According to a report, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is facing challenges in getting his Quest headsets onto shelves in China due to his previous criticisms of the government. The Wall Street Journal reveals that Zuckerberg and other Meta executives have reached out to Tencent Holdings in hopes of bringing their virtual reality headset to the massive Chinese market. However, Chinese business leaders are reluctant to partner with Zuckerberg due to his past accusations against the government and his criticism of rival platform TikTok.
The Journal’s sources suggest that Beijing officials’ perceptions of Zuckerberg could create uncertainty if Meta and its partner seek licenses and approvals for their products and services in China. The Post has reached out to Meta Platforms Inc and Tencent for comment on the matter. Since 2009, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp have been effectively banned in China after refusing to comply with the government’s censorship demands.
The report indicates that Zuckerberg’s recent contact with Tencent may be driven by Apple’s entry into the metaverse dominated by Zuckerberg. Apple recently unveiled a high-priced augmented reality headset called the Vision Pro, which costs three times more than Meta’s most expensive headset. Currently, Meta’s flagship VR headset, Meta Quest Pro, is priced at $999.99, down from its initial launch price of $1,499.99, and Quest 2 is being sold for $299.99.
In an attempt to overcome the obstacles in China, Zuckerberg is said to be in talks with Chinese tech firm Tencent to form a partnership for marketing Meta’s VR headsets. The Journal also reports that in 2021, Zuckerberg questioned why US tech giants like Tesla and Apple had access to the Chinese market while his company faced restrictions. He has also criticized TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, for threatening American values and not sharing Facebook’s commitment to free expression.
Zuckerberg has allegedly lobbied former President Donald Trump and lawmakers about the potential dangers posed by Chinese tech companies to American businesses. He has also hired a GOP consulting firm to divert attention away from Facebook and Instagram and direct it towards TikTok. TikTok has faced scrutiny due to its parent company’s ties to the Chinese Communist Party, although the company denies any vulnerability of American user data to Chinese government collection.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
