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  • Getting the Most Out of Outsourcing SEO

    Getting the Most Out of Outsourcing SEO

    In the digital age, online visibility is more important than ever for businesses. That’s why search engine optimization (SEO) is an important tool for businesses that want to increase their online visibility and drive more traffic to their websites.  But SEO tasks are complex and time-consuming. That is the reason why outsourcing SEO tasks to experts can be a great option, especially when you use a reliable and experienced partner.

    What Kind of Digital Marketing Company Should You Choose

    You should decide on a digital marketing company that specializes in providing comprehensive services to help businesses achieve their goals. The company’s team has over several years of experience in SEO, social media, Email Marketing, Content Writing and more. They also offer web design and development services. With their holistic approach to digital marketing, they aim to help businesses increase their visibility and traffic, drive leads and sales conversions, and ultimately build a successful long-term strategy.

    Benefits of Outsourcing SEO Tasks

    Let’s take a look at five of the key benefits of using this company for your SEO needs.

    SEO Expertise

    Your team should have years of experience in SEO marketing services and digital marketing as a whole. They are familiar with the latest trends and techniques used by successful companies around the world, allowing them to provide tailored solutions for any type of business looking for improved visibility online. This expertise can be invaluable when trying to achieve success in search engines like Google and Bing, as well as other platforms such as social media sites and web directories. Moreover, by having access to experienced professionals on hand all the time, you won’t have to worry about letting any important details slip through the cracks or making costly mistakes that could hurt your rankings or waste valuable resources.

    Wide Range of Digital Marketing Services

    With your provider, you gain access to a wide range of services including keyword research & analysis, link building campaigns, content creation & optimization services as well as various other related activities such as competitor analysis & reporting etc. This versatility allows businesses to find the right solution for their needs without having to look elsewhere or invest in different providers offering specialized services individually.

    High-Quality Work

    Your provider is run by an experienced team who understand the ins and outs of search engine optimization. They draw from their knowledge to create tailor-made solutions that will help your business rank higher on Google and other search engines. Plus, they offer comprehensive reporting so you can track your progress over time. All these factors combine to make sure that you get the highest quality work from them every time.

    White Hat SEO 

    Your provider offers white hat SEO services that are specifically designed to help businesses get their websites ranking better in organic search results. The team creates a customized SEO strategy for each client, taking into account factors such as the target audience, industry standards, and competitive landscape. To ensure ethical SEO practices, they use only proven and compliant search engine optimization tactics that comply with Google’s guidelines. By implementing keyword optimization, link building, and content writing, they can help clients achieve long-term success in organic search rankings. This helps you rank higher in search engines without facing any penalties or problems. 

    Cost-Effectiveness

    The cost savings associated with outsourcing SEO tasks are one of the primary reasons why so many businesses choose to go this route. When you outsource your SEO tasks, it eliminates the need for hiring in-house staff or paying high wages for search engine optimization professionals. This means you can keep costs down while still getting access to quality services. The company offers competitive pricing and has various packages suitable for businesses of all sizes, budgets, and goals. Plus, you don’t need to worry about paying extra costs associated with onboarding new staff members or training them on their tasks.

    Time Savings

    Another major benefit of outsourcing SEO tasks is that it can save you a significant amount of time. Instead of having to manage your own SEO campaigns, you can let marketing experts handle it for you, freeing up more time for other aspects of your business. This frees up valuable resources which can then be utilized elsewhere in your organization. Plus, because these experts specialize in SEO, they should be able to complete tasks faster than someone who isn’t as knowledgeable on the subject.

    Conclusion

    Outsourcing SEO tasks offers many benefits for businesses looking for increased online visibility through organic search results ranking higher on Google and other search engines. From cost efficiency and expert guidance through high-quality work delivered quickly; there are plenty of reasons why working with this company is an excellent choice if you are looking for improved online presence through organic traffic increase due to better rankings on major search engines like Google or Bing. By taking advantage of these benefits and opting for an outsourced service, businesses will be able get better results from their campaigns without having to invest too heavily into them upfront or worrying about wasting valuable resources on ineffective tactics or strategies.

  • Apple TV and Music Come to 200 TV Brands via LG webOS Hub

    Apple TV and Music Come to 200 TV Brands via LG webOS Hub

    LG has expanded the availability of Apple’s entertainment apps, bringing them to some 200 TV brands.

