TWTR

Twitter said, with the new product, academic researchers will be able to tap into all the tools released to date on the new API platform, which will enable them to listen to and analyze public conversations. The data will not, however, include tweets from accounts suspended for violations of Twitter rules, which means academics will be unable to use the API to study tweets by former U.S. President Donald Trump, company executives told reporters on Monday.

Twitter has permanently banned MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell’s account after he continued to perpetuate the baseless claim that Donald Trump won the 2020 U.S. presidential election.

AlphaSimplex Portfolio Manager and Chief Research Strategist Kathryn Kaminski joins Yahoo Finance Live to break down how markets are faring amid pandemic and this weeks earnings haul.

(Bloomberg) -- Hackers from North Korea have embarked on a sweeping intelligence gathering campaign aimed at cybersecurity researchers who hunt for vulnerabilities in corporate networks, according to Google.The North Korean government mounted a social engineering operation for several months in hopes of engaging with the researchers, according to Google. Essential to the attack were several research blogs, YouTube videos, LinkedIn profiles and chat groups used by the hackers to build credibility in the hopes of duping the researchers, according to a Monday blog post by Google’s Threat Analysis Group.“After establishing initial communications, the actors would ask the targeted researcher if they wanted to collaborate on vulnerability research together,” reads the blog.The request to collaborate came with a data file purportedly for research that was equipped with secret malware. If the researcher opened the file, the hidden malicious code would immediately begin communicating with the North Korean hackers, according to Google.In other cases, the malware was installed in the researchers’ systems after they followed a Twitter link to a cybersecurity blog to review possible vulnerabilities, according to Alphabet Inc.’s Google.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.

(Bloomberg) -- Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar, who is expected to lead a Senate subcommittee on antitrust law, plans to introduce a bill to limit corporate monopoly power with a focus on technology firms.The bill, which could come within weeks, would place limits on the ability of giant corporations to gobble up smaller competitors, especially so-called “maverick” firms that offer better products and services to consumers, a spokeswoman said.The New York Times reported earlier on Klobuchar’s plan to introduce a bill targeting monopoly power.The new measure expands on a previous antitrust bill introduced by Klobuchar designed to bring “major reforms to merger and anticompetitive conduct enforcement,” which included measures to boost antitrust enforcers’ budgets. She has also said she plans to bring back other tech accountability bills, including one to regulate online political ads.Also on Tuesday, Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the top Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, circulated a memo to her GOP colleagues urging them to work on tech accountability, potentially alongside Democrats, even as she criticized companies such as Twitter Inc. for suspending former President Donald Trump. She raised concerns that such actions could lead to tech companies silencing individuals “for having unpopular opinions.”The topics that McMorris Rodgers outlined could include “exploring competition issues so innovation is unleashed, not quashed” and reform to the liability shield that protects tech companies from lawsuits over user content.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.

(Bloomberg) -- A former U.S. ambassador wants Google to do to Telegram what it did to Parler.Marc Ginsberg sued the Alphabet Inc. unit Monday, asking a California court to require it to remove the Telegram Messenger app from the Google Play Store because it facilitates violence, extremism and anti-Semitism.Telegram, especially in the wake of George Floyd’s killing and the inauguration of Joe Biden as president, has been used to threaten, encourage and coordinate racist violence, claims Ginsberg, who was Bill Clinton’s ambassador to Morocco. He pointed out that, after the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, Google suspended Parler from its app store because a number of its right-wing users expressed support for the siege and further violence.“Google has not taken any action against Telegram comparable to the action it has taken against Parler to compel Telegram to improve its content moderation policies,” Ginsberg’s suit says. He filed a similar complaint on Jan. 17 against Apple Inc., which had also pulled Parler from its app store after the riot.Pavel Durov, Telegram’s founder, said last week that the company’s moderators had removed hundreds of posts in the wake of the Capitol riot and that calls for violence wouldn’t be tolerated.“Telegram employs a robust moderation system,” the company said in a statement Tuesday. “As a part of the company’s longstanding commitment to anti-terrorism and combating abuse, Telegram collaborates with industry leaders, governments and policymakers worldwide by providing daily transparency reports,” as well as through the use of both automated and manual content monitoring. Google didn’t respond to an emailed request for comment.‘Parler Refugees’Amazon.com Inc. cited its own concerns about violent content on Parler in pulling the plug on the platform’s web-hosting service. The actions taken against Parler, as well the banning of former President Donald Trump and others from Twitter Inc. and Facebook Inc. have spurred a wide-ranging debate over the tech industry’s control and responsibilities over speech.A channel on Telegram is dedicated to “Parler refugees.” Some Telegram users urged followers to drop plans for a second protest in Washington in support of Trump in favor of surprise attacks nationwide, according to the lawsuit.The suit also accuses Telegram of serving as a platform for the sale of illegal and controlled substances, including LSD and cocaine.Ginsberg, who is Jewish and was raised in Israel, says in the lawsuit that he was the target of two assassination attempts due to his religious beliefs. His Coalition for a Safer Web, also listed as a plaintiff in the lawsuit, says it pushes social media platforms to end their tolerance of anti-Semitism and enabling of extremist groups.Read More: Telegram CEO Says App to Start Generating Revenue Next Year(Updates with statement by Telegram in sixth paragraph.)For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.

