Mark Zuckerberg is totally fine with you being the product

In an extensive look at how Facebook wants to help people in emerging markets access the Internet (and turn them into Facebook users) with help of its Internet.org initiative, Time has also spoken to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg about the social network’s business model. This is particularly topical given the rise of the Ello anti-Facebook social network, and also Tim Cook’s comments about customers being “the product” for certain companies that make money from targeted advertising.

Even though Apple’s CEO might have been targeting Google and possibly Amazon with his comments back in September, it looks like Zuckerberg was paying close attention to what Cook had to say.

“When an online service is free, you’re not the customer. You’re the product,” Cook said at the time, while detailing Apple’s privacy and security-guarding features in iOS and OS X.

Time’s Lev Grossman, who interviewed Zuckerberg, noted the CEO only displayed irritation when addressing Cook’s comments.

“A frustration I have is that a lot of people increasingly seem to equate an advertising business model with somehow being out of alignment with your customers,” Zuckerberg says. “I think it’s the most ridiculous concept. What, you think because you’re paying Apple that you’re somehow in alignment with them? If you were in alignment with them, then they’d make their products a lot cheaper!”

“Our mission is to connect every person in the world. You don’t do that by having a service people pay for,” Facebook’s CEO added, while talking about Ello.

The anti-Facebook social network doesn’t sell ads or collect personal information for advertising purposes, like Facebook does, which makes users Facebook’s product, according to Ello.

The full Time article, which reveals many interesting details about Facebook’s Internet.org plans, is available at the source link.