    LG already supports Apple TV and Apple Music on its own smart TVs, but the company is now bringing the apps to its webOS Hub, which is used by 200 other TV brands. This will make Apple’s services available to countless other customers.

    The outlined the expansion in a news release:

    With the Apple TV app, Apple Music, AirPlay and HomeKit all coming to the webOS Hub ecosystem, LG is constantly refining and expanding its webOS smart TV platform while enhancing its accessibility so that more consumers can benefit from the most convenient user experience.

    By offering a greater range of customization options to smart TV manufacturers and giving more convenience and choice of content to customers, 10 times as many brands are now available on webOS Hub than in early 2021, with LG now working with 200 partners in total including Seiki, Eko, Stream System, Konka, Aiwa and Hyundai. Through these efforts, LG is now primely positioned to deliver on its promise of pioneering streamlined content viewing experiences for millions of people around the globe.

    LG says webOS Hub will support the full range of options, including the ability to AirPlay content.

    webOS Hub will also be compatible with AirPlay, so users can stream movies, music, games and photos to their smart TV right from their iPhone, iPad or Mac. What’s more, webOS Hub-powered TVs are also Apple Home-enabled, giving users control of their TV in the Apple Home app and Siri using Apple HomeKit technology.

    The expansion of webOS Hub is good news for LG and Apple both, with the latter likely to benefit from more customers having easy access to its growing catalog of content.

  • Microsoft Adding ChatGPT Email Creation Into Viva Sales

    Microsoft Adding ChatGPT Email Creation Into Viva Sales

    Microsoft is taking another crack at Salesforce, integrating ChatGPT email creation into Viva Sales to make it easier for salespeople to communicate with clients.

    Microsoft unveiled Viva Sales in mid-2022, touting it as “a new seller experience application.” The app is designed to work with various CRMs and integrate their data with Microsoft’s suite of apps.

    The company is now integrating ChatGPT into Viva Sales so salespeople can use the AI to write emails for them. According to Bloomberg, the software “will cull data from customer records and Office email software. That information will then be used to generate emails containing personalized text, pricing details and promotions.”

    Microsoft is investing heavily in ChatGPT and its creator, OpenAI. The company is planning to unveil a version of Bing that utilizes a new and improved version, and has invested billions in OpenAI.

    The company clearly sees potential for ChatGPT to help it in its efforts to take on Salesforce’s dominance in the CRM market.

  • Twitter Is Killing Its Free API, Will Charge Devs February 9

    Twitter Is Killing Its Free API, Will Charge Devs February 9

    Twitter’s controversial decisions under owner Elon Musk just keep on coming, with the platform killing off its free developer API.

    Twitter’s API is used for a number of things, including engaging bots and research. The company has decided it will no longer provide free access, with plans to start charging developers February 9.

    Starting February 9, we will no longer support free access to the Twitter API, both v2 and v1.1. A paid basic tier will be available instead

    Twitter Dev (@TwitterDev), February 2, 2023

    Needless to say, the news is not going over well, with many calling out Twitter for harming the very devs that help add value to the platform.

    Developer Tom Coates was one such voice:

    *”Short version: (1) Developers add value to Twitter by helping people create content. They add value to the core service; (2) Having said that, it is not unreasonable to want to find a way to charge those developers who extract more value than they contribute; (3) However, one week’s notice and no indication of pricing shows Twitter is chaotic and unreliable. No one’s going to build a business on that; (4) So you’re basically just shutting down the API and causing massive damage to Twitter in the most labour intensive way possible.”*

    Coates concluded by saying: “This is dumb.”

    Twitter may be hurting financially, but it’s hard to fathom how this is the right move. Mastodon has already gained a significant user base from Twitter’s previous decisions. Making it difficult for people to engage with the platform will only driver Twitter’s users elsewhere.

  • Netflix Password Sharing Crackdown Continues

    Netflix Password Sharing Crackdown Continues

    Netflix is continuing its efforts to crack down on password sharing, making it a bit more inconvenient.

    Despite encouraging password sharing for years, Netflix is now trying to crack down on the practice and force users to get their own accounts. The latest effort is a new verification system that will prompt the account owner to verify any device that persistently logs on outside the account owner’s home.

    When a device outside of your household signs in to an account or is used persistently, we may ask you to verify that device before it can be used to watch Netflix or switch your Netflix household. We do this to confirm that the device using the account is authorized to do so. See “Verifying a device” below for details.