Is Twitter stock a buy right now? Check out the stock's fundamental and technical metrics to figure out if the stock should be on your watchlist.

Big moves for many individual stocks continued to show the impact of short-term trading on the market.

Revolution CEO (and former AOL CEO) Steve Case joins Yahoo Finance Live to discuss the platform’s “Rise of the Rest” 2021 playbook — which aims to spotlight promising startups outside of the coastal tech hubs — as well as the current state of big tech, his thoughts on Section 230, and more. 

MKM Partners analyst Rohit Kulkarni on Tuesday cut his rating on freelancing platform Fiverr to Sell from Neutral, even as he lifted his price target to $185—still below the current market price—from $145.

(Bloomberg) -- Thousands of Indian farmers on Tuesday escalated protests to revoke controversial new agricultural laws, clashing with police and storming key landmarks in the capital to pressure Prime Minister Narendra Modi.The farmers, who have camped at various border points around New Delhi for two months, had permission to demonstrate after the completion of an annual military parade to mark Republic Day, a major public holiday in India. But many gathered early in the day and broke through barricades on the outskirts of the city, prompting police to deploy tear gas in some areas.The Samyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella organization of several dozen farm groups leading the protests, issued a statement late Tuesday calling off the remainder of the tractor parade and criticizing the “anti-social elements” that “had infiltrated the otherwise peaceful movement.” The police also blamed the protesters for deviating from the agreed routes and attempting to enter the heart of the capital where parliament and other government buildings are located.The escalation of the farmers’ protest adds to Modi’s challenges amid efforts to reverse a contraction in Asia’s third-largest economy due to the coronavirus pandemic. It also comes days before a parliament session where the government will present its annual budget detailing plans to spur economic activity in the year starting April 1.Television footage showed thousands of protesters clashing with police in central Delhi before reaching the iconic Red Fort, where Indian prime ministers typically address the nation on the country’s independence day in August.Farmer leaders also called on protesters to stay peaceful, warning that any violence could hurt their cause.“We also condemn and regret the undesirable and unacceptable events that have taken place today and dissociate ourselves from those indulging in such acts,” the statement from the Samyukt Kisan Morcha said. “We have always held that peace is our biggest strength, and that any violation would hurt the movement.”India’s federal home ministry suspended mobile Internet services in some parts of the city where the protests were most tense. Several metro stations were also shut down.“We have faith in farmers,” said Dependra Pathak, special commissioner of police. “This is an unprecedented situation.”Leaders of the protests have rejected Modi’s offers to temporarily shelve the three laws passed in September that overhauled the way farm goods are sold in the country of more than 1.3 billion people, almost half of whom depend on agriculture for their livelihood. The government has defended the legislation, saying they would eliminate middlemen in state-run wholesale markets, increase earnings for farmers and make India more self-reliant.The farmers have continued to call on the government to repeal the legislation, which they say will hurt their incomes and leave them vulnerable to big corporations. While Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party has a lock on parliament and doesn’t need to call a national vote until 2024, the protests risk hurting his appeal in state elections and could halt momentum for other reforms.Although the demonstrations have hurt the government, the scenes on Tuesday of unruly farmers may undermine their cause, according to Asim Ali, a New Delhi-based researcher at the Centre for Policy Research.“This was always the danger, and it seems that it has gone out of hand,” Ali said. “This is possibly what the ruling party would have liked to see.”The tractor rallies marked the first time the protesting farmers have marched into the capital. They are mostly from the neighboring states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. But they have also found support in other Indian cities, including financial centers Mumbai and Bengaluru, where protest marches have also taken place.“More than a 100,000 people with tractors have gathered here and we expect more to join us,” said Manjit Rai, 57, a farm leader coordinating entry at one of the half-dozen entry points into the capital. “People are enthusiastic about the celebrations and we are determined that we will peacefully continue to make our case.”(Updates with farm leader comments in the sixth paragraph. A previous version of this story corrected the spelling of police officer quoted.)For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.

