Shira Ovide

What Happens When the Internet Gets Less American?

America is going to have to reckon with an internet that is becoming less American. Some US lawmakers on both sides of the partisan divide have said they are worried about TikTok, the app that lets users record and share short skits or dance routines to music. The app quickly became popular in…

Twitter Upstages Facebook With Ban on Political Ads

Facebook Inc. is a superpower. Twitter Inc. is a relative nobody. On Wednesday, though, Twitter won a round. Just as Mark Zuckerberg’s company reported quarterly earnings, Twitter Chief Executive Officer Jack Dorsey tweeted that his company would stop accepting advertisements from candidates…

Facebook Doesn't Understand How Dangerous its Megaphone Is

Mark Zuckerberg earlier this month gave a passionate defense of how Facebook Inc. and the rest of the internet are essential tools for the free expression that is essential in a healthy democracy. I agree with this in principle, as I imagine most Americans would. The dark side of Facebook and…

Apple Finally Confronts its Growth-Starved Reality

Apple is finally getting real. With its most important product category not growing anymore, Apple Inc. on Tuesday confronted its changing circumstances by doing two unusual things: hustling hard and displaying a willingness to change its business model. The hustle is all about Apple’s…

Google Should Be Afraid. Very Afraid.

This is the moment the US technology superpowers surely knew was coming: The US government is preparing to crawl all over Google to figure out whether it is an abusive monopolist. Google parent company Alphabet Inc. and the other tech giants should be quaking in their fleece vests. Bloomberg…

What Is Mark Zuckerberg Really Saying About Facebook’s Future?

First, a confession: I’m getting bored with Mark Zuckerberg’s manifestos. As the public spotlight on Facebook Inc. has illuminated the company’s many ugly corners, Zuckerberg has put pen to paper multiple times to declare mission statements for his company. On Wednesday, the CEO declared that…

Why Facebook Can’t Resist Integrating WhatsApp

Facebook Inc.’s “family” of apps is about to get even closer. The New York Times reported Friday that Facebook is planning to more closely integrate the apps it owns, including its Messenger and WhatsApp instant chat services, as well as photo-and-video-focused Instagram. The decision is both…

Happy New Year! Now Get to Work.

Right now, people are contemplating their pointless New Year’s resolutions. You might vow to write in a journal every day, or eat only two cookies at breakfast. Others will have an even tougher time meeting their 2019 goals. Consider, for example, Larry Merlo, chief executive officer of the…

Apple Can’t Win Over Media With Its Old Approach

Apple Inc. wants to become a subscription powerhouse for music, apps, online video, news and more. The company’s negotiations with news and magazine publishers offer a glimpse at the challenges this strategy will face. Bloomberg News detailed on Wednesday why some news and magazine publishers…

Don’t Look Now, But Microsoft Is Overtaking Apple

If you don’t follow the regular trials and tribulations of technology companies or have been living in a cave for five years, it might be surprising that Microsoft Corp. is poised to surpass Apple Inc. as the world’s most valuable public company. While the baton was passed briefly on Monday, it…