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Tracker no Tracking

This week, Apple is rolling out its iOS 14.5 software update for iPhone users, including...

• The ability to unlock phones with your face while wearing a mask
• 217 new emoji to express emotions you didn’t even know you had
• Support for the new AirTag Bluetooth device tracker 

But there’s one particular iOS 14.5 update that’s less “oh neat!” and more “this could shake up the $105 billion mobile ad industry.” 

It’s called App Tracking Transparency

With this new feature, apps will be required to ask for your permission to track your activity across the internet. That data is crucial to advertisers who want to use your internet history to show you ads you’re more likely to click on. 

• Problem for advertisers is, when you ask someone whether they want to be tracked or not, the majority say no. 

So why is Apple doing it? It’s part of CEO Tim Cook’s push to add more privacy features to Apple’s ecosystem. Here’s Cook at a privacy conference in January:

• “Technology does not need vast troves of personal data, stitched together across dozens of websites and apps, in order to succeed.”
• “If a business is built on misleading users, on data exploitation, on choices that are no choices at all, then it does not deserve our praise. It deserves reform.”

Sound like a business you know? 

Facebook took to App Tracking Transparency like a foot to a stray Lego piece. In a PR blitz following Apple’s announcement, it argued that small businesses would be hurt without the ability to send users targeted FB ads. Whether Facebook’s ad biz will be dinged as much as it says it will is unclear, but other apps like Snap and Bumble have warned that Apple’s moves could be harmful.

Bottom line: Apple’s aggressive privacy measures are putting competitors on the back foot, but they could also invite even more antitrust scrutiny to its dominance of the app economy. 

COVID

US, European Allies Pledge to Help India

After taking a mostly “not my problem” approach to India’s brutal second wave of the coronavirus, yesterday the US said help was on the way. It pledged to send therapeutics, rapid diagnostic test kits, ventilators, and PPE, as well as the raw materials required to produce AstraZeneca’s vaccine. 

• Other countries including the UK, France, Germany, and Pakistan are also sending supplies.

The situation is desperate: On Sunday, coronavirus cases in India climbed to a record high for the fourth straight day. Reports describe patients dying in hospitals due to lack of oxygen and funeral pyres lighting up the sky. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the second wave, fueled by the variant B1617, had “shaken the nation.” 

One action the US has not taken is to send India the AstraZeneca vaccines it had stockpiled. Yesterday, Dr. Fauci said releasing those vaccines, which are not yet approved in the US, is going to be “something that is up for active consideration.”

ENTERTAINMENT

Well...That Was Weird

Last night, the 93rd Academy Awards gave us an awkward moment to nearly rival Adele Dazeem or the La La Land/Moonlight mixup.

What happened: While typically the Best Picture category closes out the show, the producers swapped the order so that Best Actor would go last. The late Chadwick Boseman was the odds-on favorite to win the award, in which case the event would close on a poignant note. But he didn’t win—Anthony Hopkins did—and Hopkins wasn’t even in attendance. So the entire show ended as abruptly as a Zoom meeting. 

Of course, that wasn’t the only notable thing about last night’s Oscars, which was hosted in a number of locations including Union Station, LA’s iconic transportation hub. 

• Nomadland had a big night. It won Best Picture and Chloé Zhao became the first woman of color to win Best Director. Zhao is only the second woman ever to win the award, after Kathryn Bigelow earned it for The Hurt Locker in 2010.
• Mia Neal and Jamika Wilson became the first Black women to win an Oscar for makeup and hairstyling for their work in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.

Zoom out: Typically, Oscar season means big box office bumps for nominees and winners, but with many movie theaters under Covid restrictions the eight Best Picture nominees’ total earnings have barely hit $35 million.

SPONSORED BY E*TRADE

Financial Well-Being Is in Full Bloom

The grass is getting greener, which reminds us of a different kind of green: our finances. And since it’s Financial Literacy Month, there’s never been a better time to start the path to financial well-being with E*TRADE. 

Just like April brings more than just showers, E*TRADE does way more than just trading. They have a library of tips and guidance to help you in your journey towards financial well-being.

And if you’re not even sure where to start, they’ve got the resources to get you on track. Whether your goals involve paying off student loans, saving for retirement, or saving for a home, E*TRADE has the tips to help you make smarter decisions around trading, investing, budgeting, and more.

Spring into the season of financial wellness with E*TRADE today.

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GRAB BAG

Key Performance Indicators

Quote: “So, what’s up, Eden Park?” 

Singer Matiu Walters of the band Six60 addressed a crowd of more than 50,000 in New Zealand Saturday night, the largest concert anywhere since the pandemic started. 

Stat: Almost 8% of Americans who received their first Pfizer or Moderna vaccine missed their next shot. 

Read: How bitcoin, Ethereum, and other technologies could point the way to new systems of governance. (City Journal)

CALENDAR

The Packed Week Ahead

Biden watch: On Wednesday, the president will address a joint session of Congress. He’s expected to outline his American Families Plan, which will reportedly be paid for by tax hikes on wealthy Americans’ capital gains.  

Fed meeting: Before Biden speaks, Wednesday afternoon Fed Chair Jerome Powell will hold a press conference following the Fed’s meeting. No big policy changes are expected. 

Economic data: Watch out for the Q1 GDP number on Thursday and inflation data on Friday. 

Earnings: It’s a monster week, with a third of the S&P 500 reporting results for the previous quarter. Highlights include Tesla, Microsoft, Alphabet, Apple, Boeing, Facebook, Amazon, McDonald’s, and Twitter. 

Everything else:

• The NFL Draft is on Thursday. And good news, everyone: Commissioner Roger Goodell has been fully vaccinated and can hug the players who attend, per Adam Schefter. 
• Friday is Biden’s 100th day in office.
• And on Saturday…

WHAT ELSE IS BREWING

• President Biden officially declared the mass killings of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire a “genocide.” The declaration is expected to test the US’ relationship with Turkey.
• 11 astronauts are now on the International Space Station after a SpaceX capsule docked on Saturday. It’s the biggest ISS population in more than a decade.
• At least 82 people were killed at a Covid-19 hospital in Baghdad after an oxygen tank exploded and set the building on fire.
• The CEO of Cameo on the new game of fame.
• The Battle of the Joshes was fought in Lincoln, NE, over the weekend.

SPONSORED BY E*TRADE

Being financially literate is legit. And E*TRADE has the knowledge to help you manage your spending and build a budget that works for you. They can give you the tips, guidance, and confidence to help you balance your long- and short-term financial goals. Learn how to build a better budget at E*TRADE today.

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BREW'S BETS

Event alert: On May 6, Retail Brew is chatting with two execs about how retailers are designing sustainability practices for a post-Covid future. We’re going, are you? Register here. 

Tired of our referral rewards? Let us know! Love ’em? Also let us know. We created a quick survey to get your input on our referral program. Take it here.

Dive back into the week:

• Shallow dive: Find a vaccine appointment near you
• Medium dive: Imagining post-pandemic New Yorker covers
• Deep dive: Five steps to wake up early and energized
• Cannonball: How live TV works

GAMES

Best for Last

We’ll give you a last name, you have to pick the country where it’s the most popular last name.

1. Kim 
2. Martin 
3. Da Silva 
4. Andersson 
5. Ali 
6. Murphy 

ANSWER

1. Kim = South or North Korea
2. Martin = France
3. Da Silva = Brazil
4. Andersson = Sweden
5. Ali = there are a few, including Somalia and Libya
6. Murphy = Ireland

If you want to learn more about last names around the world, this is an amazing resource.