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Ad spending slowdown hits tech and social media firms, but not equally

Jul 27, 2022
While ad revenue growth is slowing down, experts don't see a decline coming.
Google is expected to comprise 30% of total worldwide digital ad revenues this year, one analyst said. Meanwhile, Snapchat and Twitter are each expected to make up under 1%.
Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

Are we ready for an augmented reality future?

Feb 7, 2022
Snap, Snapchat's parent company, turned a profit for the first time this quarter.
Though the technology for widely-used augmented reality glasses isn't quite there yet, companies are certainly working on it.
Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images
The Snapchat app on an iPhone screen. Snap largely blamed Apple's privacy settings for its recent failure to meet quarterly earnings expectations.
Justin Sullivan via Getty Images

Facebook, Twitter and more crack down on violent rhetoric, election misinformation

Social media companies are now in the business of trying to swat down misinformation, as is clear from the 2020 election.
Since Election Day, Twitter has put about a third of President Donald Trump’s tweets behind a fact-check label.
Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

News is a hard business. Now add millennials and Facebook. Yikes?

Dec 19, 2018
NowThis News has to navigate a lot of platforms to reach its viewers.
The NowThis newsroom in New York City.
NowThis
Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images

Snapchat creators leave a mark on LA real estate

Jul 30, 2018
During its rapid expansion in the seaside community of Venice, California, Snap Inc. rented out dozens of properties, driving up the price of commercial real estate in the artsy enclave.
Andy Rovins wears his #deletesnapchat T-shirt at the Gingerbread Court on the Venice boardwalk.
Benjamin Gottlieb/KCRW

For public good, not for profit.

Kylie Jenner tweeted displeasure about Snapchat. Is that a problem?

Feb 22, 2018
If you’re a business that cultivates high-profile celebrity influencers, what do you do when one of them expresses displeasure to millions of followers? That’s the position Snap finds itself in after Kylie Jenner tweeted that she doesn’t open Snapchat anymore. Jenner, apparently, doesn’t much like the app’s new design, and neither do more than a […]

Snap may be struggling, but Chinese giant Tencent has snapped up more shares

Nov 8, 2017
Chinese messaging giant Tencent has bought up about 12 percent of Snap, parent company of the disappearing messaging app Snapchat. Snap has struggled since its big IPO in March, and its shares have lost half their value, leading to the inevitable speculation that it might be ripe for an acquisition. But what is it about […]

Snap’s share price falls below its IPO level - a case of buyers remorse?

Jul 11, 2017
Analysts have questioned the company's ability to keep advertisers happy.