People Like Privacy: Apple Made a Change That Is Hammering Internet Companies Like Meta

"Apple’s vision of a more private web is not necessarily a more profitable one for internet companies that depend on advertising revenue.

That lesson was clear on Wednesday in an earnings report from Meta, the company that Mark Zuckerberg founded as Facebook. Meta said that privacy features introduced by Apple last year could cost Mr. Zuckerberg’s company $10 billion in lost sales this year.

The news, along with increased spending as Meta tries to focus on the new idea of a metaverse, dropped Meta’s stock price more than 26 percent on Thursday morning. Mr. Zuckerberg said Wednesday that Apple’s changes and new privacy regulations in Europe represented “a clear trend where less data is available to deliver personalized ads.”

Meta’s warning and its cratering stock price were reminders that even among tech giants, Apple holds extraordinary sway because of its control of the iPhone. And the tech industry received a clear notice that a long-planned shift in how people’s information may be used online was having a dramatic impact on Madison Avenue and internet companies that have spent years building businesses around selling ads.

“People can’t really be targeted the way they were before,” said Eric Seufert, a media strategist and author of Mobile Dev Memo, a blog about mobile advertising. “That breaks the model. It’s not just an inconvenience that can be fixed with a couple of tweaks. It requires rebuilding the foundation of the business.”

Other internet companies that depend on ads felt the tremors, too. But smaller outfits appear to have been more nimble than Meta in their response to Apple’s changes.

Shares in Snap, which reported its fourth-quarter results on Thursday afternoon, fell about 17 percent earlier in the day. But prices bounced back in after-hours trading after the company said it made its first profit. The share prices of Twitter and Pinterest also dropped after Meta’s earnings report, but recovered in after-hours trading Thursday after Pinterest also reported better-than-expected earnings.

Apple’s changes have far-reaching repercussions that may hurt consumers’ wallets, Mr. Seufert said, though consumers are overwhelmingly choosing not to be tracked. While Meta and other big media companies have developed new methods to target people with ads, some smaller brands, whose ads can no longer reach new customers, have found a different solution to the problem: raise prices.

Apple made significant changes to the privacy settings of its mobile operating system last year, allowing iPhone users to choose whether advertisers could track them. Since Apple introduced the feature, a vast majority of iPhone users have opted to block tracking.

Only 24 percent of iPhone users around the world have consented to being tracked by advertisers, according to data published in December by the analytics company Flurry. That means that a broad swath of iPhone users are evading the personal tracking preferred by advertisers.

It has been a dismaying shift for advertisers, which have for years tracked people online in order to determine how many sales their clients were making. Advertisers also rely on tracking to resurface products that consumers have viewed but not yet purchased, reminding them that it might be time to buy. But for privacy activists, the change is a welcome check against surveillance that puts power back into the hands of everyday technology users.

“We believe the impact of iOS overall is a headwind on our business in 2022,” said Dave Wehner, Meta’s chief financial officer, during a call with analysts on Wednesday. “It’s on the order of $10 billion, so it’s a pretty significant headwind for our business.”

Google has also made moves that disrupt the advertising industry. Last month, it announced a proposal for how Chrome, the world’s most widely used web browser, might eventually eliminate traditional tracking mechanisms for serving ads. It introduced a new system, Topics, which would inform advertisers of a user’s areas of interest — such as “fitness” or “autos and vehicles” — based on the last three weeks of the user’s web browsing history.

Meta’s estimated loss because of these limits is comparable to what the company is losing on the metaverse. Meta said its pivot to the metaverse — which could in theory help it step away from Apple’s influence — was eating into its profit. The company views the metaverse as the next generation of the internet, in which people will share virtual experiences. It lost more than $10 billion in 2021 as it built the virtual reality goggles and smart glasses that will make it possible for users to access the metaverse.

