About Us
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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 mark@theinformation.com.

Briefing
Facebook

Facebook Will Face UK and European Antitrust Probes Into Data Use

June 4, 2021 · 5:38 AM PDT
The probes are the latest in a series of antitrust actions against major tech companies in Europe and the U.S.
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Markets

U.K. Health Startup Babylon to Go Public in U.S. in $4.2 Billion SPAC Deal

June 3, 2021 · 7:55 AM PDT
Babylon is the latest U.K. company to seek a U.S. listing via a SPAC merger.
Art by Mike Sullivan
Venture Capital Startups

‘Shopify Mafia’ Aims to Become Bigger Force in Angel Investing

By Mark Di Stefano · June 2, 2021 6:00 AM PDT · 2 comments
Every week, the phones of more than two dozen current and former Shopify employees ping with alerts for a new group chat on Signal, the encrypted messaging app. The chat—dubbed Shopify Angels by its participants—has become a gathering spot for a new generation of investors connected through their past or present work for... Every week, the phones of more than two dozen current and former Shopify employees ping with...
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E-commerce

Etsy Acquires Gen Z Fashion Platform Depop for $1.6 Billion

June 2, 2021 · 5:41 AM PDT
Etsy is acquiring one of the pioneering companies of the second-hand fashion ecosystem, and one that is especially attuned to the desires of young people:
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Policy Facebook

Facebook Faces European Antitrust Probe Over Marketplace

May 26, 2021 · 5:20 AM PDT
Facebook is the last of the U.S. tech giants to face an official antitrust probe by the Commission.
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Policy Semiconductors

Arm Freezes Hiring During Nvidia Takeover

May 25, 2021 · 12:09 PM PDT
Arm has frozen hiring until 2022 in a sign that regulatory scrutiny of Nvidia's bid for the U.K. chip designer could stretch into next year.
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Google

Germany Launches New Antitrust Investigation Into Google

May 25, 2021 · 3:20 AM PDT
Germany’s antitrust agency has begun a new investigation into Google over whether the U.S tech giant has been exploiting its dominant market position in maps, search, video and phones.
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Markets Startups

German Brokerage App Trade Republic Gets $5.3 Billion Valuation

May 20, 2021 · 8:04 AM PDT
A German-made alternative to Robinhood, Trade Republic, was valued at $5.3 billion in a Series C funding round led by Sequoia.
The People With Power at Shopify
Exclusive
E-commerce COVID-19

The People With Power at Shopify

By Mark Di Stefano and Malique Morris · May 20, 2021 6:00 AM PDT · 8 comments
Tobias Lütke has transformed Shopify into an e-commerce giant with a $145 billion market value, thanks to the popularity of its tools, which power online shopping functions for a huge range of sellers, from the shoe company Allbirds to ketchup maker Heinz. Inside Shopify, though, his intense and demanding leadership style has earned... Tobias Lütke has transformed Shopify into an e-commerce giant with a $145 billion market...
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E-commerce Amazon

Amazon to Lift Mask Mandate for Vaccinated Workers

May 19, 2021 · 10:06 AM PDT
Amazon said it will soon lift the compulsory face mask mandate for warehouse employees who have received the Covid-19 vaccine.
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Google

Google Fined $120 Million for Excluding Italian App From Android Auto

May 13, 2021 · 6:28 AM PDT
The move shows national authorities in European countries are flexing their muscles against U.S. tech giants even as the European Commission itself investigates antitrust abuses from Brussels.
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Amazon

Amazon to Hire Another 75,000 Workers

May 13, 2021 · 6:26 AM PDT
The new hires, for Amazon's warehouses and transportation network, would add to the half a million new employees hired during the Covid pandemic.
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Amazon

Court Overturns Amazon’s $300 Million European Tax Bill

May 12, 2021 · 2:57 AM PDT
The ruling reverses a 2017 decision from the European Commission to charge Amazon with hundreds of millions in unpaid taxes.
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Policy Facebook

Facebook Ordered To Stop Processing WhatsApp Data In Germany

May 11, 2021 · 2:51 PM PDT
A regulator in Germany has ordered Facebook to stop processing WhatsApp data in the country for use with its main social media platform.
Branded president Michael Ronen. Photo provided by Branded
The Big Interview
Venture Capital Startups

Branded Joins Frenzy of Startups Acquiring Amazon Merchants, Finds Profits

By Mark Di Stefano · May 5, 2021 6:01 AM PDT · 1 comment
Michael Ronen recently learned more than he ever thought he’d know about soap. Ronen runs Branded, a startup that buys up successful small businesses who sell their wares on Amazon. He was courting the American proprietor of a profitable online soap merchant, a business he was considering acquiring. “He can just talk to you all day... Michael Ronen recently learned more than he ever thought he’d know about soap. Ronen runs...
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Apple

Europe Alleges Apple’s App Store Breaches Competition Law

April 30, 2021 · 3:47 AM PDT
The European Commission announced on Friday that Apple abused its market position around the rules of the app store.
Illustration by Jonathan Holt
Exclusive
Facebook Entertainment

Spotify’s Next Dilemma: Grappling With Hate Speech

By Jessica Toonkel and Mark Di Stefano · April 29, 2021 6:00 AM PDT · 1 comment
At a Spotify employee workshop held in late 2018, participants were presented with a series of statements which they were told came from a podcast on the service, urging violence against the police. The participants were asked if the statements amounted to hate speech and should be removed from Spotify. Most everyone attending agreed they should... At a Spotify employee workshop held in late 2018, participants were presented with a series of...
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Murdoch Abandons Plan for Fox News Service in UK

April 27, 2021 · 6:02 AM PDT
News Corp faced competition in the UK market for a conservative news channel, as a rival organization called GB News is starting a new opinion-led TV channel in the coming months.
A screenshot of 'Bard of Blood' from Netflix.
Entertainment

How Netflix Fumbled India

By Jessica Toonkel and Mark Di Stefano · April 27, 2021 6:01 AM PDT · 8 comments
In 2019, Amazon and Netflix each released spy thrillers on their streaming services aimed at the India market—with dramatically different results. Amazon’s “Family Man,” which told the story of a middle-class man who secretly spies for India, nabbed rave reviews, became the most watched original series on the Indian... In 2019, Amazon and Netflix each released spy thrillers on their streaming services aimed at the...
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Entertainment

Spotify CEO Prepares Bid For English Soccer Club

April 26, 2021 · 7:28 AM PDT
Ek would follow the likes of former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and tech investor Mark Cuban who have bought sporting franchises with the proceeds of their tech riches.