    Netflix does state that it will not automatically start billing customers for devices that sign on outside the main home…yet.

    Netflix will not automatically charge you if you share your account with someone who doesn’t live with you.

    It’s a safe bet Netflix’s efforts to eliminate password are only just beginning.

  • US Senator Asks Apple and Google to Remove TikTok, Citing ‘Unacceptable Threat’

    US Senator Asks Apple and Google to Remove TikTok, Citing ‘Unacceptable Threat’

    US Senator Michael Bennet has called on Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores, calling it an “unacceptable threat.”

    Calls for a ban on TikTok have been increasing as a result of the company’s continued privacy and security scandals, as well as the security implications of its ties to Beijing. The company has recently admitted to surveiling US journalists, has mislead Congress about how it handles US data, and ultimately refused to keep such data out of China. Multiple states and government entities have already banned the app from government devices, and FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr has called for Apple and Google to ban it.

    Senator Bennet has joined that call, asking Apple and Google to remove the app.

    “Like most social media platforms, TikTok collects vast and sophisticated data from its users, including faceprints and voiceprints. Unlike most social media platforms, TikTok poses a unique concern because Chinese law obligates ByteDance, its Beijing-based parent company, to ‘support, assist, and cooperate with state intelligence work,’” wrote Bennet.

    Read More: TikTok Accused of Illegally Collecting Data and Uploading It to China

    “Beijing’s requirement raises the obvious risk that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could weaponize TikTok against the United States, specifically, by forcing ByteDance to surrender Americans’ sensitive data or manipulate the content Americans receive to advance China’s interests,” continued Bennet in the letter. “No company subject to CCP dictates should have the power to accumulate such extensive data on the American people or curate content to nearly a third of our population.”

    Bennet then highlighted the steps Congress has already taken to limit the app, making the case that Apple and Google should do the same.

    “Last year, Congress recognized the unacceptable security risks from TikTok and banned it from all federal government devices. At least 27 state governments have also passed full or partial bans on the app. Given these grave and growing concerns, I ask that you remove TikTok from your respective app stores immediately,” concluded Bennet.

    TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is scheduled to testify before the House Energy & Commerce Committee on March 23. Given the increasing push to ban the platform, his testimony should prove interesting.

  • Bing Upgrading Its Crawl System to Overcome ‘Lastmod’ Issues

    Bing Upgrading Its Crawl System to Overcome ‘Lastmod’ Issues

    Bing is undergoing a major upgrade, revamping its crawl system to overcome issues with how sites use the “lastmod” tag.

    “Lastmod”” is the tag that tells search engines when webpages on a site’s sitemap were last modified. Unfortunately, many sitemaps had the “lastmod” value set to the date when the sitemap was initially set up, not when webpages were last updated.

    According to Search Engine Journal, Bing is working to address the issue:

    To address this issue, Bing is revamping its crawl scheduling stack to better utilize the information provided by the “lastmod” tag in sitemaps.

    This will improve crawl efficiency by reducing unnecessary crawling of unchanged content and prioritizing recently updated content.

    Hopefully Bing’s revamp will help improve search results.

  • Microsoft Will Soon Incorporate a New, Improved ChatGPT in Bing

    Microsoft Will Soon Incorporate a New, Improved ChatGPT in Bing

    Microsoft is moving full speed ahead in its plans to incorporate ChatGPT in Bing, with a new and improved version rolling out in the coming weeks.

    ChatGPT has quickly become the poster child for AI development and has permeated multiple industries. Microsoft is eager to integrate the technology in its Bing search engine in the hopes that conversational AI will help it catch Google.

    According to a new report by Semafor, Microsoft’s plans will come to fruition in the coming weeks, with Bing set to incorporate a new and improved version of ChatGPT based on GTP-4.

    The outlet says that speed is one of the biggest benefits of the move to GPT-4:

    The most interesting improvement in the latest version described by sources is GPT-4’s speed. Right now, it can take a while — sometimes minutes in my experience — for ChatGPT to answer.

    Microsoft has invested billions in OpenAI, with its most recent investment coming just last week. At the time of the investment, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella touted the importance of OpenAI’s research.