Although Meta said revenue rose 20 percent in the three months ending in December, to $33.7 billion, compared with the same period a year earlier, the company’s quarterly profits fell 8 percent, to $10.3 billion.

Mr. Wehner added that Apple’s iOS changes buoyed the ad business of Google, which is not dependent on Apple for advertising data.

Snap, the maker of the Snapchat app and the augmented reality glasses Spectacles, said during its third-quarter earnings report in October that Apple’s privacy changes were having an unexpected impact on its business. But the company is adapting, Snap said in its fourth-quarter earnings report on Thursday, and the biggest impacts from Apple’s change may be behind it.

“We are making solid progress,” said Jeremi Gorman, Snap’s chief business officer. The company offers its own measurement tools to advertisers to gauge the impact of their ads, and those tools are now used by more than 75 percent of its direct-response advertisers, Ms. Gorman said.

In its earnings report, Snap said that it had exceeded analyst expectations for revenue and user growth. In the last three months of 2021, Snap’s revenue was $1.3 billion, a 42 percent increase from the same period a year ago. Daily active users grew to 319 million, a 20 percent increase. The company profit was $22.5 million.

Snap’s share price rebounded after the news, shooting up more than 50 percent in after-hours trading on Thursday.

In the last three months of the year, Pinterest’s revenue increased to $847 million, up 20 percent from the same period a year ago, the company said on Thursday. Its profit was $175 million, a 16 percent drop from 2020. Pinterest’s share price was up 29 percent in after-hours trading.

In the past, Twitter has said that Apple’s privacy push caused minimal disruptions to its business because much of its advertising came from brand awareness campaigns and large events, like the Olympics, rather than targeted advertising. Twitter is set to report its fourth-quarter earnings on Feb. 10.

But Apple, which reported its fourth-quarter earnings last week, indicated that privacy was profitable. Despite supply chain disruptions, Apple said that sales of iPhones totaled $71.6 billion, up 9 percent from a year earlier. The smartphone maker reported an 11 percent increase in revenue and a 20 percent jump in profit.

Apple has made privacy a key part of its marketing for the iPhone and other products, giving customers the ability to opt out of tracking and providing steps to make tracking more difficult in its browser, Safari. But Apple has continued to allow apps like Facebook to track users in aggregate, as long as they do not seek to personally identify users.

Last year, Timothy D. Cook, Apple’s chief executive, making his company’s message clear, said that the advertising industry had become an ecosystem of “trackers and hucksters just looking to make a quick buck.”"

 

Conspiracy against China failed for Landsbergis - Lithuania remains alone: ​​Slovenia does not change its position on Taiwan

   "Slovenian foreign policy co-ordinators have clarified the country's position on relations with Taiwan and have announced the use of the word" Taipei "in the name of the planned mission in Ljubljana, according to the Euractiv portal.

 

    "Our position has never deviated from the 'one China' policy," the country's foreign minister, Angie Logar, told a parliamentary foreign affairs committee on January 28. The committee's chairman, Monika Gregorčič, emphasized that the word "Taipei" would be used in the name of the Office for Economic Relations and Culture in Slovenia, not word "Taiwan". The committee also unanimously adopted a resolution stating Slovenia's commitment to the "One China" policy. "This message is indisputable, it is being sent by many political players and the parliamentary committee is concerned about it," - said politician Matthias Nemec of the opposition Social Democratic Party."

 

One on the field is not a soldier. It is left to the adults in Lithuania to change the name of the Taiwanese representative office to Taipei. And we already believed that we would cause a global anti-Chinese revolution... Sorry, no more idiots are available.

 

Sąmokslas prieš Kiniją G. Landsbergiui neišėjo - Lietuva lieka viena: Slovėnija nekeičia poziciją dėl Taivano

"Slovėnijos užsienio politiką koordinuojantys pareigūnai patikslino šalies poziciją dėl ryšių su Taivanu ir paskelbė, kad planuojamos atstovybės Liublianoje pavadinime bus vartojamas žodis „Taibėjus“ ir tai bus ekonominių ryšių ir kultūros biuras, praneša portalas „Euractiv“.