Twitter has a new way for tweeters to make money: The social network has acquired Revue, a small startup that lets writers self-publish subscription newsletters. “Revue will accelerate our work to help people stay informed about their interests while giving all types of writers a way to monetize their audience — whether it’s through the […]

Twitter acquired newsletter startup Revue in a bid to build additional revenue streams through subscription products.

(Bloomberg) -- French President Emmanuel Macron warned some of the tech industry’s biggest players they need to get on board with European Union efforts to moderate online content and constrain their market power.During a call with Microsoft Corp. CEO Satya Nadella and Sundar Pichai of Alphabet Inc. on Monday, Macron told the executives any unfair practices will be seen as an attack on European democracy, according to an account of the conversation from one of the president’s aides. Spokespeople for the companies in Paris did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.France has been a key mover in shaping EU efforts to prevent the spread of hate speech and disinformation online and at curbing the power of tech giants. The European Commission in December proposed two sets of rules, the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act, which are being reviewed by the European Parliament and the member states before they become law.Under the Digital Services Act, very large platforms like Microsoft and Google could face fines as high as 6% of global revenue if they don’t comply with orders to remove illegal content. They will need to carry out assessments identifying systemic risks, including how their services may be manipulated by inauthentic accounts and could impact elections. The Digital Markets Act will ban powerful companies deemed “gatekeepers” from favoring their own products or else face billion-dollar fines. In extreme cases, they could even be ordered to break up their European businesses.“We need to contain this immense power of the big digital companies,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a virtual address at the World Economic Forum on Tuesday. “We want the platforms to be transparent about how their algorithms work because we cannot accept that decisions that have a far-reaching impact on our democracy are taken by computer programs alone.”Read More: Tech Giants Risk Breakup Under Strict EU Digital Rules EU officials have rallied around the bloc’s plans to curb hate speech and disinformation in recent weeks following the attacks on the U.S. Congress. Facebook Inc., Twitter Inc. and Snap Inc. banned the accounts of former U.S. President Donald Trump for posts they said encouraged the violent rioters who stormed the Capitol building and spread false information about the country’s November election.European leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel have warned of the dangers of letting private companies take such decisions and insisted on the need for regulation, particularly on matters of speech.French lawmakers are working on provisions that would implement the DSA regime in France before it enters into force at EU-level. The provisions are likely to be added to Macron’s flagship law on “separatism” and “republican principles” which is under review at the National Assembly. The bill was presented after the gruesome killing of a teacher, Samuel Paty, by a Jihadist after he had been criticized in a video online.The French Constitutional Court has previously struck down a government-backed provision to fight hate speech that would have forced platforms to remove obviously illegal content within 24 hours of being notified.Pichai, who is CEO of Alphabet’s Google unit, spoke with EU digital czar Margrethe Vestager Monday to discuss ongoing competition cases and digital legislation.Macron also set out his red lines on cloud computing in his call with the two executives, the aide said. Microsoft and Google have both joined consortia with European partners that aim to provide cloud-computing services to clients in the EU. Macron told them that he could only accept the involvement of companies from outside the EU if they were fully compliant with European law and data protection issues, the aide said.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.

