The Information

Disney CEO Bob Iger. Photo by Bloomberg

Disney’s Costly Streaming Plans Win Approval From Wall Street

By Martin Peers and Tom Dotan · Apr 12, 2019 11:25am PDT

Old media’s Wall Street curse may finally be lifting.Friday’s 10% surge in Walt Disney stock suggests that investors are finally willing to treat entertainment companies—or at least Disney—the same as tech companies: that is, accepting short-term losses in exchange for long-term growth. Disney stock is rising despite the... Old media’s Wall Street curse may finally be lifting.Friday’s 10% surge in Walt...

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. Photo by Bloomberg

Uber’s IPO Filing Shows Sharp Growth Slowdown for Ride Hailing

By Amir Efrati and Martin Peers · Apr 11, 2019 4:12pm PDT · 2 comments

Uber made public its IPO filing on Thursday, showing that its ride-hailing and food delivery businesses were profitable after most expenses for the first three quarters of last year. But the filing also showed the revenue growth of Uber’s ride-hailing business slowed sharply last year, which is likely to raise questions among investors... Uber made public its IPO filing on Thursday, showing that its ride-hailing and food delivery...

Will Lyft’s Stock Have Staying Power? That Depends on This Chart

By Jessica E. Lessin and Martin Peers · Mar 29, 2019 2:23pm PDT · 4 comments

Lyft and its bankers—led by J.P Morgan—pulled off a solid public market debut Friday. By the end of trading, the company was worth $22.8 billion, up 8.7% from its IPO price and 52% above its last private market valuation. That’s bigger than Expedia and United Airlines.But what will it be worth when early investors and employees... Lyft and its bankers—led by J.P Morgan—pulled off a solid public market debut Friday....

Pinterest CEO Ben Silbermann. Photo by Bloomberg

Pinterest’s IPO Filing Shows Steady Revenue Growth

By Tom Dotan, Martin Peers and Priya Anand · Mar 22, 2019 3:15pm PDT

Pinterest CEO Ben Silbermann. Photo by Bloomberg

Pinterest’s IPO Filing Shows Steady Revenue Growth

By Tom Dotan, Martin Peers and Priya Anand · Mar 22, 2019 3:15pm PDT

Pinterest’s revenue has grown by about 60% in each of the past two years, hitting nearly $756 million in 2018, while its net loss has been steadily shrinking, the online scrapbook firm revealed in IPO paperwork it filed on Friday.The revenue growth rate, from its four-year-old advertising business, suggests Pinterest isn’t likely to... Pinterest’s revenue has grown by about 60% in each of the past two years, hitting nearly...

Actress Jamie Clayton from "Sense8" at a screening for the show in Los Angeles last June. Photo by AP

As Netflix Cancels Shows Faster, Fan Favorites Quickly Disappear

By Beejoli Shah · Mar 18, 2019 2:29pm PDT · 6 comments

After Netflix cancelled the Naomi Watts drama “Gypsy” in 2017, a group of fans calling themselves “Easy Tigers” organized a social media campaign to get people to start watching the show in hopes of changing Netflix executives’ minds. The campaign was so organized that it directed people to watch specific episodes... After Netflix cancelled the Naomi Watts drama “Gypsy” in 2017, a group of fans...

Chris Cox. Photo by Bloomberg.

Why Is Facebook’s Encrypted Messaging Plan Roiling the Company?

By Sarah Kuranda and Nick Wingfield · Mar 15, 2019 10:20am PDT · 3 comments

One thing was clear in Chris Cox’s note to Facebook employees announcing his resignation on Thursday: The company’s chief product officer was not enthused about its new focus on building an encrypted, interoperable messaging network. “This will be a big project and we will need leaders who are excited to see the new direction... One thing was clear in Chris Cox’s note to Facebook employees announcing his resignation on...

Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Photo by Bloomberg

The Political Realities of Warren’s Tech Breakup Plan

By Ashley Gold · Mar 8, 2019 1:09pm PST · 10 comments

Sen. Elizabeth Warren has laid out an aggressive proposal to break up big tech companies like Amazon, Google and Facebook as part of her 2020 presidential campaign platform. Few of the ideas are ever likely to be implemented, but her proposal marks a shift in how presidential candidates are talking about big tech and could influence how the rest... Sen. Elizabeth Warren has laid out an aggressive proposal to break up big tech companies like...

