The WorldCoin Conundrum

Everywhere you look, antitrust fights have the potential to reshape the tech industry. Nilay, David, and The Verge's Jake Kastrenakes start by digging into the latest ruling in the Apple / Epic trial, in which a furious judge rips open the App Store in a way Apple likely never saw coming. The way we pay for apps is about to change, and fast. After that, it's time for an update on the Google and Meta trials, as Google tries to preserve its search empire and Meta tries to make the case that basically every company on the web is its vicious competitor. Finally, in the lightning round, it's time for another installment of Brendan Carr is a Dummy, plus some notes on this week's Worldcoin launch and the strange new Meta AI app. Also: party speakers. Always party speakers.

Further reading:

• A judge just blew up Apple’s control of the App Store

• ‘Cook chose poorly’: how Apple blew up its control over the App Store

• The future of the App Store depends on the difference between a ‘button’ and an ‘external link’

  Apple must allow other forms of in-app purchase, rules judge in Epic v. Apple

  Apple exec ‘outright lied’ during Epic trial

  Apple confirms it will appeal the App Store order.

  Epic says Fortnite is coming back to iOS in the US

  Sundar Pichai says the DOJ’s antitrust plan could kill Google Search

  Google confirms it’s close to getting Gemini support on iPhones

• The TikTok ban is back in court — in Meta’s antitrust trial

• TikTok’s head of operations takes the stand.

• Reels isn’t Instagram’s ‘core’ experience.

• TikTok doesn’t compete with Meta for ‘personal social networking.’

• TikTok’s legal entanglements collide.

• The TikTok ban makes another cameo.

• TikTok’s friends tab is not exactly a hit.

• TikTok and Reels are ‘indistinguishable.’

• Are YouTube and Instagram the top competitors for TikTok? 

• TikTok predicted Instagram would redesign its app to focus on Reels.


Meta prepared for a ‘flood in traffic’ ahead of the TikTok ban.

• Facebook execs worried Google would buy WhatsApp and make it ‘a cross-platform iMessage.’

• Facebook worried most about Google or Apple buying WhatsApp.

• Google had a ‘long shot’ chance of becoming competitive in social with WhatsApp.

• Facebook exec worried about losing the business to mobile messaging apps.

• ‘I was really worried that this could become the end.’

• ‘This shit is getting scary.’ 

• WhatsApp showed ‘absolutely no signs of morphing’ into a social app.

• Facebook floated starting from scratch on messaging.

• Facebook didn’t know how it would make money from WhatsApp.

Facebook didn’t fear WhatsApp becoming a social competitor.

Meta releases AI app to compete with ChatGPT

Brendan Carr congratulates himself

Brendan Carr’s FCC is an anti-consumer, rights-trampling harassment machine

Brendan Carr’s Bizarro World FCC

Sam Altman-backed Worldcoin cryptocurrency launches in the US


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