Why Facebook CEO thinks Google is ‘better’ than Apple

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg seems really miffed with Apple over App Store’s policies. In an interview on HBO’s Axios, Zuckerberg said that Apple’s App Store behavior “deserves scrutiny”. When asked if he believes that the Apple is a monopoly, Facebook CEO replied, “So, I do think that there are questions that people should be looking into about that control of the App store and whether that is enabling as robust of a competitive dynamic.”

Comparing the iPhone maker to Google, he pointed out latter’s different approach to Android. He mentioned how Android users have the option to sideload apps from any other sources if they want, other than having from the Google Play Store. “As a developer, if you’re not in the Google Play Store, at least you still have a way to get your app on people’s devices. That means that people aren’t completely going to be shut out if they’re doing something that Google doesn’t prefer. I think that’s really important. That people have a way to create something and get it on devices if people want,” he said.

Google allows Android users to sideload apps on their phones. This gives them flexibility to both Android users as well as developers. As developers who don’t want to publish their apps to Google Play Store can still distribute them to Android users, who on their part can download apps from sources other than the company’s official app store.

Apple iPhone and iPad users have no such liberty. They can only download apps that are available on App Store.

Last month too, Zuckerberg criticised Apple in front of Faebook’s 50,000 employees during a company-wide webcast. He reportedly said that Apple has this “unique stranglehold” as a gatekeeper on what gets on phones. Zuckerberg added that the App Store “blocks innovation, blocks competition” and “allows Apple to charge monopoly rents.”