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

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Recent Editions

Chuck Schumer. Photo by Getty.

TikTok's Powerful New Friends

By Martin Peers · Jan 16, 2025 5:00pm PST

While it’s too early to predict what’s going to happen with TikTok, it’s beginning to look like ByteDance has successfully called the U.S.’s bluff. For months, ByteDance has refused to contemplate selling TikTok to avoid a ban. And now, days before the ban is due to take effect, politicians are caving in. Most notably, Senate Democratic... While it’s too early to predict what’s going to happen with TikTok, it’s beginning to look like...

Photo by Getty

Google to Give Businesses AI Tools Whether or Not They Want It

By Martin Peers · Jan 15, 2025 5:00pm PST

Beware companies bearing gifts: They tend to want something. Google’s announcement on Wednesday that it would now include its artificial intelligence tools in its business products such as corporate Gmail, whether customers want the tools or not, was cast as a do-gooder move aiming to bring the power of AI to everyone. The reality is more likely... Beware companies bearing gifts: They tend to want something. Google’s announcement on Wednesday...

Mark Zuckerberg. Photo via Getty

Zuckerberg Acts Like Musk but Isn’t

By Martin Peers · Jan 14, 2025 5:00pm PST · 2 comments

You might wonder, watching Mark Zuckerberg’s announcements of the past week, whether we’re witnessing a version of the Hollywood movie “Face/Off,” where the Meta Platforms CEO will shortly rip off a mask and reveal himself to be Elon Musk. Aside from Zuckerberg’s moves last week to abandon both diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives... You might wonder, watching Mark Zuckerberg’s announcements of the past week, whether we’re...

Patrick Spence, former CEO of Sonos. Photo via Flickr/Collision Conference.

Where Does Sonos Go From Here?

By Nick Wingfield · Jan 13, 2025 5:00pm PST

Patrick Spence, former CEO of Sonos. Photo via Flickr/Collision Conference.

Where Does Sonos Go From Here?

By Nick Wingfield · Jan 13, 2025 5:00pm PST

To those of us who are longtime Sonos customers, it wasn’t much of a surprise that the maker of internet-connected speakers parted ways this morning with Patrick Spence, its embattled CEO. Last May, the company introduced a new version of its mobile app for controlling its speakers. But the updated app left out a number of features that had... To those of us who are longtime Sonos customers, it wasn’t much of a surprise that the maker of...

Creators outside of the Supreme Court this morning. Photo via Getty.

With TikTok Ban Likely, ‘Game of Chicken’ Begins

By Kaya Yurieff · Jan 10, 2025 2:31pm PST

I was at the Supreme Court on Friday—and things aren’t looking too rosy for TikTok’s hopes to stay alive in the U.S. Judging from the justices’ questions and comments, it sounds like they’re inclined to uphold a U.S. law that could ban TikTok in just nine days. That’s the opening its potential suitors, such as Activision Blizzard’s former CEO,... I was at the Supreme Court on Friday—and things aren’t looking too rosy for TikTok’s hopes to...

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy. Photo via Amazon.

Amazon’s Dubious Ad Tech Expansion

By Theo Wayt · Jan 9, 2025 5:00pm PST · 2 comments

Amazon’s decision to stuff its search results and product pages with ads over the past several years might annoy some shoppers like me, but it’s paid off handsomely for the company. Those ads are thought to account for the lion’s share of the $50 billion in ad revenue it is expected to have taken in last year. Now Amazon is going to start... Amazon’s decision to stuff its search results and product pages with ads over the past several...

Jensen Huang at CES this week. Photo via Getty

At CES, Autonomous Cars Are Hot Again

By Martin Peers · Jan 8, 2025 5:00pm PST

If ever there was a moment for Alphabet to spin off Waymo, it would be now. Optimism about self-driving cars is back, driven (sorry for the pun!) by the very real success Waymo is having with its robotaxi service in markets like San Francisco. Elon Musk’s high-profile presentation last fall about Tesla’s robotaxi plans has surely fueled the new... If ever there was a moment for Alphabet to spin off Waymo, it would be now. Optimism about...

