Senators Grill Tech CEOs Again: The Information’s Tech Briefing

@Samuel explain yourself.

*Ali Hussein*

Digital Transformation

Tel: +254 713 601113

Twitter: @AliHKassim

Skype: abu-jomo

LinkedIn: ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim
<ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim>

Any information of a personal nature expressed in this email are purely
mine and do not necessarily reflect the official positions of the
organizations that I work with.

On Wed, Nov 18, 2020 at 9:23 AM SAMUEL O. via kictanet <
[email protected]> wrote:

> great news
>
>
> On Tue, Nov 17, 2020 at 8:54 PM Ali Hussein via kictanet <
> [email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Listers
>>
>> Internet Governance in focus.
>>
>> In this particular case the issue is America’s Section 230 of the
>> Communications Decency act which states that:-
>>
>> \”No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated
>> as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another
>> information content provider\”
>>
>> In short – Third Party Liability.
>>
>> How this will pan out will have a global effect as the main target of
>> these hearings is #BigTech. Your guess is as good as mine as to how this
>> will go. One thing though is becoming increasingly clear to me –
>>
>> Governments and #BigTech are all in it for the POWER. Who controls the
>> data controls the citizens. Makes #GOT look like child’s play.
>>
>>
>> 
>> Another day, another congressional hearing for tech CEOs. Facebook CEO
>> Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey (complete with that beard) were
>> at it again, appearing before a congressional committee on Tuesday to
>> discuss Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act—the law that gives
>> internet platforms immunity from liability for what users post. But unlike
>> the most recent hearing, before the Senate Commerce Committee, today’s
>> hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee was a little bit less
>> contentious.
>>
>> <e.customeriomail.com/e/c/eyJlbWFpbF9pZCI6IlJKSDNBZ01BQVhYWS1CT2lQM2dOYl9pSFJkc3c1Zz09IiwiaHJlZiI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRoZWluZm9ybWF0aW9uLmNvbT91dG1fY2FtcGFpZ249JTVCY292aWQxOSU1RCtUZWNoK0ltcGFjXHUwMDI2…>
>> Tech Briefing
>>
>> November 17, 2020
>> ——————————
>>
>> Greetings!
>>
>> Another day, another congressional hearing for tech CEOs. Facebook CEO
>> Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey (complete with that beard) were
>> at it again, appearing before a congressional committee on Tuesday to
>> discuss Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act—the law that gives
>> internet platforms immunity from liability for what users post. But unlike
>> the most recent hearing, before the Senate Commerce Committee, today’s
>> hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee was a little bit less
>> contentious.
>>
>> For the most part, there was less of the shouting—although Sen. Ted Cruz
>> once again went on the attack about bias against conservatives, as did Sen.
>> Josh Hawley. Democrats such as Sen. Richard Blumenthal, on the other hand,
>> accused Facebook of caving to pressure from conservatives on not taking
>> more action about conservative content.
>>
>> Sen. Lindsay Graham, the committee chair, helped lower the temperature
>> with an opening statement that emphasized the aim to come up with standards
>> that make social media’s content moderation more transparent to users.
>> Whether that will lead anywhere remains the unanswered question.*—Martin
>> Peers*
>>
>> Onto other news…
>> ——————————
>>
>> ELLIOTT DEACTIVATES AT&T STAKE
>>
>> You win some, you lose some. That might be the Elliott Management