HotelTonight CEO Sam Shank. Photo: Bloomberg

Three Reasons Behind Airbnb’s Deal for HotelTonight

By Cory Weinberg · Mar 7, 2019 2:54pm PST · 4 comments

HotelTonight CEO Sam Shank. Photo: Bloomberg

Three Reasons Behind Airbnb’s Deal for HotelTonight

By Cory Weinberg · Mar 7, 2019 2:54pm PST · 4 comments

Airbnb for the past year has talked about its intentions to expand its presence in hotel bookings. On Thursday, the company made it official, acquiring HotelTonight for what two people familiar with the matter said was $440 million. The deal takes Airbnb’s rivalry with Booking.com to a new level, and offers Airbnb a new outlet for growth... Airbnb for the past year has talked about its intentions to expand its presence in hotel...

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Photo by Bloomberg

Reading Between the Lines of Zuckerberg’s Facebook Privacy Manifesto

By Nick Wingfield and Jessica E. Lessin · Mar 6, 2019 3:12pm PST · 10 comments

In a 3,200-word essay on Wednesday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg outlined a plan for the social network to become a “simpler platform that’s focused on privacy first.” It sounded like a momentous shift for the company, which has been pilloried for the past several years over its ravenous appetite for personal data. But is... In a 3,200-word essay on Wednesday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg outlined a plan for the social...

Photo by Bloomberg

10 Questions Lyft Investors Should Ask

By Amir Efrati · Mar 4, 2019 6:31am PST · 12 comments

As Lyft sets the stage to go public, a major question hanging over the company is how it will fare under constant pressure from its bigger rival Uber. Beyond that, there are many unknowns surrounding the costs of recruiting drivers, its efforts in autonomous vehicles and the future of its electric scooter and bike businesses.The company’s... As Lyft sets the stage to go public, a major question hanging over the company is how it will...

Behind Apple’s China Slowdown: Changing Consumer Habits

By Juro Osawa · Jan 4, 2019 10:00am PST · 5 comments

In October, Wang Mengshang spent $10,000 on a weeklong trip with his girlfriend to Seychelles, an African island nation known for beautiful beaches and coral reefs. His holiday pictures got a lot of likes on social media. But the 25-year-old venture investor in Beijing hasn’t bought a new phone in two years. He doesn’t feel the need... In October, Wang Mengshang spent $10,000 on a weeklong trip with his girlfriend to Seychelles, an...

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaking at a conference in Paris in May. Photo by Bloomberg

Facebook Emails Reveal Debates Over Selling Data Access

By Nick Wingfield, Reed Albergotti and Sarah Kuranda · Dec 5, 2018 3:31pm PST · 1 comment

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaking at a conference in Paris in May. Photo by Bloomberg

Facebook Emails Reveal Debates Over Selling Data Access

By Nick Wingfield, Reed Albergotti and Sarah Kuranda · Dec 5, 2018 3:31pm PST · 1 comment

Facebook has long stressed it has never sold the personal data of its users, but a new cache of internal emails between Facebook executives reveals they considered charging developers for access to it. The emails—released Wednesday by a British member of Parliament overseeing an international committee examining Facebook—provided a... Facebook has long stressed it has never sold the personal data of its users, but a new cache of...

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg at a company event in September. Photo by Bloomberg

Facebook User Growth Stalls in Mature Markets

By Sarah Kuranda · Oct 30, 2018 3:46pm PDT · 1 comment

Facebook’s user growth in its most mature markets—the U.S., Canada and Europe—has screeched to a halt, but the company squeezed more revenue from those regions, a sign that the formidable advertising machine it has built continues to chug along. While there were some worrying signs for the social network in its third quarter... Facebook’s user growth in its most mature markets—the U.S., Canada and...

Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Photo by Bloomberg

Online Advertising Still Surging, Results Show

By The Information Staff · Oct 25, 2018 4:06pm PDT · 2 comments

The online ad market is still surging, based on third quarter results from Google, Amazon, Twitter and Snap released Thursday. That raises the stakes for Facebook, which reports next week amid intense questions about whether advertisers or users have been scared off by negative publicity. The results also were the latest evidence of how much... The online ad market is still surging, based on third quarter results from Google, Amazon,...

