Mark Zuckerberg reveals how Apple's policies destroyed Facebook's FarmVille

The digital landscape has been shaped by a series of key players over the years, with Facebook , now Meta, standing at the forefront of the social media revolution. But for all its growth and transformation, the platform has faced significant challenges along the way. One of the more notable struggles came when Facebook's thriving app and game ecosystem, including the wildly popular FarmVille , saw a dramatic decline.

In a recent interview with tech writer Ben Thompson from Stratechery, Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg addressed a critical factor in this decline: Apple ’s strict App Store policies. Zuckerberg explained how Apple’s decisions over the years impacted Facebook’s ability to maintain its business model, particularly its app-based games, and how this shift altered the company’s trajectory in the mobile era.


How FarmVille and viral apps powered Facebook's early success

In the late 2000s, Facebook was at the peak of its desktop-based platform, where games and apps played a significant role in the platform's growth. The social network quickly became a hub for developers looking to create interactive content that would engage its growing user base. Games like FarmVille, Mafia Wars, and Texas HoldEm Poker captured the attention of millions, providing Facebook with a fresh revenue stream. By 2012, these apps contributed to about 20% of the company’s revenue, marking a high point for Facebook’s game platform.

This success was primarily driven by Facebook’s ability to integrate its game platform into the broader Facebook experience, allowing users to discover and share apps with their friends. The platform was tailored for the web, and developers used Facebook’s social features to create viral games. As the desktop experience dominated, it seemed that Facebook’s app ecosystem would only continue to thrive.


Zuckerberg explains how Apple’s App Store restrictions impacted Facebook’s mobile growth

However, the rise of smartphones and mobile apps introduced a massive shift in the way people engaged with the internet. The advent of the iPhone and other smartphones ushered in a new era of app-based experiences that would change the way users interacted with social media and online games. As mobile platforms began to dominate, Zuckerberg and his team recognized that Facebook’s future would depend on successfully adapting to the mobile revolution.

Unfortunately, Facebook’s smooth transition from desktop to mobile wasn't as seamless as they hoped. Zuckerberg recalled, "The original Facebook platform was really built for the web, before mobile became big." The company’s model, which relied heavily on web-based interactions, needed to be overhauled to thrive in an app-centric mobile environment.

It was at this point that Zuckerberg pointed to Apple’s App Store policies as a significant hurdle for Facebook's continued success in the mobile space. Facebook had initially planned to leverage its own app platform inside the iPhone to continue growing its mobile app and game ecosystem. However, Apple’s stringent rules soon made this impossible.


Apple’s App Store policies and their impact on Facebook

In the early days of mobile app development, Apple implemented rules that severely restricted how companies like Facebook could operate within the App Store. One of the key policies that Zuckerberg highlighted was Apple’s decision to block Facebook from running its own app platform inside the iPhone. Zuckerberg explained, "When people started using mobile more, Apple told us, ‘You can’t have apps inside your app.’ That hurt something that had grown to be an important part of our business."

This policy change effectively cut Facebook off from the ability to operate a platform that could support games and apps in the same way it had on desktop. As a result, Facebook's ability to host third-party applications, which had been a core part of its business model, was significantly diminished. While Apple argued that these policies were necessary for maintaining the security and quality of apps on its platform, the restriction ultimately stifled the growth of Facebook’s app-based ecosystem.

The ramifications were immediate and profound: Facebook’s once-booming app and game business started to decline, and developers who had once relied on Facebook’s platform for distribution were forced to adapt to the new constraints. Zuckerberg noted that by limiting Facebook’s access to key tools and changing the company’s relationship with developers, Apple set off a chain of events that led to the decline of its game and app platform.

Apple’s privacy and tracking policies

In addition to the restrictions on Facebook’s app platform, Zuckerberg also pointed to Apple’s privacy policies as a factor that further undermined Facebook’s mobile business. Specifically, Apple’s introduction of App Tracking Transparency (ATT) in 2020 made it more difficult for companies like Facebook to track user behavior across different apps and websites. This update, which required apps to ask users for permission before collecting data for targeted advertising, was seen as a direct challenge to Facebook’s ad-driven revenue model.

For Facebook, which had built its business around precise ad targeting, this policy change was a blow to its ability to effectively monetize its platform. Zuckerberg expressed frustration with Apple’s stance, noting that its policies had placed significant limitations on how Facebook could operate in the mobile space.


The bitter relationship between Meta and Apple

Zuckerberg’s comments on Apple reveal a deeper sense of frustration and bitterness between the two tech giants. He described Apple’s decisions as creating "deep bitterness" and emphasized the company’s refusal to consider the value Facebook’s platform could bring to the iPhone ecosystem. Zuckerberg argued that Apple’s approach was too restrictive and that it limited the potential for collaboration between the two companies.

He expressed his belief that mobile platforms should be more open, similar to traditional desktop systems such as Windows or macOS, where developers have more freedom to build their own ecosystems and offer a wider range of services. Zuckerberg lamented that Apple’s "walled garden" approach prevented Facebook from fully realizing its potential in the mobile era.


Apple’s legal challenges and the future of mobile platforms

Zuckerberg’s comments come at a time when Apple is facing increasing legal scrutiny over its App Store policies. Recently, a U.S. judge ruled that Apple had violated an earlier order by continuing to block developers from linking users to external payment options. This ruling is part of a broader legal battle in which Apple is being accused of maintaining an illegal monopoly over the app market. Apple is also facing an antitrust lawsuit from the U.S. Department of Justice, which claims that the company’s practices harm competition in the smartphone industry.

For Zuckerberg and Meta, these developments offer a glimmer of hope that Apple’s "walled garden" may eventually start to open up, allowing for greater freedom for developers and a more open mobile platform. As regulators push back against Apple’s control over the App Store, Zuckerberg and other tech leaders may see this as an opportunity for a more balanced and competitive mobile ecosystem.


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