    “We formed our partnership with OpenAI around a shared ambition to responsibly advance cutting-edge AI research and democratize AI as a new technology platform,” said Nadella. “In this next phase of our partnership, developers and organizations across industries will have access to the best AI infrastructure, models, and toolchain with Azure to build and run their applications.”

    The biggest beneficiary of OpenAI’s development, however, may just be Microsoft itself. Despite being a very capable search engine, Bing has never been able to make much headway against Google’s dominance. Google clearly views the possibility of a ChatGPT-enabled Bing as a threat, with the company calling in founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin to help it devise an AI strategy.

    If Semafor’s report is correct, we may only have a few weeks to see if ChatGPT upends the search market as much as some believe it will.

  • Meta’s Dual-Camera Smartwatch May Not Be Dead After All

    Meta’s Dual-Camera Smartwatch May Not Be Dead After All

    Rumors of the demise of Meta’s dual-camera smartwatch may be greatly exaggerated, with a new leak suggesting the project is very much alive.

    Reports surfaced that Meta (then Facebook) had been working on their own version of a smartwatch for roughly two years. The watch had two cameras, with one of them being pressed against the wrist, which could be used once the watch was taken off. In mid-2022, however, new reports indicated that Meta had abandoned the project.

    Leaker Kuba Wojciechowski says the project is very much alive, and has been contacted by an anonymous source that provided details and pictures.

    While many will no doubt love the idea of a smartwatch and camera that’s tightly integrated with their Facebook and Instagram accounts, many others will see this as a nightmare scenario. Given Meta’s long history of privacy abuses, it’s hard to image the potential for even more abuses with a device like this.

  • No More Free Peacock Plan for New Subscribers

    No More Free Peacock Plan for New Subscribers

    Peacock has ended its free plan for new subscribers, only offering them a choice of paid plans.

    Peacock is NBCUniversal’s streaming service. Since its debut, the service has offered a free, ad-supported plan. According to The Streamable, that plan is going away:

    The Streamable has confirmed. Instead, new users who attempt to sign up for NBCUniversal’s streaming service will now only be given the option to subscribe to its two premium tiers — Peacock Premium and Peacock Premium Plus. Existing users will continue to have access to the free tier of Peacock, where a substantial library of film and TV will still remain.

    Peacock was one of the few major services that offered a free plan so, while it’s disappointing to see its demise, it’s definitely not surprising.

  • Instagram’s Founders Are Launching An AI-Powered Social News Feed

    Instagram’s Founders Are Launching An AI-Powered Social News Feed

    Instagram’s founders are on to their next venture, launching Artifact, an AI-powered social news feed app.

    Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger launched Instagram and helped lead the company through its acquisition by Facebook. After reported tension over Mark Zuckerberg taking a more hands-on approach to Instagram’s day-to-day operations, the pair left the company.

    Systrom and Krieger are now launching their new project in an effort to utilize AI and machine learning in the social media space. The company’s site describes Artifact as “a personalized news feed driven by artificial intelligence.”

    According to The Verge’s Casey Newton, the app will show users a personalized and curated news feed. Clicking on a story will show similar stories, TikTok-style. The company is also beta testing features that will let users post links to stories and allow other users to follow them. Another feature would allow users to offer commentary and privately discuss linked news items.

    Systrom emphasized the importance of machine learning to the new app.

    “Throughout the years, what I saw was that every time we use machine learning to improve the consumer experience, things got really good really quickly,” he told Newton.

    The two founders saw the possibilities of combining machine learning with a TikTok-like approach but with a focus on text rather than video.

    “I saw that shift, and I was like, ‘Oh, that’s the future of social,’” Systrom said. “These unconnected graphs; these graphs that are learned rather than explicitly created. And what was funny to me is as I looked around, I was like, ‘Man, why isn’t this happening everywhere in social? Why is Twitter still primarily follow-based? Why is Facebook?’”

    Given Systrom and Krieger’s past success, there’s a good chance Artifact could be the next big thing in social media.

    Users can join the waitlist here.

  • Yahoo Teasing a Search Engine Return

    Yahoo Teasing a Search Engine Return

    Yahoo is teasing a return to the search engine market years after abandoning it to Google and Microsoft.

    Yahoo was once the dominant search engine on the internet, long before Google became a household name, let alone a verb. In fact, Yahoo botched two different opportunities to buy Google, one for a mere $1 million. In the time since those — and other — bad decisions, Yahoo’s search share shrunk, the company’s other prospects dimmed, and it finally outsourced its search to Microsoft Bing. After changing hands a couple of times, the company’s prospects look to be on the rise again.