Elon Musk. Photo by Bloomberg

What SEC’s Musk Lawsuit Means for Tesla

By Amir Efrati · Sep 27, 2018 6:27pm PDT · 6 comments

The Securities and Exchange Commission wants to make an example of Tesla CEO Elon Musk and show that when a CEO speaks about a big deal, he ought to mean what he says. But the SEC’s real aim may be to send a message to Tesla’s board that it should exert better control over Mr. Musk—or at least impose adult supervision in... The Securities and Exchange Commission wants to make an example of Tesla CEO Elon Musk and show...

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. Photo by Bloomberg

Tech Is a Bogeyman, but Will Voters Respond?

By Nick Wingfield and Reed Albergotti · Sep 5, 2018 7:01pm PDT

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. Photo by Bloomberg

Tech Is a Bogeyman, but Will Voters Respond?

By Nick Wingfield and Reed Albergotti · Sep 5, 2018 7:01pm PDT

On Wednesday, Senator Bernie Sanders escalated his attacks on Amazon with a new bill aimed at ending public subsidies for big companies whose employees rely on federal assistance. Meanwhile, top executives from Twitter and Facebook were grilled in congressional hearings over foreign election interference on social media. And after the first of... On Wednesday, Senator Bernie Sanders escalated his attacks on Amazon with a new bill aimed at...

Elon Musk. Photo by Bloomberg

What Tesla Shareholders Could Learn From SpaceX

By Alfred Lee · Aug 8, 2018 6:24pm PDT · 1 comment

Elon Musk stunned investors on Tuesday by tweeting that he might take Tesla private, using SpaceX, his private space flight company, as a model for how to treat shareholders. If he succeeds, he may set a precedent for other public company CEOs who want the benefits of public ownership without the hindrance of public scrutiny.It’s not well... Elon Musk stunned investors on Tuesday by tweeting that he might take Tesla private, using...

Google Cloud CEO Diane Greene on Tuesday at a company event in San Francisco. Photo: Bloomberg

Why Google Cloud Is Still a Work in Progress

By Kevin McLaughlin · Jul 25, 2018 2:33pm PDT · 2 comments

Diane Greene, the CEO of Google Cloud, stepped on stage Tuesday at the opening of the company’s annual customer conference to proclaim that the cloud unit has officially become an enterprise company. On Wednesday, a parade of other Google Cloud leaders continued to promote the technical advantages of its offerings.But aside from announcing... Diane Greene, the CEO of Google Cloud, stepped on stage Tuesday at the opening of the...

A sign for Amazon Web Services at a 2017 event in San Francisco. Photo: Bloomberg

AWS Could Use ‘Snowball’ Device as Foothold in Data Centers

By Amir Efrati and Kevin McLaughlin · Jul 24, 2018 3:48pm PDT

For years, Amazon Web Services has coaxed companies and organizations into moving their computing chores into big Amazon facilities known as “public” data centers. But in recognizing that many potential customers aren’t ready to do that, AWS is increasingly embracing one of the hottest trends in information technology: bringing... For years, Amazon Web Services has coaxed companies and organizations into moving their computing...

Bytedance CEO Zhang Yiming. Photo by Bloomberg.

What China’s Online Media Crackdown Means for Toutiao’s Owner

By Juro Osawa and Yunan Zhang · Apr 11, 2018 2:37pm PDT · 3 comments

Bytedance CEO Zhang Yiming. Photo by Bloomberg.

What China’s Online Media Crackdown Means for Toutiao’s Owner

By Juro Osawa and Yunan Zhang · Apr 11, 2018 2:37pm PDT · 3 comments

For foreign investors in China’s tech sector, Beijing’s crackdown on the country’s most valuable media startups is a reminder that the success of their bets could hinge on the whims of the Communist Party. On Tuesday, China’s media regulator ordered Bytedance, the $30 billion startup that operates the popular newsfeed app... For foreign investors in China’s tech sector, Beijing’s crackdown on the...