(Bloomberg) -- Chancellor Angela Merkel’s chief of staff proposed temporarily allowing expanded debt spending by Germany’s federal government, prompting a swift rejection from officials in his own party.Helge Braun, Merkel’s chancellery minister, wrote in Tuesday’s Handelsblatt newspaper that the country’s so-called debt brake, which is enshrined in the constitution, should be altered to allow more borrowing to help offset the impact of the coronavirus on Europe’s biggest economy. The brake -- designed to prevent new borrowing exceeding 0.35% of economic output -- was already suspended for 2020 and 2021, with Merkel’s government making tens of billions of euros available to help businesses hurt by the pandemic.“The debt brake cannot be adhered to in the coming years, even with otherwise strict spending discipline,” Braun wrote. “Given the experience of the European sovereign debt crisis and the financial impact of the pandemic on national budgets in Europe, this is not an easy decision.”Braun added that there should be a mechanism for reducing new borrowing progressively “in the coming years” and a “clear date for the return to compliance with the debt rule,” which he said is “indispensable for Germany and an obligation to future generations.”His comments, which appeared to water down the traditional commitment to financial discipline held dear by the conservative bloc, suggest the chancellery is increasingly concerned about the potential impact of faster-spreading variants of the coronavirus, and the resulting impact on the economy and Germany’s spending plans.Braun’s proposal was immediately shot down by Eckhardt Rehberg, budget spokesman for Merkel’s CDU/CSU parliamentary caucus. Rehberg dismissed the minister’s comments as a “personal opinion” and said the caucus firmly backs the debt brake and “solid finances are non-negotiable.”“It is deceptive to assume that current low or negative interest rates are permanent,” Rehberg said in an emailed statement. “If interest rates rise again, high debt means high risks for future budgets.”Braun later sent a tweet saying he did not intend to call the debt brake into question and was proposing a means of enshrining in law the mechanism of bringing the deficit back within the limit.Merkel too weighed in, saying at the Davos Virtual Forum on Tuesday that Germany’s strict budget policy has enabled the government to bolster the economy.Germany’s political parties are positioning themselves for the post-Merkel era -- the chancellor will step down after September’s election -- and borrowing rules will be at the center of the debate over how to secure high levels of investment in environmental and technological change while keeping debt under control.The Greens, seen as the most likely coalition partner for the CDU/CSU after the vote, have also called for a loosening of the debt brake and want to bring it to the table in any negotiations on forming a government.‘Bad Example’Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, who is the Social Democrat chancellor candidate for the election, has said the government aims to restore the borrowing limits in 2022, while also making clear that there are budget holes in coming years which will need to be plugged.On Tuesday, Scholz acknowledged there would be high spending requirements in coming years and said he wouldn’t cut social welfare spending or investments. However, Braun’s proposal would require complicated legal approvals, he added.“In addition to many advantages, this proposal requires a high level of legislative intervention, which assumes there would be a broad cross-party consensus,” Scholz said in a statement.Economy Minister Peter Altmaier, a member of Merkel’s CDU party, said Tuesday he was skeptical about any changes to the debt rules. Alexander Dobrindt, head of the CDU’s Bavarian sister party in the Bundestag, said loosening the constraints would set a bad example to Germany’s European Union counterparts.“If Germany gave the signal to open the floodgates by abolishing the debt brake, it would have a significant impact on the financial behavior of our European partners,” Dobrindt told reporters in Berlin. The instrument should remain in place, including the current possibility of suspending it in times of national emergency, he said.New federal debt was just over 130 billion euros ($158 billion) last year, and is set to rise to as much as 180 billion in 2021.(Adds Braun tweet clarifying proposal in eighth paragraph)For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.

(Bloomberg) -- Twitter Inc. acquired the newsletter publishing company Revue for an undisclosed sum, part of an effort to expand its business and give writers who distribute their work on Twitter more features.Revue’s service, which lets people manage newsletter publishing and subscriptions, will continue operating as a “standalone service” within Twitter, the company said Tuesday in a blog announcing the deal. Twitter will eliminate some of the service’s fees to encourage more people to create newsletters, and will take a 5% cut on subscription revenue collected through Revue.Part of Revue’s appeal to Twitter is that it could help expand the business outside of advertising, which generates more than 85% of Twitter’s annual revenue, and give some of the site’s more popular users a way to make money from their followers.“You can expect audience-based monetization to be an area that we’ll continue to develop new ways to support,” Twitter executives wrote in the blog. Twitter has also confirmed that it’s considering options for its own subscription service.Email newsletters, an early form of web publishing, have made a comeback in recent years. The format has been embraced by traditional media companies as well as startups. The buzziest is called Substack, which offers a platform for independent writers to send newsletters to free or paying subscribers. Among the most notable writers are former editors for the New Republic, Andrew Sullivan, and for Rolling Stone, Matthew Taibbi.Revue’s six-person team, which is based in Utrecht, Netherlands, will join Twitter, which said it will hire to expand the unit.Twitter has made a number of acquisitions in recent months, primarily small startups to bring on their personnel. Since early December, Twitter has purchased social video app Squad, podcast company Breaker, and a 50-person design firm Ueno(Updates with reference to Substack in fifth paragraph)For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.

