Digital ID and Privacy: the beginning of Facebook as service empire ?

The main challenge for Facebook was to improve its reputation after two years of scandals over data privacy, security and its role in the last US elections.

For this, Mark Zuckerberg began his lecture in an ironic tone: “I know that many people are not sure that we are serious about turning to the private sector, and I know we do not really have the best reputation protection issue of privacy right now is the least we can say   !   “.

In evangelist mode Zuckerberg outbid “ In an increasingly connected world, we need this feeling of intimacy more than ever“

Facebook will therefore create exchange groups around common areas of interest most often private at the heart of its platform. This intimacy is further symbolized by the launch of its new “Secret Crush ” function inspired by Tinder.

Finally the most important, Facebook will streamline the integration of its various applications (Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp) to refine and focus the exchanges of its 2.5 billion users.

These new forums for private cross-platform discussions will encourage less moderation on the part of the giant but especially a much more detailed collection of data under cover of privacy and privacy .

To promote these exchanges the American giant develops since early 2018 his own personal voice assistant. Currently his home voice assistant ‘Portal‘ (equivalent to Amazon Echo and Google home) is still supported bythe artificial intelligence of Amazon (Alexa) and Facebook intends to regain control.

The purpose is the merger of its own AI with its range of products such as Portal (Voice Assistant), Oculus (AR / VR), all powered by data exchange of its 2.5 billion users to provide them Ambient and contextual services.

This desire to include the consumer under an “all-inclusive API platform ” facilitated by a secure digital ID and simplified by a voice assistant is the workhorse of all its digital giants whose ideal model for Facebook is Wechat in China.

As Apple under cover of privacy and privacy, these digital giants want to get closer to our lives. Apple is more and more present in the health via the Apple watch and the banking world (Apple Card ) all this accessible via a unique ID and transversal to all its services.

Unique identification, multiple service platform (health, leisure, banking …) whose central heart is an AI fueled by multiple exchanges of users (consumers, customers) seems to draw the model of tomorrow’s commerce / service environment .

Is it too late for historical actors to embark on this breach   like the hype pronounced by actors such as Orange and the Post Office in France?

Mark Zuckerberg on his side does not seem afraid of the challenge “It is not only to add a few features, but to change the way our society works. It’s not going to happen overnight and we do not have all the answers about what it will look like. “