>> philosophy as it exits its stake in AT&T, 14 months after disclosing the
>> $3.2 billion position. After pressuring AT&T to consider selling DirecTV,
>> among other assets, and to improve its corporate governance, the outcome is
>> mixed. It’s not even clear Elliott made any money on the investment.
>>
>> AT&T has reportedly tried to sell DirecTV, without success. It added a
>> couple of new directors. But AT&T’s stock price is trading about 13% below
>> where it was when Elliott first wrote to AT&T outlining its concerns.
>>
>> It may be that the media’s expectations of activist investors like
>> Elliott are overblown. In some companies, such as eBay, Elliott had a big
>> impact, triggering numerous asset sales and senior management changes.
>> Sometimes, though, the activists appear to be coopted by the target. Nine
>> months after Elliott took a stake in Twitter, *reportedly unhappy*
>> <e.customeriomail.com/e/c/eyJlbWFpbF9pZCI6IlJKSDNBZ01BQVhYWS1CT2lQM2dOYl9pSFJkc3c1Zz09IiwiaHJlZiI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJsb29tYmVyZy5jb20vbmV3cy9hcnRpY2xlcy8yMDIwLTAyLTI5L3Npbmdlci1zLWVsbGlvdHQtaXMtc2Fp…>
>> about CEO Jack Dorsey’s part-time role, Dorsey has just been affirmed in
>> his position by a board committee that includes an Elliott representative.
>> Twitter shares are up 20%, though, which may satisfy the activist.
>>
>> Elliott has a position in Dropbox, securities filings show, another tech
>> firm with tepid growth and a depressed stock price. Given the recent
>> history of Elliott’s tech adventures, no one should bet on any miracles
>> occurring there.
>> ——————————
>>
>> DISCUSSING AIRBNB’S IPO
>>
>> Airbnb became an iconic Silicon Valley company doing what many startups
>> can only dream about. “They created a market that didn\’t really exist
>> before,” said Tobias Wann, a former travel industry executive, during The
>> Information\’s live video conference on Airbnb on Tuesday.
>>
>> But how tight of a grip does 12-year-old Airbnb still have on that
>> market? The company stressed in its IPO paperwork that the No. 1 factor
>> affecting its future performance, as the travel industry recovers, was its
>> ability to attract and retain hosts. Before the pandemic, growth in active
>> listings on the site had slowed from 33% in 2018 to 29% in 2019. *As we
>> reported recently*
>> <www.theinformation.com/articles/slump-in-city-travel-raises-risk-airbnb-hosts-will-look-elsewhere?cio_link_id=eyJlbWFpbF9pZCI6IlJKSDNBZ01BQVhYWS1CT2lQM2dOYl9pSFJkc3c1Zz09IiwiaHJlZiI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d…>,
>> executives are worried those active listings could slip further in cities
>> where hosts saw a decline in bookings.
>>
>> For now, potential investors should be heartened that the majority of its
>> hosts list their homes only on Airbnb, the company said in the filing.
>> \”That\’s the secret sauce that makes Airbnb in my mind work,\” said Drew
>> Patterson, executive chairman of short-term rental data firm Transparent
>> Intelligence, in the video call.
>>
>> Interest in Airbnb\’s IPO is high, with twice as many potential investors
>> showing interest in research on Airbnb compared with DoorDash, said
>> Bernstein senior analyst Mark Shmulik.*—Cory Weinberg*
>> ——————————
>>
>> ROBINHOOD’S IPO PLANS
>>
>> Robinhood, the trading platform credited with bringing lots of new
>> individual investors into the stock market, is discussing an IPO in the
>> first quarter of next year, *Bloomberg reported*
>> <e.customeriomail.com/e/c/eyJlbWFpbF9pZCI6IlJKSDNBZ01BQVhYWS1CT2lQM2dOYl9pSFJkc3c1Zz09IiwiaHJlZiI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJsb29tYmVyZy5jb20vbmV3cy9hcnRpY2xlcy8yMDIwLTExLTE3L3JvYmluaG9vZC1pcy1zYWlkLXRvLXNl…>.
>>
>>
>> That seems appropriate. Earlier in the year, when the stock market began
