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☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: BuzzFeed, First Republic, Meta and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)BuzzFeed — Share of the internet media company lost about 10% on a weak first-quarter revenue outlook. Buzzfeed expects first-quarter revenue of $61-$67 million, compared to expectations of $83.6 million, according to FactSet. Meta Platforms — Meta shares gained 6% after CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Tuesday the social media company plans to cut 10,000 employees. First Republic , PacWest Bancorp, Western Alliance Bancorp , Comerica — Regional banks rallied sharply Tuesday after being hit hard last Friday and Monday. Shares of San Francisco-based First Republic rose about 50%, while PacWest jumped more than 60% and Western Alliance Bancorp gained more than 40%.

☆ AI Tech Like ChaptGPT, Bing, Bard Is a Bigger Threat Than Social Media
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Nowadays, the promise of social media as a unifying force for good has all but collapsed, and Zuckerberg is slashing thousands of jobs after his company's rocky pivot to the metaverse. Much like social media in 2012, the AI industry is standing on the precipice of immense change. And as Altman and his cohort charge ahead, AI could fundamentally reshape our economy and lives even more than social media. If social media helped expose the worst impulses of humanity on a mass scale, generative AI could be a turbocharger that accelerates the spread of our faults. Social media amplified society's issues, as Wooldridge puts it.

☆ Silicon Valley Bank depositors are saved at the last minute
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Matt Weinberger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

By now, you've probably heard a lot about the sudden, bank run-driven collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, one of the tech industry's most stalwart and trusted institutions. Tech startups say they can't access their cash deposited in Silicon Valley Bank. Before the FDIC stepped in to save the day (for depositors, anyway), the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank sparked fear, uncertainty, and panic as startups suddenly lost access to whatever cash they had stashed there. Here's the latest from Insider on the Silicon Valley Bank meltdown:Read more about the financial panic that swept Silicon Valley over the weekend here. Can Silicon Valley succeed where the CDC failed?

☆ Facebook's top exec Tom Alison breaks down his top priorities for 2023 and his pitch to creators
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Tom Alison, head of Facebook, wants the platform to be a more welcoming home to creators. Insider spoke with Alison about Facebook's priorities as uncertainty around Meta layoffs mounts. "We want Meta to be a great home for creators," Alison said. "You layer in some monetization tools on top of that and they can use Facebook to extend their income," Alison said. "We're going to be integrating and embracing more messaging functionality within Facebook," Alison said.

☆ 5 side hustles that can make you hundreds a month with only a few hours of work and no up-front costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Jen Glantz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Jen Glantz is an entrepreneur who has tried various side hustles to pass time in the winter months. But as a full-time entrepreneur whose income varies drastically month to month, I feel guilty when I'm not making money during my free time. Plus, many of these extra gigs can be done on the weekends, so they don't disrupt the flow of my work schedule. I often put the same items on both platforms to double the exposure and increase the potential of a sale. I stopped doing this once I met my partner and we started traveling more in the winter season together.

☆ Big media is gearing up for battle with Google and Microsoft over AI chatbots using their articles for training: 'We are actively considering our options'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Publishers want Google and Microsoft to pay them for the use of media content to train their AI. Media companies are also studying how to change their business models to protect themselves from the bots' threat. Within media companies, the topic is being discussed at the highest levels, from the C-suite to the boardroom. Executives are also strategizing with peers and competitors about the possibility of forging a united position against the tech companies, according to multiple publishing sources. The same year, an Australia law forced tech companies to pay news outlets for linking to their articles.

☆ Amazon is pausing construction on its second headquarters in Virginia
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Amazon is pausing construction on its second headquarters in northern Virginia, the company confirmed in a statement to CNN on Friday. John Schoettler, Amazon’s real estate chief, said the company is pushing back the groundbreaking of the second phase of the sprawling new headquarters. The first phase is still under construction and expected to open in June. “We’ve decided to shift the groundbreaking of PenPlace (the second phase of HQ2) out a bit,” Schoettler said in a statement. Amazon’s search for a second headquarters kicked off in 2017, spurring a major competition as local officials across the country competed for the e-commerce giant to bring jobs and other benefits to their communities.

