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

The Weekly Digest

The Information You Missed This Week

By The Information Staff · Sep 23, 2017 8:00am PDT

Good morning!We found out this week that the biggest difference between Russia and Facebook is that Russia managed to get its bots to work. Good morning!We found out this week that the biggest difference between Russia and Facebook is...

The Information’s 411 — Facebook Goes to Washington

By Tom Dotan · Sep 22, 2017 2:05pm PDT · 1 comment

Cory phones in from the East coast to talk about how regulators are preparing for the effect autonomous cars have on city streets. And why D.C. has turned against Facebook and Google. Cory phones in from the East coast to talk about how regulators are preparing for the effect...

Art by Matt Vascellaro

Six Lessons for Amazon’s Next HQ

By Allison Arieff · Sep 22, 2017 10:01am PDT · 2 comments

Amazon announced in September its plans to open a second U.S. campus, and set every city that aspires to be the next Silicon Valley into a complete frenzy.But cities that are in the running should study both Seattle and Silicon Valley for a look at what to do—and what not to do—when a company comes calling. And Amazon, which can go... Amazon announced in September its plans to open a second U.S. campus, and set every city that...

The Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. Photo by Flickr/Karen Neoh.

For Tech Firms, Winter Is Here

By Jessica Lessin · Sep 22, 2017 7:01am PDT

The Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. Photo by Flickr/Karen Neoh.

For Tech Firms, Winter Is Here

By Jessica Lessin · Sep 22, 2017 7:01am PDT

In and around Silicon Valley these days, I am often asked the same question: Do tech companies realize the regulatory heat coming for them?The answer is yes, of course. The tech firms have been preparing for this scrutiny for years. (And true to stereotypes, one Silicon Valley insider referred to it as “Winter is coming. In and around Silicon Valley these days, I am often asked the same question: Do tech companies...

Serena Saitto talking with Michael Katz, AJ Murphy and David Ludwig at the Future of Finance event in New York. Photo by Gabriela Bhaskar.

The Future of Finance

What’s Next for IPOs

By The Information Staff · Sep 21, 2017 11:28am PDT · 1 comment

Despite the disappointing performance of a few high-profile tech IPOs this year, overall interest in new offerings remains healthy, said bankers at a panel hosted last week by The Information. High valuations and investor activism might damp interest in going public, however. Watch a video of the conversation with Michal Katz of RBC Capital,... Despite the disappointing performance of a few high-profile tech IPOs this year, overall interest...

The Information's Editor-In-Chief Jessica Lessin talking with Sean Neville and Andy Bromberg. Photo by Gabriela Bhaskar.

The Future of Finance

Sorting Through Cryptocurrency’s ‘Vaporware’

By The Information Staff · Sep 21, 2017 11:27am PDT · 1 comment

The number of initial coin offerings is poised to shrink in the coming months as investors become more savvy at distinguishing between legitimate tokens and those that aren’t backed by substantive products, said panelists at The Information’s “Future of Finance” event in New York last week. Check out a video of The... The number of initial coin offerings is poised to shrink in the coming months as investors become...

Bradley Tusk with The Information's editor in chief Jessica Lessin. Photo by Gabriela Bhaskar.

The Future of Finance

A Conversation With Uber Investor Bradley Tusk

By The Information Staff · Sep 21, 2017 11:26am PDT

Uber “isn’t fixed,” venture capitalist and early Uber investor Bradley Tusk said at The Information’s “Future of Finance” event in New York last week. “But I feel a little more comfortable that we’re on the right track.” Watch a video of Mr. Tusk and The Information Editor-in-Chief Jessica... Uber “isn’t fixed,” venture capitalist and early Uber investor Bradley Tusk...

The SEC's new chair Jay Clayton speaking at a congressional hearing in June. Photo by Bloomberg.

SEC Relaxing Private Tech Disclosure Rules

By Alfred Lee · Sep 21, 2017 7:02am PDT · 2 comments

The SEC's new chair Jay Clayton speaking at a congressional hearing in June. Photo by Bloomberg.

SEC Relaxing Private Tech Disclosure Rules

By Alfred Lee · Sep 21, 2017 7:02am PDT · 2 comments

The Securities and Exchange Commission is starting to relax financial disclosure requirements for private companies, a sign that the SEC’s new leadership may pull back on plans by former chair Mary Jo White to tighten regulations for Silicon Valley.Last week an SEC advisory committee recommended easing rules that require private companies... The Securities and Exchange Commission is starting to relax financial disclosure requirements for...

Ohio Senator Rob Portman. Photo by AP.

Facebook, Alphabet Find Few Friends in Washington

By Cory Weinberg · Sep 20, 2017 11:46am PDT · 2 comments

It’s getting lonelier in Washington, D.C., for Facebook and Alphabet. Lobbyists, lawyers, investors and others who straddle tech and political worlds point to an under-appreciated dynamic heightening political pressure for Facebook and Alphabet in recent weeks: The internet companies’ tech and media brethren are looking to twist the... It’s getting lonelier in Washington, D.C., for Facebook and Alphabet. Lobbyists, lawyers,...

AWS CEO Andy Jassy at an AWS conference in San Francisco in April. Photo by Bloomberg.

AWS’ New Cybersecurity Could Help Bank Push

By Kevin McLaughlin · Sep 20, 2017 7:02am PDT

Amazon Web Services is developing a new security service that protects data and applications running either on its public cloud or in customers’ own data centers, according to three people with knowledge of the service. It is aimed at patching a gap in security for companies, like banks, that move data back and forth between AWS and their... Amazon Web Services is developing a new security service that protects data and applications...

An Amazon warehouse in Hyderabad, India. Photo by Bloomberg.

