That depends on what the point is. The question that's being examined is how content fits into the strategic model of Google/Apple/Facebook etc., which broadly speaking is how do you stop users from switching to competing products.
An individual's desire to consume content is not a differentiator/strategic advantage for any one company. Why is it really hard to build a successful new social network, search engine or smartphone platform? Because Facebook has the network effect, Google search is a superior product as it's improved each day by its 100 of millions of users and Apple has a vertically integrated ecosystem that locks users into using an iPhone.
That's just semantics; of course everything in some way involves content. It just doesn't get you anywhere thinking in such broad terms. You may as well say every tech business is fundamentally about making money, it's true but it doesn't tell you anything interesting.
Understanding tech companies different business models and how paid-for content fits into that does.
An individual's desire to consume content is not a differentiator/strategic advantage for any one company. Why is it really hard to build a successful new social network, search engine or smartphone platform? Because Facebook has the network effect, Google search is a superior product as it's improved each day by its 100 of millions of users and Apple has a vertically integrated ecosystem that locks users into using an iPhone.