Screenshot via Meta

Meta’s Seismic Shift

By Martin Peers · Jan 7, 2025 5:00pm PST · 1 comment

Screenshot via Meta

Meta’s Seismic Shift

By Martin Peers · Jan 7, 2025 5:00pm PST · 1 comment

The year is just a week old and already things are getting shaken up. Meta Platforms’ announcement on Tuesday that it was eliminating its fact-checking program in favor of an X-like community notes feature is a seismic event for social media. No longer will Meta, owner of Facebook, Instagram and Threads, try to pretend it has a monopoly on... The year is just a week old and already things are getting shaken up. Meta Platforms’ ...

Disney CEO Bob Iger. Photo via Getty.

Disney-Fubo Tie-Up and Uber Speedy Buyback Signal Smarter Dealmaking

By Martin Peers · Jan 6, 2025 5:00pm PST

Dealmaking in 2025 is off to a good start. Walt Disney’s deal on Monday to offload its Hulu+Live TV business—the clunky name for the part of Hulu that offers a cable TV–like package of old-fashioned TV channels—to smaller rival FuboTV is a smart move. Disney comes out of the transaction with 70% of a larger FuboTV, one that is making money... Dealmaking in 2025 is off to a good start. Walt Disney’s deal on Monday to offload its Hulu+Live...

Photo via Getty.

Don’t Blame Car-Sharing Site Turo for Vehicle Attacks

By Theo Wayt · Jan 3, 2025 3:00pm PST · 3 comments

Our hearts go out to the victims of Wednesday’s horrific vehicle attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas. In the days since, people have understandably been grasping to find ways the violence could have been prevented. One detail that’s gotten significant attention over the past 24 hours is that both vehicles used in the attacks were rented... Our hearts go out to the victims of Wednesday’s horrific vehicle attacks in New Orleans and Las...

Elad Gil. Photo via Getty

Culling of Money-Losing Startups is Well Underway

By Martin Peers · Jan 2, 2025 5:00pm PST

A week before Christmas, venture capitalist Elad Gil tweeted, “Lots of year end company shutdowns…happening right now,” offering a tantalizing hint of behind-the-scenes drama. Gil’s tweet appears to have been on the money: At least three companies have closed their doors since then—accounting firm Bench last week, LinkedIn rival Polywork earlier... A week before Christmas, venture capitalist Elad Gil tweeted, “Lots of year end company shutdowns...

Photos via Getty

How Waymo, Musk, Klarna and Marc Lore Stole 2024

By Martin Peers · Dec 31, 2024 3:00pm PST

Photos via Getty

How Waymo, Musk, Klarna and Marc Lore Stole 2024

By Martin Peers · Dec 31, 2024 3:00pm PST

Before we turn the page on 2024, we should acknowledge the winners (and losers) in tech news: those stories that provided plenty of entertainment and those that reminded us of the enduring promise of new technologies. So, without further ado, here are our annual awards:Best soap opera: Entrants in this category had a tough act to follow, given... Before we turn the page on 2024, we should acknowledge the winners (and losers) in tech news:...

Photo via Getty

Claims of Legacy Media’s Death Are Premature

By Martin Peers · Dec 30, 2024 5:00pm PST

The deaths in recent days of former Time Warner CEO Richard Parsons and Cablevision Systems founder Chuck Dolan seemed, in a way, symbolic of the slow death of the traditional television industry. Both Time Warner and Cablevision were, until a decade or so ago, major forces in cable TV and entertainment. Both now have been swallowed up by other... The deaths in recent days of former Time Warner CEO Richard Parsons and Cablevision Systems ...

President-elect Donald Trump in Phoenix on December 22. Photo via Getty.

Trump Asks the Supremes to Delay a TikTok Ban

By Nick Wingfield · Dec 27, 2024 5:00pm PST

The sleepy Friday between Christmas and New Year’s turned out to be not so sleepy after all. President-elect Donald Trump filed a brief with the Supreme Court on Friday afternoon asking to delay the effective date of a law banning TikTok. The law will ban TikTok on Jan. 19—one day before Trump takes office—unless it can find a buyer that... The sleepy Friday between Christmas and New Year’s turned out to be not so sleepy after all....

