The indictment of 13 Russians for interfering with the Presidential election has intensified the pressure put on Facebook, which uncovered about three-thousand Russian-linked ads on its platforms before and after November 2016. Cheddar Senior Reporter, Alex Heath, breaks down the the latest developments.
Facebook's Vice President for ads, Rob Goldman, tweeted about Russia's disinformation effort. President Trump then cited him. Facebook did not intend for Goldman’s tweets to be quoted by Trump. They thought the tweets would only be seen by a contextually-aware audience of techies and media types who follow Goldman.
Heath believes that the tweeting from Goldman and other execs is part of a carefully orchestrated PR campaign by Facebook to make itself appear more transparent and relate-able through engaged spokespeople on Twitter.
Mike Shields, Advertising Editor at Business Insider, predicts there will be a battle royale among original-content streaming platforms like YouTube TV, Twitch, Facebook Watch, and Instagram's IGTV. YouTube's strategy, Shields tells Cheddar, is to attract new talent with 6-figure payments.
The Tesla exodus continues, with the departure of a top sales Exec just adding to the string of departures from the company. Mark Spiegel, Managing Member at investment firm Stanphyl Capital, explains why investors should avoid the stock as Telsa faces another executive's departure.
Rich Greenfield, media and tech analyst at BTIG, discusses why there's no better time than right now to get in on Spotify. The streaming music platform is set to announce earnings on Thursday.
Spotify is set to report earnings on Thursday, and Rich Greenfield, Media and Tech Analyst at BTIG, tells Cheddar that now is the time to invest in the music-streaming service.
Cheddar has learned that the company's VP of Hardware has left the company after disappointing sales of its Spectacles augmented reality glasses. The devices have lost Snap $40 million.
These are the headlines you Need2Know.
Facebook has suspended analytics firm Crimson Hexagon for allegedly mishandling user data. The Boston-based company has also been banned from the site for possible ties to a Kremlin-based nonprofit and the U.S. government. Deputy Tech editor at [Mashable Michael Nuñez explains why users should be concerned.](https://mashable.com/2018/07/20/facebook-suspends-crimson-hexagon/)
The electric carmaker reportedly wrote to suppliers for refunds for purchases dating back to 2016, an unusual move for the auto industry. Tesla has been struggling to ramp up production of its mass-market Model 3 car, which is crucial to helping the company turn cash flow positive. Cheddar's Tim Stenovec and Kristen Scholer break down the details.
Market research firm SuperData estimates the uber-popular game has brought in $1 billion in revenue from in-app purchases, with gamers buying add-ons purely for cosmetics. "It does not make you have a better gun, it does not give you any advantage in terms of where you land on the map, it doesn't give you any special powers," says Eli Blumenthal, digital editor at USA Today.
The superhero franchise will launch its first virtual reality video game on July 26. The game, says Bill Rosemann, executive creative director at Marvel Games, will be a fully-immersive experience. "It unleashes that fantasy, that ultimate fantasy of being the Marvel character," he tells Cheddar. "You don't just look like Captain Marvel or Captain America. You have their powers."
