The Briefing by Martin Peers, Jessica Lessin and the team at The Information

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The Briefing

By Martin Peers, Jessica Lessin and the team at The Information

Get smarter about the day’s news in tech, media and finance by following Silicon Valley’s most-read executive newsletter.

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Recent Editions

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook-parent Meta Platforms. Photo: Bloomberg

Meta’s Facebook Deepens Partisan Lines; What Waymo Didn’t Say

By Laura Mandaro · Dec 29, 2021 6:11pm PST

For several years, Facebook has been in bad graces with Democrat policymakers, who blamed the company, recently renamed Meta Platforms, for securing Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential win by allowing Russian operatives to run riot on the social network. Two stories in the past week on Meta’s Washington operations suggest this distrust won’t go... For several years, Facebook has been in bad graces with Democrat policymakers, who blamed the...

Photo by Bloomberg. Art by Mike Sullivan.

Crypto’s 10 Biggest Moments of 2021

By Hannah Miller · Dec 29, 2021 4:00pm PST · 1 comment

It has undoubtedly been a landmark year for crypto. With a market value of $2 trillion for all digital currencies, broadening adoption and huge investments from VC firms, crypto is now a major force in tech. Here’s a look back at the 10 biggest moments in crypto this year. It has undoubtedly been a landmark year for crypto. With a market value of $2 trillion for all...

Roelof Botha (l) and Neil Shen. Photos by Steve Jennings and Remy Steinegger via Flickr. Illustration by Mike Sullivan

2022 Predictions

Why Sequoia Capital Will Split From Star Chinese Partner

By Kate Clark and Shai Oster · Dec 29, 2021 6:00am PST

Rising geopolitical tensions could spell the end of a 16-year relationship for Sequoia Capital and Sequoia Capital China. We predict the U.S. venture powerhouse and its Chinese affiliate, led by star deal maker Neil Shen, will move to part ways next year as the Chinese government extends a regulatory crackdown on tech companies and U.S.... Rising geopolitical tensions could spell the end of a 16-year relationship for Sequoia Capital...

The Apple Park campus in Cupertino, Calif. Photo: Bloomberg

Cybersecurity Startups Have a Lot to Prove

By Amir Efrati · Dec 28, 2021 6:08pm PST

The Apple Park campus in Cupertino, Calif. Photo: Bloomberg

Cybersecurity Startups Have a Lot to Prove

By Amir Efrati · Dec 28, 2021 6:08pm PST

Startups developing security software have largely tracked with the rest of the enterprise software startup field this year when it comes to funding and valuations—up and to the right—even as prices for publicly traded software companies fell a little closer to Earth. Venture capitalists poured a record $25 billion or so into cybersecurity... Startups developing security software have largely tracked with the rest of the enterprise...

Parker McCurley, co-founder and CEO of Decent Labs. Photo courtesy of Decent Labs. Art by Mike Sullivan.

Sarcophagus Raises $3.7M in VC/Crowdfunding Combo (Exclusive)

By Hannah Miller · Dec 28, 2021 4:00pm PST

Some of the most colorful headlines in the news about crypto focus on people locked out of massive fortunes because they lost the private keys needed to access their funds. Sarcophagus, a decentralized protocol that raised $3.7 million Tuesday, aims to prevent that problem from ever happening. Sarcophagus, which launched over a year ago,... Some of the most colorful headlines in the news about crypto focus on people locked out of...

A developer wearing Snap's AR Spectacles. Photo: Snap

Looking Back at 2021 and at What’s Ahead for AR and VR in 2022

By Mathew Olson · Dec 28, 2021 12:10pm PST · 1 comment

This is the last dispatch from Reality Check for 2021. It is also the end of the newsletter’s first year of publication. Whether you started reading back in March when we began, or are just diving deeper into AR and VR now, thank you for spending time away from your headsets and try-on filters to read Reality Check.For The Information’s annual... This is the last dispatch from Reality Check for 2021. It is also the end of the newsletter’s...

From top clockwise: Frances Haugen, Elon Musk, Melinda French Gates. Photos by Bloomberg; AP. Art by Mike Sullivan

The Best and Worst in Tech PR in 2021

By The Information Staff · Dec 28, 2021 10:45am PST · 6 comments

It would be an understatement to say that Frances Haugen and her employer, the company formerly known as Facebook, had very different years. From a public relations standpoint, the two are mirror images of each other. Haugen was feted as a whistleblowing legend for providing the internal documents that formed the foundation for The Wall Street... It would be an understatement to say that Frances Haugen and her employer, the company formerly...

