Apple is coming down on Facebook and Google

Apple blocked Facebook and Google from running internal iOS apps

Apple revoked Facebook's and Google's iOS enterprise app certificates for violating its Terms of Service. The shutdown is a response to news that Facebook has been using Apple’s enterprise app program for internal app distribution to track teenage customers with a “research” app.

Later, it became clear that both Google and Facebook had built apps for Apple's enterprise app program that collected data from users in dubious ways, and that both companies were caught distributing these apps to research participants outside the companies. Apple said that "Any developer using their enterprise certificates to distribute apps to consumers will have their certificates revoked."

It's a big deal to have your enterprise app certificate revoked. It powers both a company's internal-only iOS apps and all beta apps that many employees are running. It is unclear what Facebook and Google are expected to do to remedy the situation.

Social media has created an increased demand for exotic pets

Cute otters, red foxes, mountain lions, raccoons - the list is long. Parrots are among the most threatened groups of birds, but a few years ago, the African grey parrot was one of the species most commonly found on the internet. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram have become conduits for black-market trade of animals.

Animals online are big business. Having a dog influencer promote your brand generates 80% more comments and almost 30% more engagement than having humans do it, according to Kyla Brennan, CEO of animal-influencer marketing agency WAGSociety.

However, exotic animals are often illegal for good reason, and their social media popularity has made them harder to protect. It has fueled an industry that’s frequently harmful to both human and animal participants.

The Japanese government peacefully hack into hundreds of millions of IoT devices

In preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, the Japanese government plans to hack into 200 million Internet of Things devices.

The goal with the hacking spree is to demonstrate how vulnerable embedded devices are to attack, most often because of weak - or nonexistent - login credentials, difficulty with patching, and overly trusting relationships between devices on the same Wi-Fi network.

At one point during the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, hackers, including Russian state-sponsored attackers, targeted and broke the Wi-Fi and database systems. Internet of Things device insecurity is a significant problem with no easy solution — the Japanese government's dedication to calling attention to the issue is questionable but admirable.

Google, Amazon and Facebook ad sales – the 2018 numbers are in

Google Shopping ads are increasingly popular, with a 42% year-over-year growth in Q4, according to a report from the performance marketing agency Merkle. This is the highest growth rate for Google Shopping ads since mid-2016. Google Shopping ads accounted for 63% of all Google search ad clicks, for retailers, an all-time high.

Amazon can also report substantial growth in ad sales. Amazon’s ad business topped $10 billion for the year, a 95% increase from 2017. Also, after a scandalous year, Facebook’s 2018 Q4 earnings report showed ad profits did not suffer. Facebook said its advertising revenue was $16.6 billion, up 30% year over year. Facebook said the average price per ad decreased by 2% in the fourth quarter, while the number of ad impressions served across its platforms increased by 34%.