All posts filed under: Writing Archive

Columns and blog posts, written over the years on a variety of websites.

New documents expose Facebook – again

September 17, 2021
by Björn Jeffery
SvD Näringsliv

This column was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on September 17th, 2021. This piece was translated from Swedish by Claude. Some phrasing may differ from a human translation. Human trafficking. Drug cartels. Teenage girls getting body image issues. Internal documents reveal how Facebook has been alerted to its problems – and ignored them. Now the company is facing another crisis of confidence. When Facebook – the world’s largest social network – began crisis management […]

Tiktok’s superpower – a nightmare for Xi Jinping

September 16, 2021
by Björn Jeffery
SvD Näringsliv

This column was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on September 16th, 2021. This piece was translated from Swedish by Claude. Some phrasing may differ from a human translation. While the Chinese authorities are pushing their tech companies hard, a silent revolution is taking place at the same time. Tiktok, Shein and Tencent pose a serious challenge to American tech giants – but their success is perhaps also their biggest Achilles heel. “I think we […]

Facebook’s glasses: an unusually bad idea

September 11, 2021
by Björn Jeffery
SvD Näringsliv

This column was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on September 11th, 2021. This piece was translated from Swedish by Claude. Some phrasing may differ from a human translation. A new book about Facebook describes a company that puts growth above everything else. When they now release a pair of sunglasses with a built-in camera, it enhances the image of a company that wants to be everything, for everyone, at almost any price. Sheryl Sandberg, […]

Apple’s concessions are too late

September 2, 2021
by Björn Jeffery
SvD Näringsliv

This column was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on September 2nd, 2021. This piece was translated from Swedish by Claude. Some phrasing may differ from a human translation. Developers and legislators around the world are questioning Apple’s business model. Slowly, the company has been forced to back down. But the latest concession will not solve the big app conflict. “Once we are making over $1B a year in profit from the App Store, is […]

The crypto hype has reached Lionel Messi’s pockets

August 28, 2021
by Björn Jeffery
SvD Näringsliv

This column was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on August 28th, 2021. This piece was translated from Swedish by Claude. Some phrasing may differ from a human translation. When Leo Messi closed the door on FC Barcelona, another one opened wide – and it shows that Silicon Valley is currently tearing down old structures in sport. One of the many ways he is compensated is through the club’s own cryptocurrency. “Bartomeu was plugging holes […]

Tech giants just the first to get aligned in China

August 20, 2021
by Björn Jeffery
SvD Näringsliv

This column was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on August 20th, 2021. This piece was translated from Swedish by Claude. Some phrasing may differ from a human translation. Contribute to the state’s goals – or suffer the consequences. This is the message that the Chinese state has recently sent to the country’s tech companies. Fears are now being raised that the same harsh stance will spread to more sectors. 50 billion yuan – about […]

Crypto world shaken after million dollar theft

August 13, 2021
by Björn Jeffery
SvD Näringsliv

This column was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on August 13th, 2021. This piece was translated from Swedish by Claude. Some phrasing may differ from a human translation. This week’s million dollar theft of cryptocurrency has shaken the financial world. The theft comes in the middle of a major discussion about increased regulation of cryptocurrencies, writes SvD’s tech analyst Björn Jeffery, and clarifies the crossroads the industry is facing. Imagine the following scenario: A […]

China to the tech giants: Contribute or be punished

August 6, 2021
by Björn Jeffery
SvD Näringsliv

This column was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on August 6th, 2021. This piece was translated from Swedish by Claude. Some phrasing may differ from a human translation. China’s attacks on the country’s own tech giants look like attacks on an entire sector, but behind it is a more conceived idea, writes SvD’s tech analyst Björn Jeffery. If companies do not contribute to China’s national goals, they are in a risky position. “To get […]

How Apple’s ideals in China collapse

June 28, 2021
by Björn Jeffery
SvD Näringsliv

This column was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on June 28th, 2021. This piece was translated from Swedish by Claude. Some phrasing may differ from a human translation. A new service from Apple is intended to protect privacy. But it also exposes one of the IT giant’s biggest challenges right now – choosing a path in China, where they are squeezed between the country’s exercise of power and its own ideals. Happy and confident, […]

Future worries causes Visa to pump billions into Tink

June 24, 2021
by Björn Jeffery
SvD Näringsliv

This column was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on June 24th, 2021. This piece was translated from Swedish by Claude. Some phrasing may differ from a human translation. The Swedish company Tink has 18 billion reasons to thank the US Department of Justice. Their stopping of Visa’s intended deal with the similar company Plaid laid the foundation for today’s giant acquisition. Al Kelly, CEO of the card company Visa, seems to know what he […]