„Mūsų pozicija niekuomet nenukrypo“ nuo „Vienos Kinijos“ politikos, dar sausio 28 dieną pareiškė šalies užsienio reikalų ministras Anže Logaras, parlamentiniam užsienio reikalų komitetui posėdžio metu. Komiteto pirmininkė Monika Gregorčič pabrėžė, kad ekonominių ryšių ir kultūros biuro Slovėnijoje pavadinime bus vartojamas žodis „Taibėjus“, ne Taivanas. Komitetas taip pat vienbalsiai priėmė rezoliuciją, kurioje tvirtinama, kad Slovėnija lieka įsipareigojusi „Vienos Kinijos“ politikai. „Ši žinutė yra neginčijama, ją siunčia daugelis politikos žaidėjų ir šiuo klausimu besirūpinantis parlamentinis komitetas“, – teigė politikas Matjažas Nemecas iš opozicinės Socialdemokratų partijos."

Vienas lauke - ne karys. Beliko suaugusiems Lietuvoje irgi pakeisti Taivano atstovybės pavadinimą į Taibėjaus. O mes jau patikėjome, kad sukelsime pasaulinį antikinišką gaisrą... Gaila, nėra daugiau durnių.



 

Incite wars and destroy the foundations of the Lithuanian economy - why Landsbergis family does it?

Two reasons. First reason is political - like Chinese dictator Mao in cultural revolution, Landsbergis family is using chaos to destroy alternative growing power centers, including thriving Lithuanian companies. Second reason is economical - in the aftermath of  economic destruction it is easy  for one euro to pick up assets that belong to other people. This way spouse of Vytautas Landsbergis grabbed expensive land in Vilnius that belongs to Polish descent citizens of Lithuania. This way spouse (again) of Gabrielius Landsbergis grabbed expensive land in Vilnius paying only one euro. Poor greedy spouses, I would say.

    "We are all seeing rising prices for food, fuel, heating, electricity and various services. Landsbergis' liberal-conservative Lithuanian government blames the pandemic. The facts show that the current actions of the rulers in the fields of foreign policy, economics and financial management are pushing our country towards economic decline. The so-called “value policy” pursued by I. Šimonytė's government, attacking Belarus and China, will not only severely hit the pockets of Lithuanians, but will also severely destroy the long-term economic and social stability and security of our country.

 

    Lithuania's foreign policy is harmful to the population, uniquely blunt and incomprehensible even in the United States

 

    Lithuanian foreign policy likes to follow the examples of the United States. What is "value policy" in the United States? Powell's doctrine of security policy has been followed in U.S. foreign policy for many years. It declares that before pursuing international politics, it is necessary to have answers to the essential questions: 1) Is the vital security interest of the country at stake? 2) Do we really have clear and achievable goals? 3) Are the costs and risks of the decision fully and objectively determined, perceived and discussed? 4) Have all non-violent policies been exhausted? 5) Is there a strategy for exiting the potential conflict? 6) Have all the consequences of such a US policy decision been assessed? 7) Are the actions supported by U.S. citizens? 8) Is there real international support? Decisions are made only after these questions have been answered. This is one of the most powerful countries in the world. Consequently, a value policy is one that is supported by the majority of the country’s population and does not harm the state itself.

 

    We are constantly "brainwashing" by manipulating the term "value policy". The current policy of I. Šimonytė and G. Landsbergis poses a threat to the state of Lithuania, provokes the enemies of our country's attack and destroys the foundations of the country's economy. In the case of Taiwan, for example, no one even tried to analyze the situation. We sought to make Mr G. Landsbergis a star in international politics and a future European Commissioner for Foreign Affairs. The whole of Lithuania paid for this self-employment of the Landsbergis family.