Beyoncé's NFL halftime show on Netflix. Photo via Getty.

Netflix and the NFL Won on Christmas. What About the Fans?

By Sahil Patel · Dec 26, 2024 4:15pm PST

A lot of eyes were on Netflix on Christmas Day—not just to see whether the Kansas City Chiefs could clinch their home-field advantage in the playoffs by beating the Pittsburgh Steelers (they did), or if Beyoncé could put on a Super Bowl–worthy halftime show during a regular-season game in Houston (she did). Those eyes were also scrutinizing the... A lot of eyes were on Netflix on Christmas Day—not just to see whether the Kansas City Chiefs...

Claudia Sheinbaum, President of Mexico, earlier this month. Photo via Getty

Mexico Gives a Lump of Coal to Online Sellers

By Theo Wayt · Dec 24, 2024 4:25pm PST

Claudia Sheinbaum, President of Mexico, earlier this month. Photo via Getty

Mexico Gives a Lump of Coal to Online Sellers

By Theo Wayt · Dec 24, 2024 4:25pm PST

Christmas Eve is usually the last day of a frantic holiday sprint for staff at e-commerce and logistics companies, after which they can expect to kick back and enjoy a comparatively calm couple of months. Not this year. Virtually any business that moves its products across borders has to be on guard as world leaders jockey to position... Christmas Eve is usually the last day of a frantic holiday sprint for staff at e-commerce and...

Peter Thiel. Photo via Getty

Tech Wields New Political Power in Old-Fashioned Ways

By Cory Weinberg · Dec 23, 2024 5:00pm PST

A decade ago, Peter Thiel wrote somewhat famously that “competition is for losers.” He was interested in backing startups that looked like Google, whose products were so good “that no other firm can offer a close substitute.” A caveat he offered was that he wasn’t interested in backing monopoly businesses that look like “government favorites.”... A decade ago, Peter Thiel wrote somewhat famously that “competition is for losers.” He was...

North Korea's players celebrate with the trophy after winning the FIFA U-17 women's football World Cup 2024. Photo by Getty

Why Netflix Will Lose in Sports

By Martin Peers · Dec 20, 2024 2:30pm PST · 2 comments

Netflix shareholders may be a happy bunch right now, after the bonanza year the video-streaming stock has enjoyed. Though its revenue is growing at a decent but unspectacular clip—15% in the third quarter—its shares have so far risen 87% this year to above $900 a share. Since their low point in mid-2022, during a freakout about Netflix’s... Netflix shareholders may be a happy bunch right now, after the bonanza year the video-streaming...

Photos by Getty

Apple Deals With European Regulation by Blasting Meta

By Martin Peers · Dec 19, 2024 5:00pm PST · 1 comment

Here’s an idea. Instead of Donald Trump letting Elon Musk crash every dinner and phone call Trump has with tech CEOs, how about he invites Apple CEO Tim Cook and Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg to jointly dine with him? Maybe the incoming president could sort out the two companies’ differences.Tensions between Apple and Meta date back a... Here’s an idea. Instead of Donald Trump letting Elon Musk crash every dinner and phone call Trump...

Art by Clark Miller

TikTok Drama’s Next Cliff-Hanger Episode Set in Supreme Court

By Martin Peers · Dec 18, 2024 5:00pm PST

Art by Clark Miller

TikTok Drama’s Next Cliff-Hanger Episode Set in Supreme Court

By Martin Peers · Dec 18, 2024 5:00pm PST

We’ve got a new cliff-hanger episode in the seemingly endless drama over TikTok’s future. This time, the stars will be John Roberts and his band of Supreme Court justices. The highest court in the land on Wednesday said it would hear oral arguments on Jan. 10 in TikTok’s appeal against the ban-or-sell law that threatens the app’s existence. (If... We’ve got a new cliff-hanger episode in the seemingly endless drama over TikTok’s future. This...