☆ Salesforce: A New Dawn. CEO Marc Benioff is pivoting the cloud company from family to profitability.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

I'm Diamond Naga Siu, and I'm not just talking about the Selena/Hailey 'mean girls' saga — I'm fascinated by the Salesforce spectacle. CEO Marc Benioff recently oversaw the departure of two leading candidates to inherit the Salesforce throne. Now, under their careful watch, Benioff needs to guide the company through a cost-cutting period — something he's never done before. This is quite the turn, considering he was still emphasizing Ohana after laying off 10% of the company in January. CEO Marc Benioff announced on Wednesday that the company is starting a "new day."

☆ TikTok's potential ban in U.S. could be boon for Meta and Snap
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Jonathan Raa | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesInvestors in Meta , Snap and other U.S. digital media companies have been looking for signs of a rebound after a tumultuous 2022. Meta climbed 1% on Wednesday, and Snap was unchanged. She said that Meta's Facebook, Snap and Google's YouTube could be "huge beneficiaries" if the ban ultimately takes place. watch now"A U.S. ban on TikTok is a ban on the export of American culture and values to the billion-plus people who use our service worldwide," a TikTok spokesperson said Wednesday. Andrew Boone, an analyst at JMP, said that Meta likely stands to benefit the most should TikTok face a U.S. ban.

Managers are being told to expect demotions, putting them in "direct competition" with reports. A current employee told Insider that, in recent weeks many managers at Facebook have been told they will have their teams taken away. "Folks with years of management experience are being told they have to train on a position they haven't done in years," the person told Insider. Yet the photo-sharing app remained "less bloated" than Facebook, as one former employee told Insider, with roughly 20,000 employees. Facebook currently operates according to a "matrix model," one person familiar with the structure told Insider.

☆ Tesla, tech and travel stocks have ginormous gains this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Paul R. La Monica | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Beaten-up travel stocks have also enjoyed solid gains this year, as investors bet that the worst-case fears of an imminent recession may turn out to be for naught and consumers catch up on missed travel. Some fear this ferocious rebound in consumer and tech stocks may be happening too quickly. “That means there are broader opportunities outside of tech and growth stocks and more in the value and small cap sectors.”Growth stocks, and tech in particular, make more sense as investments if the Fed were set to start slashing interest rates. Add all that up and it could mean that the recent rebound for Tesla, big techs and media firms and other consumer stocks could be short-lived. “Inflation and interest rate uncertainty means we continue to believe value stocks, including the global energy sector, will outperform growth stocks,” Haefele said.

☆ Facebook is becoming more like Instagram as Mark Zuckerberg whittles down manager ranks and further layoffs loom
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Kali Hays | Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Facebook is expected to see layoffs amid Mark Zuckerberg's new mandate to "flatten" the company. Facebook, founded by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg twenty years ago, is in the process of being further streamlined, two people familiar with the company told Insider. The company's goal is to have Facebook's structure more closely resemble that of Instagram, the people said, as Zuckerberg looks to cut costs and declares 2023 to be the "year of efficiency." "It's not surprising," another person familiar with the company said of plans to change the structure at Facebook. The current organizational structure at Facebook is essentially what's known as "a matrix" model, one of the people familiar said.