    According to a job posting and various tweets, the internet company is once again ready to take search seriously. The job posting, for a Product Manager for Search, has the following description:

    As a Product Manager for Search, you will help develop our search strategy and roadmap and lead its execution. The ideal candidate will leverage strong organizational skills and deep subject matter expertise to partner with design, science, engineering, and other key cross-functional teams. You will determine what we prioritize for our customers in our search experiences and bring the vision to life. You will also lead the effort to discover and amplify content from across the vast Yahoo ecosystem to create new and innovative search experiences across surfaces and for our Search App. The role is also responsible for identifying and documenting product and business requirements and taking them from concept to production, while working with a broad set of stakeholders that include marketing, sales, legal, editorial, design, UXR, and other teams.

    In addition to the job posting, Yahoo has also been dropping hints via its Yahoo Search Twitter account.

    The company also tweeted about a Search Engine Land article discussing this news.

    If Yahoo is truly eyeing a return to the search market, this may be the best possible time. Google is facing increasing headwinds and regulatory challenges to its dominant position, and Microsoft has never been able to mount a major challenge.

    With users and lawmakers looking for alternatives and AI-based technologies poised to upend the search industry, Yahoo may finally have an opening to do what it failed to do all those years ago — make a success of search.

  • TikTok Is Making a Play for Search

    TikTok Is Making a Play for Search

    TikTok is making a play for the search market, encouraging users to use it in place of traditional search engines.

    TikTok may be the hottest social media platform, but the company has designs on much more. With many young people turning to social media for answers and advice, TikTok is trying to position itself as a search engine alternative.

    If using the app for search seems far-fetched, one only has to look at one of its latest ads to see what the company is planning. Of course, given the scrutiny the Chinese firm is already under, TikTok’s efforts to compete with traditional search may backfire.

    US lawmakers and regulators are concerned about the amount of user data TikTok has access to and whether that data makes its way to Chinese authorities. Making a play for the search market, and the additional data that encompasses, is likely to make those lawmakers even more nervous and lend more weight to a possible ban.

  • E3 2023 May Be Missing Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony

    E3 2023 May Be Missing Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony

    Despite being the first E3 in four years, E3 2023 may be missing the biggest console makers: Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony.

    IGN reports that none of the three biggest console makers plan to attend E3, citing unnamed sources. No reasons were given for the three companies skipping the event, and none of the three replied to IGN’s request for comment.

    The news is even more interesting since Xbox CEO Phil Spencer seemed to voice support for E3 and the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) just a week ago.

    “E3 is just, to me, one of the seminal moments of gaming. I love the history of going down to LA, thousands of people there, getting to see great new things…getting to see people in the industry, the fan events that we’ve had. I definitely want that to continue,” Spencer told IGN.

    “Xbox is on the board of the ESA, and I think a successful and healthy ESA is critical to what we’re trying to go do. So we place our showcase, like we always have done, at a time where hopefully it’s convenient for press and even consumers that are going to the E3 event, and that’s what we’re trying to do now. We will continue to work with ESA in terms of their plans. As I said, we’re on the board, and we want to make sure that we are doing everything we can to help make the E3 successful.”

    It’s likely Xbox plans on timing any announcements it may have to coincide with E3, giving it a chance to cash in on the hype without having a presence at the event. It’s unclear if the other two console makers have similar plans.

  • FCC May Fine Fox for Illegally Using Emergency Broadcast Tones

    FCC May Fine Fox for Illegally Using Emergency Broadcast Tones

    In a “what were they thinking?” moment, Fox is facing fines for using Emergency Alert Tones (EAS) to promote NFL Sunday.

    The EAS is for federal, state, and local authorities to warn citizens of impending danger, as well as child abductions. As such, aside from specific Permitted Uses, the EAS Tones may not be used for any other purpose. The government’s goal is to ensure the public does not get “alert fatigue” and become desensitized to the EAS Tones.

    Despite the importance of protecting the use of EAS Tones, Fox Sports downloaded the tones from a YouTube video and proceeded to use a three-second segment to promote NFL Sunday, according to the FCC’s report.