Illustration by Scotty Reifsnyder

From a CEO Revolving Door to Comparisons With Snowflake: Security Startup Lacework Bounces Back

By Kevin McLaughlin · Dec 28, 2021 6:00am PST

Illustration by Scotty Reifsnyder

From a CEO Revolving Door to Comparisons With Snowflake: Security Startup Lacework Bounces Back

By Kevin McLaughlin · Dec 28, 2021 6:00am PST

A couple years ago, Lacework reached the kind of crossroads where once-promising startups can easily slide toward also-ran status—or worse. Faced with sluggish sales of its cloud-based cybersecurity product, Lacework was struggling to raise more money from existing investors and facing a revolving door of CEOs. At one point, after Lacework... A couple years ago, Lacework reached the kind of crossroads where once-promising startups can...

Photo: Bloomberg

China Blesses IPO Loophole; VR’s Mainstream Moment

By Wayne Ma · Dec 27, 2021 5:16pm PST

The Chinese government loves to announce major policy moves during the holidays—when financial markets are often closed—and it didn’t disappoint this year. On Christmas Eve, Chinese regulators finally legitimized a legal loophole that has allowed Chinese tech firms such as Sina Corp., Alibaba and Tencent to list their shares overseas... The Chinese government loves to announce major policy moves during the holidays—when financial...

Mysten Labs co-founder and CEO Evan Cheng. Photo by Mysten Labs. Art by Mike Sullivan.

Why Mysten Labs’ Founders Left Meta to Launch Their Own Blockchain

By Hannah Miller · Dec 27, 2021 4:16pm PST

Meta Platforms is betting on blockchain, but for some former employees, the company hasn’t been moving fast enough. Here’s a look at Mysten Labs, a startup founded less than three months ago by Meta alums who worked on the company’s crypto efforts and left to create their own gaming-focused blockchain. Founders: Evan Cheng, Sam... Meta Platforms is betting on blockchain, but for some former employees, the company hasn’t been...

Meta's incoming CTO Andrew Bosworth wearing a recent prototype headset. Photo: Meta

Quest 2’s Holiday Sales Pose Upgrade Dilemma; Apple Nabs Meta Spokesperson

By Mathew Olson · Dec 27, 2021 11:02am PST

Christmas 2021 has come and gone, and it’d be reasonable to guess that it was the single biggest day for consumer adoption of VR in history. In lieu of official stats, various Meta employees on Twitter were eager to trumpet the headset’s holiday success over the weekend, and a handful of independent developers shared anecdotes about peaking... Christmas 2021 has come and gone, and it’d be reasonable to guess that it was the single biggest...

Images by Bloomberg; Shutterstock. Art by Mike Sullivan

The Information’s 2022 Predictions

By The Information Staff · Dec 27, 2021 10:00am PST · 6 comments

Images by Bloomberg; Shutterstock. Art by Mike Sullivan

2022 Predictions

The Information’s 2022 Predictions

By The Information Staff · Dec 27, 2021 10:00am PST · 6 comments

Many of this year’s biggest tech developments caught everyone by surprise. Who would have predicted Didi Global would go public and months later have to delist? Zillow abruptly abandoned its home-buying business. Instacart and DoorDash held merger talks. And Facebook changed its name. What will 2022 bring? Our reporters talked to their... Many of this year’s biggest tech developments caught everyone by surprise. Who would have...

Illustration by Josh Brill

The Biggest Bet in Sports Gambling: The Ad Push to Grab Customers

By Sahil Patel · Dec 27, 2021 6:00am PST · 1 comment

Want to know the biggest bet in online gambling? It’s the multibillion dollar marketing gamble sports betting firms like DraftKings and FanDuel are taking as they try to sign up as many customers as possible, as fast as possible. The steady legalization of online sports betting in states across America has sparked a rush by firms, also... Want to know the biggest bet in online gambling? It’s the multibillion dollar marketing...

