on Facebook.
Snap, Inc., however, decided it’s time to let the public know exactly what Facebook does. By way of a dossier aptly named “Project Voldemort,” they plan to provide it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) so that they have more evidence into the ongoing probe into Facebook’s antitrust violations. Lord Voldemort is a fictional character and the main antagonist in J. K. Rowling’s series of Harry Potter novels. Children and adults alike feared him, and didn’t dare even utter his name. It’s no secret that Snap, Inc. sees Facebook as dastardly as Lord Voldemort.
Here’s a brief list of what Snap, Inc. has included in Project Voldemort:
- Facebook adopted the “story” feature that originated with Snapchat. This, perhaps, remains the most aggressive take from the company, as it was a blatant copy from the competitor.
- It also adopted the use of filters that changed normal faces into funny ones, animals, etc.
- Facebook adopted the QR code scanning capability that Snapchat is known for.
- Facebook even adopted geofilters, similar to that of Snapchat.
- The dossier also mentions how the hashtag #snapchat doesn’t show up with any results on Facebook or Instagram (a company also owned by Facebook).
Sadly, we all know that this isn’t Facebook’s first rodeo. Back in July of this year, the platform received a $5 billion fine, the largest in FTC history. Of course, this barely made a dent in Facebook’s piggy bank. While we don’t know what the outcome of this situation will be yet, we can bet that it will be dramatic.
Will Facebook receive another $5 billion fine? Will that finally send them over the edge? Stay tuned.
Do you think Facebook is just a strong competitor, or are they bullying other companies? Let us know in the comments below!