Mark Di Stefano — The Information

Mark Di Stefano

Reporter

Mark Di Stefano is a London-based reporter for The Information covering Europe tech and Amazon. He previously covered the media, tech and politics beats at BuzzFeed News, the Financial Times and ABC News in Australia. He is the author of a book about Australia’s 2016 election, "What A Time To Be Alive: That and Other Lies of the 2016 Election Campaign." He grew up on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. You can reach him at [email protected]

JPMorgan’s UK Entry Could Spark More Fintech Dealmaking

Sept. 17, 2021 · 8:02 AM PDT

JPMorgan’s arrival could also kick-off more deal-making in the crowded fintech sector based in London

Google and Apple Remove Russian Opposition-Linked App Ahead Of Elections

Sept. 17, 2021 · 7:33 AM PDT

The tech firms were pressured by Russia but now are being assailed by Russian opposition activists.

Murdoch Revives Plans for Fox News-Like UK Channel

Sept. 16, 2021 · 8:23 AM PDT

Murdoch had put the project on ice a few months ago when a rival effort backed by Discovery launched.

UK Bank Monzo to Introduce Buy Now, Pay Later Product

Sept. 15, 2021 · 11:32 AM PDT

Monzo had tested charging a 19% interest rate for loans of more than three months, although it's unclear whether it will keep that feature in the final product.

Goldman Sachs Acquires Buy-Now-Pay-Later Firm GreenSky For $2.2 Billion

Sept. 15, 2021 · 8:53 AM PDT

Goldman's purchase is another sign that banks are looking to make bold bets on the future of buy-now-pay-later loan products after the success of Affirm, Klarna and Afterpay.

Amazon Plans 125,000 New Workers In Another Hiring Blitz

Sept. 14, 2021 · 6:00 AM PDT

Amazon's latest hiring goal for hourly workers follows its recent announcement of hirings of corporate workers.

Amazon Offers Free College Opportunities For Warehouse Workforce

Sept. 9, 2021 · 8:14 AM PDT

Amazon is making the tuition offer to make its warehouse jobs more appealing.

Photo of Agnes Chu by AP. Art by Mike Sullivan

Agnes Chu Tries to Bring Some Disney to Condé Nast. It’ll Be a Challenge.

By Sahil Patel and Mark Di Stefano · Sept. 3, 2021 6:01 AM PDT

Photo of Agnes Chu by AP. Art by Mike Sullivan

Agnes Chu Tries to Bring Some Disney to Condé Nast. It’ll Be a Challenge.

By Sahil Patel and Mark Di Stefano · Sept. 3, 2021 6:01 AM PDT

A year ago, executives at Condé Nast turned some heads when they hired Agnes Chu, a rising star who helped launch the Disney+ streaming service, to bring some entertainment mojo to magazine brands including The New Yorker, Vogue and Vanity Fair. The idea was to develop more films and long-form shows and documentaries that the company... A year ago, executives at Condé Nast turned some heads when they hired Agnes Chu, a rising...

E-commerce Amazon

A Jeff Bezos ‘Shadow’ Joins Hopin Amid Amazon Exodus

Aug. 26, 2021 · 8:08 AM PDT

Wei Gao, a former Amazon technical adviser to Jeff Bezos, will join London virtual events startup Hopin as chief operating officer.

UK and Europe May Soon Face-Off Over Cookie ‘Consent’ Pop-Ups

Aug. 26, 2021 · 7:57 AM PDT

A top U.K. official proposed loosening data privacy rules, which could create a showdown with the European Union.

Illustration by Haejin Park

Enterprise Apple

Apple Was the Most Secretive Company in Tech. Then it Developed a Slack Habit.

By Mark Di Stefano and Wayne Ma · Aug. 26, 2021 6:00 AM PDT · 7 comments

There was a time when employees at Apple—long one of Silicon Valley’s most secretive companies—wouldn’t dare to speak openly about their employer in public without permission. Often they were too spooked to talk to colleagues in other parts of the company, if they could even figure out who they were. But in the past few... There was a time when employees at Apple—long one of Silicon Valley’s most secretive...

OnlyFans Halts Plan To Ban Pornography

Aug. 25, 2021 · 7:27 AM PDT · 1 comment

The reversal arrives just days after the company said it would ban porn under pressure from banks and payment providers.

Venture Capital

Discord Raising New Funding At $15 Billion Valuation

Aug. 25, 2021 · 2:18 AM PDT

Dragoneer will lead a $500 million investment in the voice and text chat app popular with videogamers and GenZ.

David Sykes, head of Klarna North America. Photo: Klarna

Klarna’s U.S. Chief: Expect a 12-Month ‘Land Grab’ in Buy Now, Pay Later Services

By Malique Morris and Mark Di Stefano · Aug. 24, 2021 6:00 AM PDT · 1 comment

Stockholm-based Klarna, the oldest and biggest of the payment firms dedicated to buy now, pay later services, isn’t a household name in the U.S. But that may soon change. Klarna has been going directly after deals with large U.S. retailers such as Macy’s, Sephora and Nike. Targeting big retailers—rather than focusing on deals... Stockholm-based Klarna, the oldest and biggest of the payment firms dedicated to buy now, pay...

An Amazon worker at a company warehouse in Raleigh, North Carolina, in June. Photo by Bloomberg

Amazon E-commerce

Amazon Provides Free Covid Test Kits for Employees in California

By Mark Di Stefano · Aug. 18, 2021 11:45 AM PDT

Last month, when Amazon announced it would scrap an ambitious on-site Covid-19 testing program for its warehouse workers, the decision raised eyebrows, given the surge in cases across the U.S. But now, Amazon has begun notifying its workers in California—where it employs more people in than in any other state—that it will offer free... Last month, when Amazon announced it would scrap an ambitious on-site Covid-19 testing program...

Gopuff buys London Delivery Startup Dija

Aug. 12, 2021 · 11:57 AM PDT

The acquisition reflects rapid growth in the food delivery market in Europe, now being eyed by Instacart and Amazon as well as Gopuff.

British Regulator Says Facebook-Giphy Hurts Digital Ad Competition

Aug. 12, 2021 · 6:13 AM PDT

The British antitrust regulator found provisionally that Facebook’s purchase of Giphy removed a potential competitor in the digital ad market.

Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber. Photo by Bloomberg

Startups Uber/Lyft

FTC Investigating Uber’s Gopuff Partnership Alongside Drizly Deal

By Josh Sisco and Mark Di Stefano · Aug. 10, 2021 3:45 PM PDT

The Federal Trade Commission is scrutinizing a partnership struck in May between Uber and Gopuff that allows people to order items from Gopuff through the Uber Eats delivery app, according to two people familiar with the matter and a document seen by The Information. The FTC is looking to see whether the agreement could hamper competition in... The Federal Trade Commission is scrutinizing a partnership struck in May between Uber and Gopuff...

Amazon Ad Prices Surge, As Demand From Sellers Intensifies

By Mark Di Stefano · Aug. 10, 2021 6:01 AM PDT · 3 comments

The cost to place key ads on Amazon’s main marketplace has surged more than a third since the start of the pandemic, a sign of the intense demand among merchants to promote their wares on the platform. But the rapid rise in ad prices also raises the possibility that Amazon may be pricing itself out of the picture for many sellers. Consumer... The cost to place key ads on Amazon’s main marketplace has surged more than a third since...

Amazon Supply Chain Executive Moves To U.K.’s Deliveroo

Aug. 10, 2021 · 3:37 AM PDT

The hiring comes as Deliveroo looks to rapidly expand and create hundreds of new product and engineering jobs.