☆ New Zealand launches global fundraiser for post-cyclone reconstruction
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Lewis Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, Feb 27 (Reuters) - New Zealand will launch an international fundraising appeal for the massive reconstruction work needed after Cyclone Gabrielle tore across the country's north earlier this month, forcing thousands of people into shelters and killing eleven. The appeal will fund longer term recovery projects and target wealthy expatriates, businesses and anyone with affection for New Zealand, said Prime Minister Chris Hipkins on Monday. The appeal will be modeled after the 2011 Christchurch earthquake fundraiser, which collected over NZ$94 million ($57.94 million). A national state of emergency, only the third declared in the country's history, will continue in cyclone-hit regions. ($1 = 1.6223 New Zealand dollars)Reporting by Lewis Jackson; Editing by Simon Cameron-MooreOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Googlers are begrudgingly testing Bard and making memes out of their new task.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Since it's a tough time in the tech industry right now, I hope this resonates with some of you, too. Thomas Maxwell/InsiderGooglers are begrudgingly testing their company's ChatGPT competitor. CEO Sundar Pichai asked every employee to spend multiple hours testing Google's new chatbot Bard. They were tasked with improving Bard by asking it questions and flagging bad answers, in addition to their normal responsibilities. Some made memes from the conversations they've had with Bard, continuing a trend of internally mocking the chatbot.

☆ Biggest security benefits, risks with new Meta, Twitter verified identity subscriptions
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Cheryl Winokur Munk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

As Twitter and Meta Platforms move to paid subscriptions for social media identity verification and security, the battle to stay safe online continues. With social engineering and phishing the primary sources of social media account compromise, it's unlikely verified accounts will actually be more secure. "Twitter is only eliminating the SMS-based two-factor authentication capability, and does offer two additional methods for two-factor authentication that are stronger and more reliable than SMS-based authentication," Ramzan said. When signing on for a social media account, try to give away as little personal information as possible, Buzzard said. Aura recommends social media users disable third-party apps that are connected to their social media accounts.

☆ How Putin's Russian goon squad used Mexican gig workers to troll an American election
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +25 min

Posting to social media sounded like an easy work-from-home gig, so he applied. This post from the Prigozhin-backed Social CMS network in Mexico referred to America as "we." He verified his account by providing chat transcripts, screenshots, contracts, and internal company documents. But just because Social CMS didn't yield an immediate, large-scale impact doesn't mean it should be ignored. "I didn't know who are you," wrote the person who is listed in the corporate directory as Prigozhin's media liaison.

☆ Facebook, Gibson Dunn sanction order is light on dollars, heavy on message
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Alison Frankel | Thomson Reuters | Alison Frankel Has Covered High-Stakes Commercial Litigation As A Columnist For Reuters Since A Dartmouth College Graduate | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

CompaniesCompanies Law firms Meta Platforms Inc FollowFeb 10 (Reuters) - To Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc (META.O) and its lawyers at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, $925,000 isn't a whole lot of money. Chhabria, as you've probably heard, ordered Facebook and its lawyers to pay that sum to plaintiffs' lawyers as recompense for their bad-faith litigation tactics. "Does anyone really think that Facebook was planning on taking this case to trial?" This is, by far, the most likely explanation for Facebook and Gibson Dunn’s conduct." Facebook and its lawyers fell into their roles with ease, and then they took things way too far.”Gibson Dunn and Meta both declined to provide a statement on Chhabria’s order.

☆ Amazon is the latest threat to Facebook as ad targeting suffers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

"So many people start their shopping on Amazon," Hassett said in an interview. People take selfies in front of the logo of Facebook parent company Meta on November 9, 2022 in Menlo Park, California. Liu Guanguan | China News Service | Getty ImagesFor Loftie, Amazon and Google provide better value because a shopper is showing intent by searching for a particular item. "In the near term, we expect Meta ad share to decline further in '23 given macro headwinds and the pivot to Reels," they wrote. Rachel Tipograph, CEO of marketing technology firm MikMak, said there are other unforeseen costs tied to Amazon advertising.

☆ Meta's layoffs were expensive — it may have spent more than $88,000 per employee to cut 11,000 from the ranks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg cut 13% of the company's workforce in November. Facebook/MetaIn November 2022, Meta laid off more than 11,000 employees, or 13% of its workforce. It's possible the company spent around $88,000 a person in cutting those employees. The number comes from dividing the $975 million that the company paid in "Severance and Other Personnel" costs by 11,000, approximately the number of employees the company cut in November. In the company's fourth-quarter earnings release posted Wednesday, CEO Mark Zuckerberg warned that Meta's management theme for 2023 was 'Year of Efficiency.'