Kellyanne Conway, ex-counselor to disgraced former President Trump, allegedly posted a topless picture of her daughter Claudia, 16, on Twitter on Monday. Reached for comment, a Twitter rep told Variety the company’s teams are investigating the incident. Kellyanne Conway could not be reached for comment. According to screen captures posted by users on social media, […]

Twitter has entered into a binding agreement to settle the shareholder derivative lawsuits that accused CEO Jack Dorsey and other executives of misleading shareholders about Twitter’s growth, while selling their own personal stock. The lawsuits were first filed in October 2016 by shareholder Jack Porter, and accused Dorsey and his colleagues of misrepresenting the growth of Twitter’s (TWTR) user base and artificially inflating the share price. Porter accused the defendants of exploiting their positions and selling “their personal stock holdings for hundreds of millions of dollars in insider profits” while possessing material, non-public information. The proposed settlement absolves Dorsey and his co-accused of any wrongdoing without any liability attributed to them or the company. As part of the agreement, Twitter will implement certain corporate governance adjustments and will pay for certain administrative costs. The company will not be required to make any additional payments. In addition, under the terms of the settlement, Twitter’s insurers will pay $38 million to the company that will be used for general corporate purposes. (See TWTR stock analysis on TipRanks) Piper Sandler analyst Thomas Champion initiated a Hold rating on TWTR last week and set his price target at $45. This implies downside potential of around 6% from current levels. Champion acknowledges that Twitter is an important communication and broadcast platform, punching above its weight in consumer relevance. Mixed financial results and a stunted growth rate has led to Twitter’s share of total digital ad spend falling to an estimated 1% in 2020. Champions colleagues are slightly more optimistic, with consensus among analysts being a Moderate Buy based on 9 Buys, 16 Holds and 2 Sell. The average price target of $52.04 implies upside potential of around 9% over the next 12 months. Twitter scores a market neutral 4 out of 10 on TipRanks Smart Score, which implies that the stock is expected to perform in line with market expectations. Related News: Crane’s 4Q Profit Falls Short Of Estimates; Street Is Bullish LyondellBasell Expands Relationship With Sinopec to Form Joint Venture F5 Closes $440M Cash Acquisition Of Volterra More recent articles from Smarter Analyst: Veoneer Inks Driver Assistance Software Partnership With Qualcomm NCR To Snap Up Cardtronics For $2.5B; Street Says Buy LyondellBasell Expands Relationship With Sinopec to Form Joint Venture Tuesday’s Pre-Market: Here’s What You Need To Know Before The Market Opens

Twitter Inc. announced Tuesday that it has acquired Revue, a platform that allows people to make editorial newsletters. "Revue will accelerate our work to help people stay informed about their interests while giving all types of writers a way to monetize their audience - whether it's through the one they built at a publication, their website, on Twitter, or elsewhere," the company said in a blog post. Revue allows people to create free newsletters but Twitter said that there will also remain an option for paid newsletters for those looking to generate revenue through their publications. "Bringing Revue to Twitter will supercharge this offering, helping writers grow their paid subscribers while also incentivizing them to produce engaging and relevant content that drives conversations on Twitter," the company said in its blog post. Twitter is making Revue's "pro" features available for free to all accounts and dropping the paid newsletter fee to 5%. The company didn't disclose deal terms in the post. Twitter shares are up 0.9% in premarket trading Tuesday. The stock has dropped 2.4% over the past three months as the S&P 500 has risen 13.4%.

Spotify (NYSE: SPOT) and Twitter (NYSE: TWTR) have both been disruptive digital platforms over the past decade. Spotify popularized streaming music and pulled listeners away from digital downloads and CDs, while Twitter changed how internet users consume news and how brands, celebrities, and politicians promote themselves. Many musicians have repeatedly complained about Spotify's low royalty rates.