Photograph: Sophia Amoruso

Sophia Amoruso Wants to Retire ‘Girlboss’ for Good; Danielle Baskin Is Tech’s Most Prolific Prankster

By Jon Steinberg · Dec 24, 2021 8:00am PST

Hi, welcome to your Weekend: Christmas Eve edition!It’s over: another holiday shopping season, in the books. We’ve already shared The Information’s tech-adjacent gift picks, an overview of Silicon Valley’s annual gifting arms race, and our last-second NFT-buying guide, so I won’t bombard you with any more gift-related journalism this... Hi, welcome to your Weekend: Christmas Eve edition!It’s over: another holiday shopping season, in...

Alphabet's Ruth Porat. Photo by Bloomberg.

Tech’s Best and Worst of 2021

By Martin Peers · Dec 23, 2021 5:00pm PST · 1 comment

As the year winds down into a holiday break—clouded by rampaging Covid-19 infections—this seems the appropriate time to call out the year’s most noteworthy events and people in tech and media. As the year winds down into a holiday break—clouded by rampaging Covid-19 infections—this seems...

Incoming Meta Platforms CTO Andrew Bosworth speaks during the virtual Facebook Connect event in October. Screengrab via YouTube.

Meta Bets on Blockchain; New Crypto Legislation Could Ring in 2022

By Hannah Miller · Dec 23, 2021 4:22pm PST

Incoming Meta Platforms CTO Andrew Bosworth speaks during the virtual Facebook Connect event in October. Screengrab via YouTube.

Meta Bets on Blockchain; New Crypto Legislation Could Ring in 2022

By Hannah Miller · Dec 23, 2021 4:22pm PST

Meta Platforms is diving even further into the blockchain matrix. It wants to create “deep compatibility” with blockchain technology, according to an internal post that The New York Times obtained. In his post on Tuesday, Andrew Bosworth, who leads Meta’s augmented reality and virtual reality efforts, said that the company is interested in... Meta Platforms is diving even further into the blockchain matrix. It wants to create “deep...

Credit: Bloomberg, Illustration: Mike Sullivan

Creator Economy

Creator Economy: 2021 Year in Review and Our 2022 Predictions

By Kaya Yurieff · Dec 23, 2021 2:00pm PST

Welcome to the last Creator Economy newsletter of 2021. Thank you so much for reading, sharing with others and giving your feedback and tips. As of today, we have published 134 editions of this newsletter. We’ve chronicled the competition among tech giants for internet performers, tracked new startups, spotlighted creators, brought... Welcome to the last Creator Economy newsletter of 2021. Thank you so much for reading, sharing...

‘The Only Way to Find Out If You’re a Pariah Is to Stick Around’: Sophia Amoruso Looks to the Future

By Josh Duboff · Dec 23, 2021 12:00pm PST · 3 comments

Sophia Amoruso has complicated feelings about the word “girlboss.” “That poor word, I feel so bad for that word,” she says over the phone from her home in Los Angeles. “It must be so exhausted. It is exhausted. It does need to be put to rest. I have no attachment to it. I kind of cringe when people are like, ‘You’re a girlboss,’ or whatever. I... Sophia Amoruso has complicated feelings about the word “girlboss.” “That poor word, I feel so bad...

A close up of the Magic Leap 2 AR headset. Credit: Magic Leap

Magic Leap Departures; A Look at Meta’s VR Open Source Support

By Mathew Olson · Dec 23, 2021 11:30am PST

A string of executives have lately exited Magic Leap, Reality Check has learned, including some people who joined earlier this year. These exits, previously unreported, add to the air of uncertainty around the company’s future. Tracey Trewin, Magic Leap’s Chief Product Officer, and Anuj Gosalia, Chief Software and Cloud Officer both left... A string of executives have lately exited Magic Leap, Reality Check has learned, including some...

Illustration by Danielle Davis.

A Startup Founder Moved to Las Vegas for the Weather, Then Developed Political Ambitions

By Annie Goldsmith · Dec 23, 2021 9:00am PST · 1 comment

Illustration by Danielle Davis.

A Startup Founder Moved to Las Vegas for the Weather, Then Developed Political Ambitions

By Annie Goldsmith · Dec 23, 2021 9:00am PST · 1 comment

In this week’s “Decamped,” we chat with Madison Campbell, co-founder and CEO of Leda Health, a startup that gives sexual assault survivors free self-administered examination kits. Campbell recently resettled in Summerlin, Nev., a suburb of Las Vegas, and is in the process of moving her company from its New York headquarters. Why Vegas: One, I... In this week’s “Decamped,” we chat with Madison Campbell, co-founder and CEO of Leda Health, a...