>> to rally after the pandemic plunge, Robinhood was *credited*
>> <e.customeriomail.com/e/c/eyJlbWFpbF9pZCI6IlJKSDNBZ01BQVhYWS1CT2lQM2dOYl9pSFJkc3c1Zz09IiwiaHJlZiI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJsb29tYmVyZ3F1aW50LmNvbS9idXNpbmVzc3dlZWsvaG93LXJvYmluaG9vZC1zLWFkZGljdGl2ZS1hcHAt…>
>> in various news reports with bringing new investors into the market and
>> driving the market’s recovery.
>>
>> That role has been reflected in fundraising success. Robinhood raised
>> $460 million in venture funding last month, following a $200 million
>> funding round in August, with the most recent round valuing the company at
>> $11.7 billion. Now all those retail investors trading through Robinhood may
>> get a chance to buy shares in the company itself.
>> ——————————
>>
>> IN OTHER NEWS…
>>
>> – Twitter will introduce vanishing tweets available to its users
>> globally. The new feature, called Fleets, are fullscreen posts that
>> disappear after 24 hours, replicating the Stories format pioneered years
>> ago by Snapchat.
>> – Amazon launched a prescription drug delivery service called “Amazon
>> Pharmacy,” letting customers purchase prescription medicine and upload
>> their healthcare insurance information to the website.
>> – Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing unveiled an electric
>> vehicle it co-developed with Chinese EV maker BYD. The new D1 electric car,
>> custom-built for ride-hailing, is part of Didi’s effort to boost the supply
>> of qualified vehicles that meet local government regulations that have
>> become tighter in recent years.
>> – SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son said he has $80 billion in cash for
>> investments and stock buybacks, *Bloomberg reported*
>> <e.customeriomail.com/e/c/eyJlbWFpbF9pZCI6IlJKSDNBZ01BQVhYWS1CT2lQM2dOYl9pSFJkc3c1Zz09IiwiaHJlZiI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJsb29tYmVyZy5jb20vbmV3cy9hcnRpY2xlcy8yMDIwLTExLTE3L3NvZnRiYW5rLWZvdW5kZXItaGFzLTgw…>.
>>
>>
>> ——————————
>>
>> NEW FROM OUR REPORTERS
>>
>>
>> <www.theinformation.com/articles/goldman-sachs-goes-on-aws-hiring-binge-to-boost-ai-cloud-efforts?cio_link_id=eyJlbWFpbF9pZCI6IlJKSDNBZ01BQVhYWS1CT2lQM2dOYl9pSFJkc3c1Zz09IiwiaHJlZiI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3…>
>> AGoldman Sachs Goes on AWS Hiring Binge to Boost AI, Cloud Efforts
>> <www.theinformation.com/articles/goldman-sachs-goes-on-aws-hiring-binge-to-boost-ai-cloud-efforts?cio_link_id=eyJlbWFpbF9pZCI6IlJKSDNBZ01BQVhYWS1CT2lQM2dOYl9pSFJkc3c1Zz09IiwiaHJlZiI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3…>
>>
>> By Kevin McLaughlin
>>
>> A little over a year ago, Marco Argenti, a top engineering executive at
>> Amazon Web Services, left the cloud computing arm of the internet retail
>> giant to join Goldman Sachs as co–chief information officer. Read Story →
>> <www.theinformation.com/articles/goldman-sachs-goes-on-aws-hiring-binge-to-boost-ai-cloud-efforts?cio_link_id=eyJlbWFpbF9pZCI6IlJKSDNBZ01BQVhYWS1CT2lQM2dOYl9pSFJkc3c1Zz09IiwiaHJlZiI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3…>
>> ——————————
>>
>>
>> <www.theinformation.com/articles/onlyfans-chief-talks-sports-ambitions-and-role-of-adult-content-in-site?cio_link_id=eyJlbWFpbF9pZCI6IlJKSDNBZ01BQVhYWS1CT2lQM2dOYl9pSFJkc3c1Zz09IiwiaHJlZiI6Imh0dHBzO…>
>> OnlyFans Chief Talks Sports Ambitions and Role of Adult Content in Site
>> <www.theinformation.com/articles/onlyfans-chief-talks-sports-ambitions-and-role-of-adult-content-in-site?cio_link_id=eyJlbWFpbF9pZCI6IlJKSDNBZ01BQVhYWS1CT2lQM2dOYl9pSFJkc3c1Zz09IiwiaHJlZiI6Imh0dHBzO…>
>>
>> By Tom Dotan
>>
>> One of the buzziest companies in tech today, OnlyFans, is about as far
>> from a typical startup as is possible. Read Story →