 

    Unnecessary conflict with China is causing capital to shrink, companies to register in Riga and billions of euros are lost.

 

     Landsbergis promises to deescalate the dispute with China by warning Beijing of the consequences. He lies openly, telling tales that such a policy of Lithuanian Taiwan is supported by the USA.

 

    The U.S. Department of State page in black and white clearly acknowledges the recognition of the one-China policy and Taiwan as an integral part of it (Source: https://www.state.gov/countries-areas/taiwan/). Why does Lithuania have to overtake even the United States and make itself a target of one of the most powerful countries in the world, China? In foreign policy it is enough to maintain the position of the United States and not to look for conflicts and wars ourselves. In the case of a small state, only such a successful policy is possible, because only the insane and extremely greedy who seek evil for their Homeland can provoke the powerful!

 

    Of course, this government is still finding excuses for itself: it is the market that is to blame, it is people who do not understand the current situation, it is unfavorable circumstances. In one of her interviews, Prime Minister I. Šimonytė has said that the government does not have the opportunity to influence prices, because the market regulates itself. However, we do not need to look far, we have neighboring Poland nearby, which has created an anti-inflationary package to protect the financial well-being of its citizens or at least mitigate the negative economic consequences for both business and people due to significantly rising raw material and resource prices.

 

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, presenting the "Anti-Inflation Shield for Poland" program, stated that "the state is like a family, so we must help each other in difficult times." Where is our family in Lithuania?

 

    I. Šimonytė proposes to divide Lithuania again and apply zero VAT to heat only to Vilnius residents connected to the central heating system. And what to do for the elders of the village and the rest of Lithuania, who have all the prices and have to heat themselves with firewood, gas, electricity or other means? Is this done out of misunderstanding? Or maybe the mayor of the Freedom Party, R. Šimašius, is being rescued, and an attempt is being made to preserve at least the votes of Vilnius residents who voted for the Liberal Conservative coalition parties the most? In any case, this is wrong and dividing people.

 

    The economic war with Belarus threatens to rise in gas prices and destroy strategic enterprises

 

    The Lithuanian government is currently waging economic wars with Belarus and China. This will negatively affect our entire economy and the collection of state budget revenues.

 

    The worst case scenario for Lithuania would be if Lukashenko decided to restrict gas transit from Russia via Belarus to Lithuania. In that case, gas prices in Lithuania would rise sharply and that would affect us all.

 

    It remains to be seen and wait for that not to happen. The Lietuvos Geležinkeliai (LTG) Group has already announced that it will terminate its contract with Belaruskalij, one of the world's largest producers and exporters of potassium fertilizers, as of February 1 this year, and  Belaruskalij has immediately stated its intention to claim compensation for all possible losses. The LTG Group has already received a warning letter stating: “The Belarusian company states that in the event of a breach of contract by LTG, it reserves the right to claim full damages, including direct damages, and possible compensation to direct and indirect partners worldwide."

 

    Also, in response to the termination of the contract for the transportation of Belarusian fertilizers by Lithuanian railways, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus announced this Wednesday a ban on the transit of goods by rail from Lithuania. The transit ban will apply to the transportation of oil products and fertilizers from Lithuania via Belarus and will take effect on February 7. Some Lithuanian exporters claim that they are already diverting their cargo through Poland or looking for alternative routes. It is currently unclear whether the ban will apply to non-transit cargo and whether the ban on transit will not cover other cargo segments.

 

    Vaidotas Šileika, President of the Association of Lithuanian Stevedoring Companies (LJKKA), takes Belarus' actions seriously. The blocking of transit through Belarus could disrupt transit of 2-3 million tons or even higher cargo through Klaipėda State Seaport and there will be huge financial losses. It is difficult to find alternative routes for cargo transportation - cargo owners will choose a port other than Klaipėda. Jonava nitrogen fertilizer producer Achema and oil refining company Orlen Lietuva will also face such problems as Belarus, as these companies regularly transport their products to Ukraine via Belarus.

