All posts filed under: Writing Archive

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

The gloves are off in the Biden-Zuckerberg fight

January 23, 2021
by Björn Jeffery
SvD Näringsliv

This analysis was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on January 23rd, 2021. This piece was translated from Swedish by Claude. Some phrasing may differ from a human translation. “I think he’s a real problem.” Joe Biden‘s statement about Mark Zuckerberg means that the gloves are off in the battle between Washington and Silicon Valley. Suddenly, almost everything felt normal again. Just a couple of hours had passed since Joe Biden took over as president […]

No one wins in a lawless land for tech companies

January 15, 2021
by Björn Jeffery
SvD Näringsliv

This analysis was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on January 15th, 2021. This piece was translated from Swedish by Claude. Some phrasing may differ from a human translation. The uncertainty about what applies when infrastructure giants such as Amazon Web Services shuts down individual companies benefits no one. In August 2017, after the riots in Charlottesville, USA, Cloudflare decided to shut down the Nazi site The Daily Stormer. Cloudfare is a company that provides […]

The storming of the Capitol is a failure for Twitter and Facebook

January 10, 2021
by Björn Jeffery
SvD Näringsliv

This analysis was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on January 11th, 2021. This piece was translated from Swedish by Claude. Some phrasing may differ from a human translation. The fact that Twitter and Facebook closed down Donald Trump’s accounts doesn’t only reveal how arbitrarily their own policies are enforced – it also shows the failure of politicians in regulating them. With two weeks left of Donald Trump’s presidency, what critics have constantly asked for […]

Opened 300 restaurants in one day – without any kitchens

December 24, 2020
by Björn Jeffery
SvD Näringsliv

This analysis was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on December 24th, 2020. This piece was translated from Swedish by Claude. Some phrasing may differ from a human translation. An American Youtube star opened 300 new restaurants in one day. Without either staff or premises. The phenomenon “ghost kitchens” is expected to reshape the restaurant world – and already exists in Sweden. “Ghost kitchens” – or “cloud kitchens” as they are also called – can […]

The situation for Apple resembles a two-front war

December 18, 2020
by Björn Jeffery
SvD Näringsliv

This analysis was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on December 18th, 2020. This piece was translated from Swedish by Claude. Some phrasing may differ from a human translation. “We’re standing up to Apple for small business everywhere.” That is what Facebook wrote in a series of full-page ads in American newspapers this week. The situation for Apple is now beginning to resemble a two-front war when both Silicon Valley and the media world attack […]

Dylan has millions of reasons to thank Spotify

December 9, 2020
by Björn Jeffery
SvD Näringsliv

This analysis was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on December 9th, 2020. This piece was translated from Swedish by Claude. Some phrasing may differ from a human translation. Artists often complain about the payouts from Spotify – but this week Bob Dylan had reason to thank them instead. Spotify has boosted the value of his song catalogue, which has been sold for around $300 million. During the early 2000s, the music industry looked rather […]

Acquired for $27 billion – but Slack loses out

December 2, 2020
by Björn Jeffery
SvD Näringsliv

This analysis was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on December 2nd, 2020. This piece was translated from Swedish by Claude. Some phrasing may differ from a human translation. $27.7 billion may sound expensive. But it is not the buyer Salesforce who pays the really high price in this deal – it is the seller, Slack. It is notoriously difficult to sell enterprise IT to large companies. The sales processes are long, the agreements are […]

Apps are abused – and it’s their own fault

November 29, 2020
by Björn Jeffery
SvD Näringsliv

This analysis was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on November 29, 2020. This piece was translated from Swedish by Claude. Some phrasing may differ from a human translation. SvD’s exposé of the app companies shows how difficult it is to prevent and catch those who exploit children. But the fact that the technology is used in a way that was not intended is no excuse. Instead, it should be the starting point for a […]

Here’s the Trump fans’ new favorite app – without “censorship”

November 22, 2020
by Björn Jeffery
SvD Näringsliv

This analysis was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on November 22, 2020. This piece was translated from Swedish by Claude. Some phrasing may differ from a human translation. Censorship. Oppression of opinion. Freedom of speech. The American right does not mince words after Twitter started marking inaccuracies from Donald Trump. As a counterforce, a new wave of radical social networks is emerging – with its own rules that better suit their opinions. Should social […]

Apple’s response is a cynical move with no effect

November 18, 2020
by Björn Jeffery
SvD Näringsliv

This analysis was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on November 18, 2020. This piece was translated from Swedish by Claude. Some phrasing may differ from a human translation. The Apple Tax. That’s what critics usually call the fee that the company charges developers when they sell through the App Store. Now it is cut in half for the smallest players, all to appease the court of public opinion. The cost for Apple? At best, […]