Amazon Takes On Alibaba in India Payments Market

By Priya Anand · Sep 19, 2017 1:33pm PDT

Amazon has made inroads in India’s e-commerce market, taking share from rivals like Flipkart and Snapdeal. But future growth relies on Amazon succeeding in the highly competitive digital payments business—where it faces competition from the likes of Alibaba, SoftBank and even Google. The company in the last year ramped up Amazon Pay... Amazon has made inroads in India’s e-commerce market, taking share from rivals like...

Snap CEO Evan Spiegel. Photo by Bloomberg.

Advertisers Fret Snap’s Ad Products Looking ‘Stale’

By Tom Dotan · Sep 19, 2017 7:01am PDT · 3 comments

Snap CEO Evan Spiegel. Photo by Bloomberg.

Advertisers Fret Snap’s Ad Products Looking ‘Stale’

By Tom Dotan · Sep 19, 2017 7:01am PDT · 3 comments

Snapchat last week introduced cartoon-like avatars, known as 3D bitmoji, a natural for sponsorship opportunities. Before Snap acquired the maker of bitmoji last year, the avatars appeared next to famous lines from movies like "The Terminator" and depicted scenes from "Game of Thrones."But advertisers shouldn’t get their... Snapchat last week introduced cartoon-like avatars, known as 3D bitmoji, a natural for...

Officials in big U.S. cities are starting to plan for the arrival of autonomous vehicles on crowded streets. Above, San Francisco's Castro Street. Photo: Bloomberg

Driverless Cars Intensify Fight Over Curb Space

By Cory Weinberg · Sep 18, 2017 12:29pm PDT · 2 comments

Officials in major U.S. cities are looking for a way to carve out some control over the development of self-driving vehicles, by regulating the curb space where fleets of autonomous cars are likely to drop off and pick up passengers and packages.Curbs already have become conflict zones in cities as more kinds of vehicles—from Ubers to... Officials in major U.S. cities are looking for a way to carve out some control over the...

Clockwise from L to R: Balaji Srinivasan, Jutta Steiner, Elizabeth Stark, Leanne Kemp, Jihan Wu, Bobby LeePhotos: Bond/Flilckr (Julie Steiner); Bloomberg; AP.

Cryptocurrency’s Movers and Shakers, Part II

By The Information Staff · Sep 18, 2017 7:01am PDT · 4 comments

China’s crackdown on bitcoin trading has rattled the cryptocurrency market, but there are still many people placing big bets on digital coins, including those who are looking at ways to maneuver around China’s new restrictions. After we published profiles last month of influential people in digital currency, we continued reporting on... China’s crackdown on bitcoin trading has rattled the cryptocurrency market, but there are...

The Information You Missed This Week

By The Information Staff · Sep 16, 2017 8:00am PDT

Good morning!JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon recently declared that bitcoin was a fraud. Maybe he is secretly trying to distract from the currency bankers used to sell that has since collapsed: trust. Good morning!JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon recently declared that bitcoin was a fraud. Maybe he is...

The Information’s 411 — Peak Bodega

By Tom Dotan · Sep 15, 2017 2:23pm PDT · 1 comment

The Information’s 411 — Peak Bodega

By Tom Dotan · Sep 15, 2017 2:23pm PDT · 1 comment

Kevin talks about his profile of Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins and the future of the company. Amir and Tom discuss Waymo, the new Apple products and the furor around Bodega. Kevin talks about his profile of Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins and the future of the company. Amir and...

A worker inspects bitcoin mining machines at a facility in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China. Photo: Bloomberg

China’s Bitcoin Trade Seen Continuing Despite Crackdown

By Shai Oster, Juro Osawa and Yunan Zhang · Sep 15, 2017 10:47am PDT · 3 comments

The shutdown of bitcoin exchanges in China is testing the resilience of a booming area of domestic investment that has already survived previous crackdowns. Yet one likely effect of the moves by Chinese authorities is to push trading of virtual currencies offshore or to other alternative channels, said individuals involved in the bitcoin market.... The shutdown of bitcoin exchanges in China is testing the resilience of a booming area of...

Art: Matt Vascellaro

Talking Snap, Facebook and Disney With NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke

By Jessica Lessin · Sep 15, 2017 7:00am PDT · 4 comments

It’s a Thursday afternoon and NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke is in the mood to talk media. From his office on the 51st floor of 30 Rock, Mr. Burke launches into a blunt assessment of a media landscape that grows more competitive by the day.Over the next hour, we cover a lot of ground, from TV advertising (holding up because ratings are good)... It’s a Thursday afternoon and NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke is in the mood to talk media....

Google Cloud chief Diane Greene. Photo: Bloomberg

Key Google Cloud Sales Executive to Depart

By Kevin McLaughlin · Sep 14, 2017 10:47am PDT

Bertrand Yansouni, a veteran sales executive who joined Google Cloud last November to help manage relationships with business partners, is leaving the company, according to three people familiar with the matter. His departure comes at a crucial time for Google Cloud as it seeks to get customers and make headway against rivals Amazon Web Services... Bertrand Yansouni, a veteran sales executive who joined Google Cloud last November to help manage...

Lyft CEO Logan Green. Photo: Bloomberg

Amid Upbeat Year, Lyft Explores International Expansion

By Amir Efrati · Sep 14, 2017 7:47am PDT · 3 comments

Lyft CEO Logan Green. Photo: Bloomberg

Amid Upbeat Year, Lyft Explores International Expansion

By Amir Efrati · Sep 14, 2017 7:47am PDT · 3 comments

As Lyft begins a large-scale advertising campaign to try to continue gaining market share versus Uber in the U.S., its geographic ambition is rising.The company is expected to enter Canada as soon as the end of this year and, if things go well, could potentially move into Australia and New Zealand, according to three people who have been... As Lyft begins a large-scale advertising campaign to try to continue gaining market share versus...