Even Mark Zuckerberg doesn’t understand how Apple works

Mark Zuckerberg has rejected Apple CEO Tim Cook’s claim that “when an online service is free, you’re not the customer. You’re the product.” In a feature for Time on Facebook’s Internet.org project, the social network’s founder was reportedly irritated by the notion that ad-supported services are bad for users, describing it as a “ridiculous concept”. “A frustration I have is that a lot of people increasingly seem to equate an advertising businessmodel with somehow being out of alignment with your customers,” said Zuckerberg. “What, you think because you’re paying Apple that you’re somehow in alignment with them? If you were in alignment with them, then they’d make their products a lot cheaper!” Zuckerberg was referring to comments made by Cook in September when the Apple chief defended the company’s approach to security after hundreds of nude and private images of celebrities were stolen from iCloud. Cook said at the time that he didn’t want the company to become a “treasure trove” of user data for the National Security Agency (NSA) and warned consumers to stay clear of companies offering “free” services.