🌐 Russia vs. Meta

PLUS: Crypto lobbying is blowing up. March 14, 2022 [The Hustle] There are now ~62 Chief Metaverse Officers on LinkedIn, which raises 2 questions. First, what does a Chief Metaverse Officer actually do? And second, is it ironic if a Chief Metaverse Officer works on the metaverse but not in the metaverse? In today’s email: - Meta and Russia: It’s a complicated relationship. - Crypto lobbyist: The hottest new job in Washington? - Digits: Music revenues, NJ’s gas pump debate, 15-minute delivery flops, and more. - Around the web: Gas-saving tips, a wild optical illusion, and more cool internet finds. 🎧 On the go? [Listen to today’s 10-minute podcast]( to hear more about Russia’s Meta ban, music’s record year, Pi Day, NJ’s gas pump debate, crypto lobbying, and more. The big idea [Zuck]( Russia vs. Meta: A strained relationship just got more complicated The relationship between Meta and Russia has been a hot topic since the 2016 elections — when Russian agents [influenced]( 126m users on Facebook by sharing inflammatory posts. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, and subsequent moves by Meta have complicated matters further. Last week… … Meta [announced]( it would temporarily allow language on Facebook and Instagram that would usually be considered hate speech, per Reuters. The policy… - Applies to language directed at Russian soldiers in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (e.g., “death to the Russian invaders”) - Is limited to Ukraine and a handful of countries in close proximity to Russia, including Estonia, Hungary, and Poland [Nick Clegg](, Meta’s president of global affairs, said the change was made to protect Ukrainian citizens’ rights to speech as an act of self defense, and to allow them to express resistance to invading military forces. Russia’s response… … was swift and hostile. Per CNN, a Russian investigative agency [filed]( a criminal case against Meta, accusing the company of calls for violence against Russian citizens, and moved to label Meta an extremist organization. Russian authorities, who [banned]( Facebook in the country on March 4, announced it would begin restricting access to Instagram as well. Putin is also reportedly [weighing]( a ban on WhatsApp, Meta’s messaging platform, which is used by over 80% of Russians to communicate. What’s next? On Meta’s end, the bans could [result]( in a ~$2B revenue hit, with Russia making up ~1.5% of the company’s advertising sales. More importantly, banning Meta’s platforms has crimped Russians’ ability to get information — ~70m Russians use Facebook and ~63m use Instagram. How do Russian citizens feel about all this? A [recent study]( analyzing sentiment on Twitter among Russian speakers found a lower “happiness score” than at the beginning of the pandemic. [Share on Facebook]( [Share on Twitter]( [Send as email to a friend](mailto:?subject=The%20Hustle%20wrote%20something%20I%20think%20you%27ll%20like...%0A&body=Russia+vs.+Meta%3A+A+strained+relationship+just+got+more+complicated%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fthehustle.co%2F03142022-russia-meta%3Futm_campaign%3DRussia%2BMeta%26utm_content%3D03142022-russia-meta%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Ddaily%0A%0AYou%20can%20subscribe%20with%20my%20link%20here%20to%20get%20the%20latest%20in%20tech%20and%20business%20daily:%0A [View on our website]( SNIPPETS Enlisting influencers: The Biden administration [briefed]( dozens of TikTok influencers about the war in Ukraine and ways to distribute aid. Then TikTokers made [spoofs]( about it. Twitter Shops: Twitter is [testing]( a shopping feature that lets users browse products within the app. Sellers can directly list up to 50 products. New model: Peloton is [exploring]( a plan that bundles the cost of its bike and monthly subscription for $60-$100. Previously, customers paid for a bike and subscription separately. AR consolidation: Niantic [says]( it will acquire 8th Wall, a dev platform for building AR apps. Niantic didn’t disclose the price, but called it its “largest acquisition to date.” Indie giant: A24, the studio behind Uncut Gems, Moonlight, and Lady Bird, [raised]( $225m at a $2.5B valuation. Critical notifications: Google [integrated]( air raid alerts directly into Android phones in Ukraine. --------------------------------------------------------------- Hey — enjoy getting quick updates on what you care about? Take [20 seconds]( to personalize your Snippets. Pick your preferences👇 and we’ll send you more of what you love. Boom. [Personalize my Email →]( Levels of Lobbying [lobbying spend chart]( Selina Lee Crypto lobbying is rising fast Last week, President Biden [signed]( an executive order on crypto. The move comes amid a rising trend in Washington: crypto lobbyists. - In 2020, there were 195 [lobbyists]( supporting crypto. In 2021, there were 320. - Last year, crypto lobbying spend jumped 3x, from $2.8m to $9m. - Efforts were [fueled]( by big names like Coinbase, Ripple, and the Blockchain Association, with each dropping $2m+. While the rise is impressive, it’s still a fraction of the spending of the Securities and Investment sector (AKA Wall Street), which [spent]( ~$108m last year. [Share on Facebook]( [Share on Twitter]( [Send as email to a friend](mailto:?subject=The%20Hustle%20wrote%20something%20I%20think%20you%27ll%20like...