    FOX describes the Promotional Segment as a short comedic advertisement for an upcoming game, aired as part of the FOX NFL SUNDAY pre-game show. FOX admits that the Promotional Segment used an approximately three-second excerpt of the EAS Attention Signal commonly used to precede broadcast emergency alerts: two simultaneous tones of 853 Hz and 960 Hz. The three-second excerpt of the EAS Attention Signal was downloaded or recorded from a YouTube video. FOX further admits that its transmission of the Promotional Segment, and the EAS Tones, was not made in connection with any Permitted Use, i.e., an actual emergency, authorized test of the EAS, or qualified PSA.

    The clip was broadcast across 18 of Fox’s stations, as well as transmitted to 190 affiliated stations. The company also used the clip on Fox Sports Radio, reaching nearly 15 million listeners.

    As a result of the incident, the FCC has proposed fining Fox sports $504,000.

  • Baidu Set to Unveil AI-Powered Search

    Baidu Set to Unveil AI-Powered Search

    Baidu is preparing to unveil an AI-powered, ChatGPT-like search engine based on the company’s Ernie tech.

    ChatGPT has become one of the most widely known conversational AIs and threatens to upend the search engine market. Microsoft is believed to be integrating it into a version of Bing, and Google is pulling out all the stops to come up with its own answer.

    According to Bloomberg, via Engadget, China’s Baidu is preparing to launch its own conversational AI search engine. The new product will be based on Ernie, which is the company’s large-scale machine-learning model.

    Baidu no doubt hopes conversational AI will help it reinvigorate its search engine and spark future growth. If the company can move fast enough, it may even be able to gain ground on its rivals.

  • Frontier Is Rolling Out 5 Gig Internet Nationwide

    Frontier Is Rolling Out 5 Gig Internet Nationwide

    Frontier is staking claim to an industry-first, rolling out the first nationwide 5 gig internet service in the US.

    Frontier is one of the major players in the US internet provider market, with a strong focus on rural communities. The company launched its 2 gig nationwide internet service less than a year ago and is now set to top that feat.

    “We set a standard with network-wide 2 Gig internet last year, and now we’ve done it again,” said John Harrobin, Frontier’s Executive Vice President of Consumer. “Our 5 Gig offer meets the growing demand for multi-gig speeds and delivers the ‘un-cable’ experience by making the fastest upload and download speeds available throughout our fiber network.”

    The new plan costs “$154.99 a month with autopay and includes uncapped data + Wi-Fi router + free installation + premium tech support.”

  • TikTok CEO to Testify Before House Energy & Commerce Committee

    TikTok CEO to Testify Before House Energy & Commerce Committee

    TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is scheduled to testify before the House Energy & Commerce Committee to address the company’s privacy and data practices.

    TikTok is under fire on all sides, with multiple states and government entities banning the app from government-owned devices. Legislation has been introduced to ban the app from the US entirely, and the EU has signaled it may do the same if TikTok fails to comply with regulation.

    Read more: Europe Is Finally Going After TikTok

    The Energy & Commerce Committee wants answers from TikTok’s CEO — his first appearance before a Congressional committee — about how the company intends to address the myriad privacy and data concerns regarding it. The committee also wants answers regarding TikTok’s ties to Beijing.

    “Big Tech has increasingly become a destructive force in American society,” said Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers. “The Energy and Commerce Committee has been at the forefront of asking Big Tech CEOs – from Facebook to Twitter to Google – to answer for their companies’ actions. These efforts will continue with TikTok. ByteDance-owned TikTok has knowingly allowed the ability for the Chinese Communist Party to access American user data. Americans deserve to know how these actions impact their privacy and data security, as well as what actions TikTok is taking to keep our kids safe from online and offline harms. We’ve made our concerns clear with TikTok. It is now time to continue the committee’s efforts to hold Big Tech accountable by bringing TikTok before the committee to provide complete and honest answers for people.”

    The CEO is scheduled to testify on March 23, 2023.

  • Salesforce Bows to Investor Pressure, Appoints New Board Members

    Salesforce Bows to Investor Pressure, Appoints New Board Members

    Salesforce is bowing to investor pressure, appointing new board members shortly after activist investor Elliott Management invested in the company.

    Sales announced it had appointed three independent board members late last week “as part of its ongoing board refreshment process.” The new board appointments go into effect March 1, 2023.

