The Federal Communications Commission just killed net neutrality. The agency voted to repeal regulations that make the future of the internet and the way consumers use it a lot murkier. Andrew McCollum, CEO of Philo, an internet television company that recently introduced a streaming live TV service, joined us to share why he is worried about a world without net neutrality.
The FCC voted to reverse a 2015 decision by the Obama Administration that aimed to protect Americans on the internet. McCollum is concerned that without the regulations, services like Philo become prone to "unfair prioritization by internet providers." It's not only a loss for companies. He believes strong net neutrality rules also protect the consumer.
As a co-founder of Facebook, McCollum says he got a glimpse of how difficult it would be for companies to innovate in a world without protections for net neutrality. He shares that colleges that did not like Facebook would block students from gaining access because they acted as the internet providers. With such limitations, he questions whether an era of internet innovation is coming to a halt.
U.S. stocks ended Wednesday's session mixed following the release of the minutes from the Federal Reserve’s most recent meeting, and amid ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine. Dan Eye, Chief Investment Officer at Fort Pitt Capital Group joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Online tutoring service Paper recently raised $270 million in a Series D funding round. Paper says its online platform serves nearly two million students and offers unlimited, 24/7 academic support via its multilingual tutors. The company partners directly with school districts instead of families, and says this allows it to provide personalized tutoring to all students regardless of their socioeconomic status. Philip Culter, co-founder and CEO of Paper, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Texas is suing Meta over its use of facial recognition. Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against the social media giant, alleging it illegally collected data on users without their consent, violating the state's privacy laws. Daniel Newman, Futurum Research founding partner & principal analyst, breaks down Texas' allegations and what it means for Meta moving forward.
Nikil Viswanathan, Co-Founder and CEO of Alchemy, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he says his company has tripled its business over the past several months and that it will be heavily investing into global expansion following its $200 million funding round.
Swedish electric motorcycle maker Cake says its mission is to inspire society to adopt a zero-emission lifestyle. The company admits this is a lofty goal that covers a lot of ground - so it's starting with the world of urban mobility and last-mile deliveries. The company also has an agreement in place with NorthVolt to continually improve the environmental impact of batteries for electric vehicles. Stefan Ytterborn, Founder & CEO of Cake, joins Cheddar Climate to discuss.
One retailer and publicly-traded company says it is on a mission to inspire a new generation of consumers to think secondhand - first. thredUP is one of the world's largest resale platforms for women's and kids' apparel, shoes, and accessories. The company says it is changing the way consumers shop and ushering in a more sustainable future for the fashion industry. Anthony Marino, President of thredUP, joins Cheddar Climate to discuss.