>> <www.theinformation.com/articles/onlyfans-chief-talks-sports-ambitions-and-role-of-adult-content-in-site?cio_link_id=eyJlbWFpbF9pZCI6IlJKSDNBZ01BQVhYWS1CT2lQM2dOYl9pSFJkc3c1Zz09IiwiaHJlZiI6Imh0dHBzO…>
>> ——————————
>>
>>
>> <www.theinformation.com/articles/rental-startup-domio-plans-to-shut-down-after-failing-to-raise-funds?cio_link_id=eyJlbWFpbF9pZCI6IlJKSDNBZ01BQVhYWS1CT2lQM2dOYl9pSFJkc3c1Zz09IiwiaHJlZiI6Imh0dHBzOi8v…>
>> Rental Startup Domio Plans to Shut Down After Failing to Raise Funds
>> <www.theinformation.com/articles/rental-startup-domio-plans-to-shut-down-after-failing-to-raise-funds?cio_link_id=eyJlbWFpbF9pZCI6IlJKSDNBZ01BQVhYWS1CT2lQM2dOYl9pSFJkc3c1Zz09IiwiaHJlZiI6Imh0dHBzOi8v…>
>>
>> By Paris Martineau
>>
>> Domio, a short-term rental startup founded in 2016, plans to shut down
>> and is looking to sell its assets, according to two investors in the
>> company and documents viewed by The Information. Read Story →
>> <www.theinformation.com/articles/rental-startup-domio-plans-to-shut-down-after-failing-to-raise-funds?cio_link_id=eyJlbWFpbF9pZCI6IlJKSDNBZ01BQVhYWS1CT2lQM2dOYl9pSFJkc3c1Zz09IiwiaHJlZiI6Imh0dHBzOi8v…>
>> ——————————
>> Corporate Subscriptions
>> ——————————
>>
>> Get Team Access to Breaking Tech News
>>
>> Empower your teams to stay ahead of market trends with the most trusted
>> tech journalism. For group access to insider scoops on upcoming IPOs and
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>> *here*
>> <e.customeriomail.com/e/c/eyJlbWFpbF9pZCI6IlJKSDNBZ01BQVhYWS1CT2lQM2dOYl9pSFJkc3c1Zz09IiwiaHJlZiI6Imh0dHBzOi8vdGhlaW5mb3JtYXRpb24udHlwZWZvcm0uY29tL3RvL2djejB5dz91dG1fY2FtcGFpZ249JTVCY292aWQxOSU1RCtU…>.
>>
>> ——————————
>>
>> WHAT WE’RE READING
>>
>> – America’s Zombie Companies Have Racked Up $1.4 Trillion in Debt: Read
>> Now →
>> <e.customeriomail.com/e/c/eyJlbWFpbF9pZCI6IlJKSDNBZ01BQVhYWS1CT2lQM2dOYl9pSFJkc3c1Zz09IiwiaHJlZiI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJsb29tYmVyZy5jb20vbmV3cy9hcnRpY2xlcy8yMDIwLTExLTE3L2FtZXJpY2Etcy16b21iaWUtY29tcGFu…>
>> – The Substackerati: Read Now →
>> <e.customeriomail.com/e/c/eyJlbWFpbF9pZCI6IlJKSDNBZ01BQVhYWS1CT2lQM2dOYl9pSFJkc3c1Zz09IiwiaHJlZiI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNqci5vcmcvc3BlY2lhbF9yZXBvcnQvc3Vic3RhY2tlcmF0aS5waHA_dXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPSU1QmNvdmlk…>
>> – Steve Jobs’ Last Gambit: Apple’s M1 Chip: Read Now →
>> <e.customeriomail.com/e/c/eyJlbWFpbF9pZCI6IlJKSDNBZ01BQVhYWS1CT2lQM2dOYl9pSFJkc3c1Zz09IiwiaHJlZiI6Imh0dHBzOi8vb20uY28vMjAyMC8xMS8xNy93aHktbTEtY2hpcC1ieS1hcHBsZS1tYXR0ZXJzP3V0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj0lNUJjb3Zp…>
>> – Uber and Lyft Are Going National With Prop 22 Concept, Despite
>> Voter Complaints: Read Now →
>> <e.customeriomail.com/e/c/eyJlbWFpbF9pZCI6IlJKSDNBZ01BQVhYWS1CT2lQM2dOYl9pSFJkc3c1Zz09IiwiaHJlZiI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS90ZWNobm9sb2d5LzIwMjAvMTEvMTcvdWJlci1seWZ0LXByb3AyMi1taXNp…>
>>
>> Sent to [email protected] | *Unsubscribe from these emails*
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>> | Help
>> <e.customeriomail.com/e/c/eyJlbWFpbF9pZCI6IlJKSDNBZ01BQVhYWS1CT2lQM2dOYl9pSFJkc3c1Zz09IiwiaHJlZiI6Imh0dHBzOi8vdGhlaW5mb3JtYXRpb24uemVuZGVzay5jb20vaGM_dXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPSU1QmNvdmlkMTklNUQrVGVjaCtJbXBh…>
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> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform
> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
>
> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
> online that you follow in real life: respect people\’s times and bandwidth,
> share knowledge, don\’t flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
>

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