 

    Is Lithuania able to absorb such economic and financial losses without significant long-term consequences for the development of our country? Mantas Bartuška, the former head of the Lithuanian Railways Group, has stated that the termination of the agreement with Belaruskalij would threaten the Lithuanian Railways Groupy with hundreds of millions of euros in lawsuits and even bankruptcy. The port and railways will lose a total of around € 900 million due to the breach of contract with Belarus. The ban on rail freight transit through Belarus will also bring additional losses to Lithuania, the exact size of which is currently difficult to determine. So what is the fate of the Lithuanian Railways group? How many employees will need to be laid off who are working for the Lithuanian Railways Group and Klaipėda Seaport? In addition, a lengthy lawsuit is scheduled for the termination of contracts with Belarus, which will severely empty the pockets of Lithuanian taxpayers, as Lithuania may have to pay damages.

 

    At that time, another international situation created by the Liberal Conservative government was underestimated by Andrius Kubilius and other rulers. This is the actual annexation of Belarus by Russia, which is already stationed with the latter's army and modern armaments close to Vilnius. Our push of Lukashenko into Moscow's arms was  a targeted attack organized by G. Landsbergis. He left Lukashenko no choice and no chance to continue to balance, at least in part, between Brussels, Washington and Moscow. Therefore, Putin should send personal thanks to the current Lithuanian government and Foreign Minister G. Landsbergis on behalf of Russia or even ordens for special merits in strengthening Moscow's influence in Belarus.

 

    The war with China over Taiwan is pushing capital out of Lithuania and causing billions in losses

 

    Due to the unexpected opening of the Taiwanese representative office, China is making a demonstration sacrifice to the whole world, so that no one would even think of following our government. China uses largely invisible economic sanctions, the existence of which will be difficult to prove legally. The European Commission could not at least formally react and appealed to China for action by the World Trade Organization. The legal process with China, which will begin there in a few months, could take decades and does little to help us.

 

    The reality is now. 2021 in December, the trade flow from Lithuania to China decreased by 91% compared to 2020. The pharmaceutical, laser, electronics and food sectors were hit hardest. Lithuanian businesses are already facing huge problems in Chinese ports, and the price of containers has risen about tenfold. The fight against China will not be cheap - imports from China amount to 1.2 billion euros, and exports to this country from Lithuania are 300 million euros. Entrepreneurs are already boldly saying that the government has  sacrificed them in this conflict, and the partnerships and market share that we have built China for years have been easily destroyed.

 

    Vidmantas Janulevičius, President of the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists, says that the industrial sector could lose 3 to 5 billion euros in turnover a year due to sanctions. Who will cover this?

 

    Foreign companies through unofficial channels are already banned from selling in China products containing raw materials and components from Lithuania.

 

    This complicates the situation of international companies operating in Lithuania. German entrepreneurs in our country are already talking about the possibility of relocating production from our country, which would lead to the dismissal of thousands of workers. Jobs would be lost by highly qualified specialists who create high added value for our country's economy. It is worth noting that the manufacturing industry generates about 20 percent of Lithuania's gross domestic product (GDP). Capital has begun to withdraw from Lithuania and businesses are being relocated to Riga to at least circumvent Chinese sanctions on Lithuania. The Latvian budget will be replenished, and we will continue to be empty. We all will feel the consequences.

 

    During the pandemic, society and the economy suffered many shocks. The government’s policy of searching for enemies is undermining the foundations of the state’s economy. At that time, the Speaker of the Seimas V. Čmilytė-Nielsen did not think that China should be apologized for Taiwan and offered to fight for a different world order! Silence is essential - that fight cannot be won and all Lithuanians are suffering and will suffer a lot as a result. China has a long-term and very focused approach. Their mindset is different than that of Westerners. For them, the 10- or 25-year plans are short enough, so the impact on Lithuania will be long-term. Knowing their investments in Belarus and Russia and the resilient political cooperation there, Lithuania, thanks to G. Landsbergis' team, has acquired a financially powerful enemy who will spare no money to support the struggle of Belarus and Russia against the Lithuanian government. It has to be said that the entire population will suffer again.

