They also have ads and harvest viewing data because of "smart" features. I'm convinced that failing to treat collected user data and wasted time as a real cost distorts economic analysis of the modern tech sector.
For example, you could argue that no one is harmed by Google's near-monopoly on search because consumer prices aren't going up (it's still free!). But if you consider data collected and time wasted scrolling past ads Google's services have been getting steadily more expensive for years.
Of course measuring these costs in an consistent, objective way is extremely difficult :(
For example, you could argue that no one is harmed by Google's near-monopoly on search because consumer prices aren't going up (it's still free!). But if you consider data collected and time wasted scrolling past ads Google's services have been getting steadily more expensive for years.
Of course measuring these costs in an consistent, objective way is extremely difficult :(