%0A&body=Crypto+lobbying+is+rising+fast%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fthehustle.co%2F03142022-Crypto-lobbying%3Futm_campaign%3DRussia%2BMeta%26utm_content%3D03142022-Crypto-lobbying%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Ddaily%0A%0AYou%20can%20subscribe%20with%20my%20link%20here%20to%20get%20the%20latest%20in%20tech%20and%20business%20daily:%0A [View on our website]( Free Resource How to run influencer marketing in 2022 The massive growth of influencer marketing is real. In 2021, 58% of marketers surveyed by HubSpot Blog said that influencer marketing was the most effective marketing avenue, even over SEO and short-form video. Influencers all over the spectrum are proving to be agents for high-quality organic growth across social platforms. This free HubSpot guide breaks down how you should reach out to and manage relationships with influencers. Included in the [2022 influencer marketing blueprint](: - A breakdown of the influencer marketing industry - The do’s and don’ts of working with influencers - Trim templates for outstanding email outreach - Standard influencer compensation rates and guide - How to position a winning affiliate marketing program Download the 7-part guide for better ROI. [Influencer marketing insights →]( By the numbers [gas pump]( Seventy-three percent of New Jersey residents want gas pump attendants. (Source: Tom Grill / Getty Images) Digits: NJ’s gas debate, music revenues, 15-minute delivery flops, and more 1) New Jersey — love it or hate it — is debating whether to end its 73-year-long practice of having gas station attendants pump your gas. Some say stopping the practice could save drivers [15 cents]( a gallon; others say it’ll erase thousands of jobs. 2) US recorded music revenue [hit $15B]( in 2021 — its best year ever, and up 23% from 2020. Streaming comprised 83% of that, but physical sales were up 42.3% to $1.66B. Vinyl alone notched $1B, up 61%. 3) Europe is searching for ways to replace Russian energy imports, which equate to [$1B of fuel]( every day. It’s weighing its options, but interestingly, turning all European thermostats down by 1 degree Celsius would drop demand by 7%. 4) Fifteen-minute delivery startups face absolutely [brutal]( economics. Last week, Fridge No More, with 600 employees, shut down after a failed DoorDash deal, and Russian-backed Buyk [furloughed 98%]( of its staff (due to sanction-related funding cuts). 5) Mumbai recently laid out [plans]( to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, which is 20 years ahead of India’s nationwide goal. Without intervention, experts say climate change could cost India [$35T]( over the next 50 years. [Share on Facebook]( [Share on Twitter]( [Send as email to a friend](mailto:?subject=The%20Hustle%20wrote%20something%20I%20think%20you%27ll%20like...%0A&body=Digits%3A+NJ%E2%80%99s+gas+debate%2C+music+revenues%2C+15-minute+delivery+flops%2C+and+more%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fthehustle.co%2F03142022-digits%3Futm_campaign%3DRussia%2BMeta%26utm_content%3D03142022-digits%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Ddaily%0A%0AYou%20can%20subscribe%20with%20my%20link%20here%20to%20get%20the%20latest%20in%20tech%20and%20business%20daily:%0A [View on our website]( AROUND THE WEB 🚨On this day: In 1950, the FBI [debuted]( its “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” list, starting with [Thomas James Holden]( — a convicted robber wanted for murder. 🎬Wait, what? The Godfather is widely considered one of the best films of all time, but it almost [wasn’t made](. 📝 Useful: [Planet]( is an app for taking, organizing, and sharing short notes. 🧀 Haha: An extremely in-depth blind [taste test]( of boxed mac and cheese. The winner is… surprising. ⛽ How to: As gas prices skyrocket, here are [some tips]( for saving fuel. 🤯 Wow: This 2-in-1 [optical illusion]( uses the Troxler effect for some mind-bending madness. Meme of the day [Mark Zuckerberg] Meta? Feta? Feta. Definitely Feta. (Source: [Know Your Meme]() SHARE THE HUSTLE Hey. Stop keeping us a secret. Refer just 3 people and we’ll start to send some goodies as a thank you. [My First Million ebook]( Spread the news. Help us grow 🌱 [Share The Hustle 🤠→]( Or copy this custom referral link: [ Your referral count: 0 How did you like today’s email? Today's email was brought to you by [Jacob Cohen](, [Juliet Bennett Rylah](, [Rob Litterst](. Editing by: Jennifer “Aspiring Chief Metaverse Officer” Wang. [PODCAST]( [JOBS]( [CONTACT US](mailto:news@thehustle.co) [Facebook]( [Youtube]( [Instagram]( [Trends]( 25 FIRST ST. 2ND FLOOR, CAMBRIDGE, MA 02141, UNITED STATES  +1 888 482 7768 Never want to hear from us again? 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