 

    No country in the world is pursuing such an irresponsible foreign policy that is destroying the country's economy. The Lithuanian Government of I. Šimonytė and G. Landsbergis is unique here.

 

    Public intimidation of the war in Ukraine and Russia's threat to attack Lithuania - seeking to divert attention from the government's mistakes

 

    The Liberal Conservative coalition attacked intensely to raise hysteria through all possible media and to intimidate the public into Russia's war with Ukraine and even a possible attack on Lithuania. V. Čmilytė-Nielsen says, “I do not see such hysteria. I think this is a normal assessment of the situation, an adequate assessment of the situation. ”For the Conservatives led by Mr Landsbergis, this is a common political ploy. To intimidate society about a war and thus divert everyone's attention from the most painful problems for the people. This makes it easier to hide and cover up the "mistakes" of I. Šimonytė's Government that are in reality power and assets grab by Landsbergis family. The economic collapse and the drastic rise in prices are no longer a matter of paramount importance, because war is a close danger!

 

    Do we need to prepare for all security policy crisis scenarios? Really so. Consult with allies, support friendly states, but do not raise hysteria in public, because it does not strengthen the security of the country. The Commander of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Valdemaras Rupšys, clearly stated that "Russia's military aggression is not directed against NATO countries, therefore there is no immediate threat to Lithuania." He believes that the panic in society is not entirely justified. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reassures Western countries that the situation at the front line is similar to many years ago. He sees no sign that there will certainly be an attack by Russia soon. It is clear that the situation does not need to be underestimated, but the public must be reassured, not intimidated, by the leaders of the state, and the current situation must be assessed objectively.

 

    Lithuania is a member of NATO and now Russia has no plans to cause a third world war. Moscow always counts what is more geopolitically beneficial to them and such a war would certainly not be beneficial. Such a war would be nuclear and result in hundreds of millions of deaths, but there are Lithuanian politicians who have deepened their complete nonsense in a serious tone. Listening to the representatives of such liberal conservatives, it seems that Lithuania is the most powerful empire in the world and is not afraid of any wars. Unfortunately, investors are afraid of possible wars - they choose to invest in the markets of safer countries. Lithuanians are also afraid of them - some choose to emigrate, while others live in constant stress due to the impending war, rising prices, pandemic and a completely uncertain tomorrow.

 

    To underestimate the country's geography and the fact that it is impossible to replace neighboring countries with others is to live in illusions and lead the state nowhere. Not realizing that conducting business, telling you to find other markets and blaming it on daring to work with the Chinese, Russian or Belarusian markets is a disregard for reality. Lansbergism’s policy has been fueling wars and conflicts for many years, but geographical reality and business logic dictate its own.

 

    Russia is in the first place in bilateral trade with Lithuania (Trade turnover: EUR 6.46 billion; Exports: EUR 3.83 billion - 1st place). Lithuania's prosperity would be sufficient to make effective use of NATO, EU membership, strong defense of its state interests and support for US foreign policy. We would avoid pointless wars with invincible adversaries and act safely, even with many effects more than Finland.

 

     Such a policy of "realpolitik" serving the well-being of the Lithuanian population does not require hysteria, but wise decisions. I believe that Lithuanian society is already ripe for that, because our state will simply not be able to withstand the rule of liberal conservatives for another term. Donald Trump's patriots will return to power in late November this year and Republicans will secure a majority in Congress. Lithuania must prepare for this and have the right leadership, not the political leaders who pray to the globalists with Soros and Swab.

 

     The plight of the economy and the failure to learn from at least neighboring Poland will be discussed later in a second part of this article."