Meta sneakily introduced “Platform Integrity Attestation API” which basically calls home to see whether the user has a valid license to play.
This means that to run apps user has to have online connection to perform an integrity test. Whether it’s only a test on launch or continues call home like Denuvo-like DRMs is not yet clear. This could also mean that modified headsets could fail to pass this test essentially closing down the device for modifications that could damage “platform integrity”. Not all details are clear yet but this doesn’t look good.
Currently it’s optional and up to app developers to enable it.
No, they sell advertment slots to advertisers with promise of higher ad interaction, a promise they can keep because they target those advertisements to users that are more likely to interact with them using user data. User data isn’t sold, leased, whatever you want to call it.
Also, technically not entirely a monopoly because there are quite a few tech giants that operate like this. Oligopoly would be the correct term.