In this week's wrapup, we talk about de-platforming Trump, Nykaa's IPO, the MDR problem, HBO Max and sham stock tips on news websites.


Business

The Active Gatekeepers

On January 8th, Twitter permanently suspended President Donald Trump’s account from the platform after a mob of protesters ransacked the legislator’s offices in the Capitol. Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram also booted the president off their apps and many other companies followed suit soon after. Now if you're wondering why the social media companies that had once refused to moderate content on their platforms have now become active gatekeepers, you have to read this story here.


Business

The Next Big IPO?

Beauty products were once confined to flashy stores and expensive malls. But once Nykaa started selling cosmetic products online, that barrier had to fall. And according to reports, Nykaa is possibly gearing up for an IPO. And it's likely to be a huge deal. So if you want to know more about this online cosmetics giant and also what makes them so special, read the full draft here.


Policy

The Incentive Problem with MDR

Banks want MDR (merchant discount rate) reinstated for RuPay and UPI transactions. The only problem — Most people still don’t fully understand the issue. So if you're looking for just one article that explains to you everything under the sun about MDR, then this is the article you should be reading. Link here.


Business

HBO Max Draws First Blood

Last month Warner Bros. dropped a bombshell announcement. They confirmed that all their movies for the year 2021 would debut on HBO Max (their streaming service) the same day it hits theatres. And while the studio had already dabbled with this strategy when releasing “Wonder Woman 1984,” nobody expected them to pursue it as aggressively as they have.

Meanwhile, Hollywood doesn't seem to be happy with this news. And if you're wondering why, read the entire story here.


Markets

The Ban from Recommending Stocks.

On January 13th, SEBI passed an interim order banning a TV show host on CNBC Awaaz and two of his family members from recommending stocks. The order notes that the news anchor in question hosted many popular shows on the channel and used his position to deliberately mislead investors and profit off of them. So if you want to know more about how stock recommendations work, then you can read more about it here.


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That's it from us this week. We will see you on Monday. Or maybe Sunday. Who knows?