Facebook Is Doing A Good Job Obliterating One Of Its Tech Competitors; Snapchat
With the recent hype over Snapchat’s initial public offering, pivoting the company’s valuation to over 20 billion dollars. One of its direct competitors, however isn’t the least bit afraid of it at all.
Our all time favourite app; Facebook sees this as merely just an add-on ingredient, to enhance the flavour of their already delectable dish. Commanding a staggering amount of 1.23 billion users daily, Facebook seems to be taking the interest to consistently tease Snapchat by integrating some of its beneficial functions across several platforms.
Looking from a superficial perspective, Facebook gives us the impression that they are adding more newer features and enhancing the overall user experience with their app. But is this all a facade? With a undisclosed agenda to want to crush Snapchat?
While we all know that the daily Snapchat users would be 158 million due to their recent IPO filing, it is still a far cry when it stands beside the number of users Facebook is able to garner. The differentiation that Snapchat offers would be personal sharing. It gives users the different vibe that Facebook has, taking privacy to the next level. If you were to send a short snap of any mature content over to your partner/spouse, you would not be put into a tight spot where it risks your snap being seen be family members or loved ones.
The turning point for Facebook was when it “rob” Snapchat of its “Story” feature where the end users are able to upload a couple of “temporary” photos or videos that are no longer than 10 seconds and will be gone forever after 24 hours. This distinct feature has been introduced in Instagram. It may seem to be a move pulled off smoothly, but Facebook ended up pulling all limelight and attention on towards itself. Some may call it luck, but Facebook got off scot-free after which.
Questions and doubts have been arising and it leaves us all to ponder, isn’t this an act of stealing ideas in broad daylight? A Professor in Duke Law mentioned that “it is actually okay to take an idea from someone so long as the expression can be differentiated.” Even if it has the same function and works the same, Instagram and Snapchat both thrive in their own separate setting. This may seem like a case of a “daylight robbery” but, Facebook cannot be faulted legally.
The underlying statement that Facebook ultimately wants to send to Snapchat and the rest of the world: Snapchat is an add-on that can be replaceable or taken over one day.
In the eyes of Facebook, it wants to be the “go-to” app where you can find all your needs and there should not be another app for you to launch when it comes to sending snaps, posting short “stories” or sharing any content. If Snapchat does not innovate and present itself as a differentiated app giving users reasons to still launch their app separately, it will be annihilated badly by Facebook in time to come.
Source: Mashable