Competition and antitrust: what are Facebook, Google, Amazon and Apple accused of?

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Respect for competition, one of the angles of attack for regulating digital giants, has just returned to the forefront in the United States: according to the American press, the competition authority – the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) – has decided to look into the practices of Facebook and Amazon, the Department of Justice into those of Google and Apple, while the House Judiciary Committee announced its own investigation into the sector on Monday, June 3. Two points are attracting criticism: corporate takeovers, which reinforce dominance in a sector, and platforms, which their owner can use to discriminate against competitors, to the benefit of their own products or services. "We cannot be judge and jury," argues Democratic American Senator Elizabeth Warren, who advocates a "breakup" of Facebook, Google, Amazon and Apple.

Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram
For the group founded by Mark Zuckerberg, the main overseas chinese in canada data issue concerns Whatsapp and Instagram, a messaging and photo social network bought in 2014 and 2012. With these three platforms, which it wants to bring together, Facebook would have too much power . Because they all collect data for advertising targeting purposes.


The WhatsApp application, owned by Facebook, is considered adequately secure; apart from the discovery of specific vulnerabilities, which can exist in any software, the instant messaging service meets standard security standards.

Are there any special precautions to take to avoid being hacked?
While the hacking of Jeff Bezos' phone is extraordinary in its level of sophistication and the alleged involvement of a member of the Saudi royal family, other much more basic tools can be used to spy on a phone, and are within the reach of "everyday" actors (spouses, employers, private detectives, etc.).



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Most “accessible” spyware requires physical access to the victim’s phone: the hacker installs an application that camouflages itself on the device, and regularly sends data – sometimes in real time – to the hacker. Classic prevention measures consist of avoiding leaving your phone unattended, and using a complex or biometric lock code (fingerprint, Face ID, etc.).