☆ Meta shares surge nearly 20% as Zuckerberg pledges to make 2023 a ‘year of efficiency’
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —For years, Facebook and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg invested heavily in growth, including in areas like virtual reality with unproven potential. All of that helped send shares of Meta up nearly 20% in after hours trading Wednesday. Meta reported nearly $32.2 billion in revenue for the quarter, down 4% from the year prior but ahead of the $31.5 billion analysts had projected. The guidance is somewhat better than Snapchat-parent Snap’s from earlier in the week, which said it expects first quarter revenue to fall between 2% and 10% compared to the previous year. The company also lost a total of more than $13.7 billion in its “Reality Labs” unit which houses its metaverse efforts.

Snap said its direct response business geared towards driving product sales or website visits rose 4% in October-December. That could "be viewed as a healthy sign for Meta and Google," whose businesses are tuned to direct response advertisers, said Mark Shmulik, senior analyst at research firm Bernstein. Similarly, Meta has said in previous quarters that the bulk of its revenue comes from direct response advertising. Headwinds for Meta and Google could be notably less severe, he added. The weak outlook pulled down the shares of rivals Meta, Google, and Pinterest (PINS.N), which also earns revenue by selling digital advertising, on Tuesday.

☆ Microsoft is chill with employees using ChatGPT — just don’t share ‘sensitive data’ with it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Microsoft warned employees against sharing "sensitive data" with ChatGPT. Leaked internal communications revealed that Microsoft's CTO office told employees that using ChatGPT is fine. "Companies and employees are all scrambling to find out the exact rules around using ChatGPT for work." He added: "The interesting thing here is that Microsoft is a big partner and investor of OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT. In theory, Microsoft stands to gain when ChatGPT collects more data and improves its technology.

☆ Snap shares plunge on weak revenue as digital ad struggles continue
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

It's the third disappointing earnings report in a row for Snap investors. The day after the company's Q3 earnings report in October, shares fell 28% on disappointing revenue. Snap shares slid more than 14% in extended trading on Tuesday after the social media company reported fourth-quarter revenue that trailed analysts' estimates. In a letter to investors, Snap called it a "challenging year" that was marked by "macroeconomic headwinds, platform policy changes, and increased competition. It's an ominous start to fourth-quarter earnings season for ad-supported internet companies.

☆ Everyone's watching Meta's earnings report for a hint at how online ads are doing
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Andrew Caballero-Reynolds | AFP | Getty ImagesWall Street's worst year since 2008 wreaked havoc on tech companies, particularly those reliant on digital advertising. Also on Thursday, investors will hear from Amazon and Apple , which both have growing digital ad businesses that have been taking market share of late from Google and Facebook. But revenue growth isn't expected to pick back up until the second half of the year. Revenue is expected to fall another 2.8% in the first quarter, before sub-1% growth returns in the second period. He has a hold rating on Meta, Snap, Amazon and Netflix, but recommends buying Alphabet and Apple, according to FactSet.

☆ Layoffs at Google, Microsoft, Salesforce Teaching Tech Employees a Harsh Lesson
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Avery Hartmans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Tech workers are using all sorts of emotional phrases to describe the layoff wave that has gripped the industry and become the talk of the business world. "I'm shocked and hurt and still processing," Katie Olaskiewicz, a former human-truths strategist at Google, wrote on LinkedIn last week shortly after 12,000 Google employees were let go. Over the past two weeks, a total of 40,000 employees have been laid off from Amazon, Microsoft, and Google, a nightmare come true for tech workers. The tech layoffs have been starkly different from Wall Street, which has in recent months instituted its own rounds of job cuts. Wall Street realitiesIn many ways, tech workers are waking up to a reality that their peers in other high-flying industries have always known.

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