Reading List: The New York Times Didn’t Hit a Wall After All
Each day we provide a roundup of five stories from around the Web that our editors read and found noteworthy. Follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the day @digiday.
Groupon’s Scaled-Back Ambitions: The news that Groupon will be meeting with potential investors to pitch an IPO that will net the company $12 billion is just another in a pretty long line (given the relatively short time frame) of disappointments for the daily deals site that has been called the fastest-growing company in history. Although it may seem counterintuitive to call a $12 billion valuation disappointing, that figure follows reports last summer that the company was looking for $30 billion. And now the investor community that was so enthusiastic six months ago has ratcheted expectations back considerably. Some press reports that even suggest that even $12 billion is a stretch, and perhaps $10 billion is more realistic. WSJ — Anne Sherber
The Horror Movie That is Facebook: It’s not only Eric Schmidt and conspiracy theorists who may wake up in a cold sweat from a dream about Facebook’s control of the intimate data on 800 million people; consumers might too. A new website dramatizes how easy it is for one crazed stalker type to invade your personal life via Facebook. The site illustrates that it’s not just data that Facebook houses, it’s consumer histories, friendships and preferences – not to mention data on location, age, religion and more. Facebook’s greatest leverage over consumers, brands and media types is its massive data pool, but that is also its greatest vulnerability. IndieWire — Carla Rover @carlarover
NFC Gains Traction: It’s still only available on one handset, but Google’s near-field communication mobile payment system, Google Wallet, is gaining traction. New Jersey Transit began letting commuters pay for fares using the in-phone sensors at multiple locations yesterday, including New York’s Penn Station. The technology continues to excite marketers as a powerful method of connecting online and mobile behavior to real-world actions and purchases. That opportunity will continue to grow as users become more accustomed to using it and are increasingly given the opportunity to do so. Bloomberg — Jack Marshall @JackMarshall