    The new board members are:

    • Arnold Donald, former President and Chief Executive Officer of Carnival Corporation & plc;
    • Sachin Mehra, Chief Financial Officer of Mastercard; and
    • Mason Morfit, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of ValueAct Capital

    “We’re excited to welcome Arnold, Sachin and Mason to the Salesforce Board,” said Marc Benioff, Chair and CEO of Salesforce. “As highly respected business leaders, they each bring valuable experience to further enhance and balance the diverse skills on the Board and advance our value creation initiatives. We look forward to benefiting from their expertise and insights as Salesforce continues to drive durable top- and bottom-line growth and build on our position as the world’s #1 CRM.”

    “The addition of these three new independent directors to our Board demonstrates Salesforce’s commitment to ongoing refreshment in action,” said Robin Washington, Lead Independent Director of the Board. “Arnold’s proven cross-industry leadership experience, Sachin’s expansive financial, technology and operational expertise and Mason’s investor perspective and record of helping public companies build sustainable, long-term value will further strengthen our Board’s depth of expertise and diversity of thought. Ensuring we have the right Board in place to guide the Company’s strategy and oversee its ambitious goals continues to be a top priority. Over the past year, we have benefited from the valuable input of our investors and look forward to continuing that dialogue as we drive value for Salesforce shareholders.”

    Salesforce’s decision to appoint additional board members is likely in response to Elliott’s multibillion-dollar investment in the company, and may be an effort to avoid an all-out proxy fight. Elliott has a long history of heavily investing in companies and then aggressively pushing for executive and board changes.

    According to The Wall Street Journal, that appears to be exactly what Elliott is doing with Salesforce, with the investment firm preparing to nominate its own slate of directors.

    “Salesforce is one of the pre-eminent software companies in the world, and having followed the company for nearly two decades, we have developed a deep respect for [Co-Chief Executive] Marc Benioff and what he has built,” said Jesse Cohn, managing partner at Elliott, at the time of investment.

    “We look forward to working constructively with Salesforce to realize the value befitting a company of its stature,” added Cohn.

    Elliott’s involvement comes at a difficult time for Salesforce. The company has seen the departure of some of its top executives in recent weeks, as well as layoffs that have impacted roughly 10% of its employees.

  • Europe Is Finally Going After TikTok

    Europe Is Finally Going After TikTok

    The European Union is finally beginning to scrutinize TikTok, changing the status quo that has seen the Chinese platform go largely unchallenged.

    TikTok has been under fire in the US for several years, but the EU has largely been silent, instead focusing its attention on larger players among Big Tech. According to CNBC, that appears to be changing.

    Thierry Breton, EU Commissioner of the Internet Market, has reportedly warned TikTok CEO Shou Zi that the app could be banned if it fails to comply with EU digital content regulations by the September 1 deadline.

    TikTok has evidently avoided scrutiny so far through a combination of popularity among Europeans and flying under the radar. While EU regulators have been concerned over the social media platform and its penchant for privacy and data scandals, the bloc has been more concerned with companies like Google and Meta.

    “It takes a little bit of time for the European Commission to get its act together on these issues,” Dexter Thillien, lead tech and telecoms analyst at The Economist Intelligence Unit, told CNBC.

    “It’s not because of a lack of willingness from the European Commission to do something,” Thillien continued. “They’ve got their hands full with bigger companies.”

    That appears to be changing, however, with the bloc finally turning its attention to TikTok and realizing action will be needed to reign in its privacy abuses.

    “TikTok’s success is the result of a European policy failure,” Moritz Korner, a member of the European Parliament for Germany’s Free Democratic Party, told CNBC.

    “From a geopolitical perspective, the EU’s inactivity towards TikTok has been naive.”

  • Tomb Raider Series May Be Coming to Amazon

    Tomb Raider Series May Be Coming to Amazon

    Video gamers rejoice! A Tomb Raider TV series is in the works and may be coming to Amazon Prime streaming service.

    Tomb Raider is one of the most popular video game franchises and served as the basis for two movies staring Angelina Jolie as well as a third move staring Alicia Vikander. According to an exclusive report by The Hollywood Reporter, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, of Fleabag fame, is prepping the TV show as part of a larger overall deal with the streaming giant.

    According to The Hollywood Reporter’s sources, while Waller-Bridge is writing the show scripts, she is not slated to star in the series. Waller-Bridge will also be an executive producer for the show.

    No information was provided regarding a possible release date.