Linked List: April 25, 2019

Thursday, 25 April 2019

Billion-Dollar Fines Are Facebook’s Cost of Doing Business ★

Jon Swartz, reporting for Barron’s:

Facebook stock was up about 8% in after-hours trading after the social networking giant reported earnings for its fiscal first quarter, despite its disclosure of a $3 billion charge related to legal expenses.

The back story. What data and security controversies? They may dog Facebook in the news and on Capitol Hill, but investors barely seem to care. Facebook shares have soared 39% in 2019.

A $3-5 billion fine is something, but it’s not a deterrent to Facebook’s privacy crimes. They’ve just factored this in as a cost of doing business, and investors see it that way too. A $3 billion fine simply isn’t commensurate with the startling revenue that Facebook generates.

The Talk Show: ‘Better Than Nothing’ ★

John Moltz returns to the show. Topics include AirPods 2, Samsung’s Galaxy Fold debacle, the trove of iOS 13 and MacOS 10.15 leaks reported by Guilherme Rambo, and the future of iTunes.

Brought to you by these fine sponsors:

Things: The award-winning personal task manager that helps you achieve your goals.
Squarespace: Make your next move. Use code talkshow for 10% off your first order.
ExpressVPN: Rated #1 VPN service by TechRadar and comes with a 30-day money back guarantee.