As 2019 comes to an end, it’s time to sit back
and reflect on what has been an incredible year
in the world of technology. This week, we’re
delving deeper into the biggest stories and
innovations of the year, covering Apple, social
media, politics, Tesla, and foldable phones...
A CHANGING SOCIAL MEDIA LANDSCAPE
It would be impossible to discuss the biggest
stories in the world of technology without giving
a nod to social networking sites. Facebook
started the year in a rough state, hot off the
heels of the Cambridge Analytica scandal and
other major data breaches and controversies,
and though nobody can say the company has
recovered, it has worked hard to rebuild trust and
reputation amongst users and investors.
The company announced in January that it
planned to merge its popular networking apps
Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp to create
a singular, unified messaging experience,
though that was met with a mixed reaction
with many questioning whether the aim was
for Facebook to transfer data between the
services, at a time when many campaigned for
Facebook to break up its empire.
Later in the year, Facebook announced its Bitcoin
competitor, Facebook Libra, working with
some of the world’s biggest names including
PayPal and Stripe to build a cryptocurrency for
the modern time. However, seven of the 28
founding members quit the controversial
project and now the currency faces scrutiny
from legislators around the world, with some
suggesting that Libra is a threat to “national
sovereignty” with far-reaching consequences
should it actually launch in 2020.