Society

Tech backlash grows in Silicon Valley’s back yard

2 Jul 2018

California will force internet companies like Google to give consumers more control over their information and stop it being sold to third parties. The law is narrow but the Golden State is often a litmus test for legislation that takes hold nationwide.

Zell has financial reason to speak better of women

15 Jun 2018

The real estate mogul made tone deaf comments about women at a conference – not for the first time. Sam Zell has a history of speaking off the cuff, offset by a reputation as a skillful asset trader. His female-run REIT, an outperformer, shows why he ought to rein in his speech.

Plumber ruling leaves blockage in UK gig economy

13 Jun 2018

A decision by the country’s Supreme Court ruled that a self-employed contractor is entitled to workers’ rights is ominous for companies like Uber which depend on casual labour. But it offers little new guidance for dealing with technology’s impact on work practices.

Spain can survive Frankenstein government

1 Jun 2018

A no-confidence vote in Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has replaced his weak minority administration with a hodgepodge of parties. But the economy is growing and fresh elections, if held, might produce a more stable outcome. Political turmoil in Italy is probably a bigger threat.

Roseanne exposes Disney’s double risk

30 May 2018

The media firm led by Bob Iger wasted no time axing the popular TV sitcom after its star tweeted a racial slur. The family-friendly Disney had little choice. The dynamics of entertainment have changed: talent, advertisers and consumers can defect more easily than ever.

Cox: Peter Thiel’s next target should be Infowars

30 May 2018

The tech billionaire financed a lawsuit that bankrupted Gawker and said he’d help others challenging similar sites flouting First Amendment freedoms. A complaint by Sandy Hook families against conspiracy king Alex Jones provides a test for Thiel’s democratic bona fides.

Italy premier’s to-do list would tax a veteran

24 May 2018

Newcomer Giuseppe Conte has vowed to defend the country’s interests in all quarters. If confirmed by parliament, he will face EU conflict on an upcoming budget, the future of Alitalia and Monte dei Paschi, and new asylum laws. All would be tough even if he wasn’t a total novice.

UK’s costly royal wedding is worth every penny

18 May 2018

The marriage of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle may cost taxpayers as much as 30 mln pounds. If the transatlantic union prompts a small increase in American tourism, the expense can be recouped. In an era of isolationism and political volatility, it’s an efficient soft power boost.

Silicon Valley’s XX factor

17 May 2018

Only one out of three employees at Google, Facebook and Apple is a woman. How long before these tech companies hit gender parity in the workforce?

Closing tech’s gender gap will take decades

17 May 2018

One in three employees at Google, Facebook and Apple is a woman. Even if just over half of new hires were female, it would take up to 15 years to achieve a balanced workforce, a Breakingviews calculator shows. If Silicon Valley is serious about parity, a bolder target is needed.

Wall Street Schneiderfreude would be misplaced

8 May 2018

New York’s attorney general levied hefty fines against JPMorgan, Barclays, RBS and others. Now he has resigned amid allegations of abuse. It’s no reason for banks to gloat. Any successor will have just as much incentive, and perhaps more credibility, to pursue financial misdeeds.

Cox: Guns, nuns and funds get ready to rumble

8 May 2018

A governance skirmish is shaping up in the Arizona desert. The Catholic Church and big investors like BlackRock will converge on Sturm, Ruger’s annual meeting on Wednesday. A shareholder proposal from the sisters deserves consideration for business, not just moral, reasons.

Italian election sequel could favour right wing

8 May 2018

Failure to form a coalition government after the inconclusive March vote raises the chances of a snap poll, possibly as soon as July. That would benefit the rightist League and its allies, which won recent local elections. But it prolongs the country’s political uncertainty.

Review: Saving central bankers from the mob

4 May 2018

How much influence should technocrats wield in a democracy? That’s the question former Bank of England Deputy Governor Paul Tucker attempts to answer in “Unelected Power”. His reply is thoughtful and robust but might end up drowned out by fractious politics or another downturn.

Peppa Pig can survive Chinese censor’s cleaver

3 May 2018

Video-sharing app Douyin chopped the cartoon swine after it appeared in “subversive” videos posted by users. The ban does not directly hurt owner Entertainment One’s revenue. Still, it’s a reminder that even the most innocent media characters can fall out of official favour.

Capitalism shunts all else aside in Beverly Hills

2 May 2018

Markets are fine, volatility is modest and trade war isn’t a big deal, say delegates at junk-bond king Michael Milken’s annual L.A. summit. In other words, the freewheeling spirit Milken once embodied is back in vogue. Thank President Trump – and a dose of complacency.

Hadas: Shrinking to greatness is next CEO trick

2 May 2018

Corporate giants like GE, Ford and Deutsche Bank are cutting back on what were once key businesses. Good luck to them. Major strategic retreats usually come too late or are poorly executed. But as global sectors become more competitive, managed decline is a good skill to learn.

Cox: Gun taint prods a corporate restructuring

1 May 2018

Vista Outdoor is jettisoning products like Bell helmets and paddle boards from its core sports-shooting business after REI and other retailers blacklisted brands associated with the AR-15 rifle-maker. After Parkland, gunsmiths are rightly being confined to finance’s fringes.

Facebook dating reality may fall short of fears

1 May 2018

News of a matchmaking add-on to the social network tanked the shares of Match and owner IAC on Tuesday. People are spending less time on Facebook and this could persuade some to linger. But they’d have to believe Mark Zuckerberg’s promiscuous data-sharing days are behind him.

Computers come for debt capital markets jobs

1 May 2018

Citi, JPMorgan and Bank of America will later this year roll out an online platform that will streamline the way in which companies issue bonds and help investors to compare credits. A successful launch could over time help these banks to shrink their sales and syndicate teams.