Snapchat’s lackluster ad business threatens $16 billion valuation

By Heather Somerville SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Snapchat, maker of a free mobile app that lets users send videos and messages that disappear in seconds, is struggling to gain traction with advertisers, fuelling investor concern that its $16 billion valuation isn't justified by a business that hasn't yet shown it has a steady source of income.

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Facebook executive Sheryl Sandberg joins board of SurveyMonkey

By Sarah McBride SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Facebook Inc's Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg is taking a seat on the board of SurveyMonkey, the online polling company that was run by her late husband, Dave Goldberg. SurveyMonkey, a privately held company valued at $2 billion, also appointed to its board David Ebersman, the chief executive officer of behavioral health company Lyra Health and the former chief financial officer of Facebook.

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Facebook gaining ground on YouTube in video ads, report says

By Eric Auchard and Leila Abboud FRANKFURT/PARIS (Reuters) – Facebook is gaining ground on Google's YouTube as an outlet for big companies to market their products via online videos, the fastest growing category of Internet ads, a report published on Monday said. The competition for video viewers opens up a new front in the clash between the two web giants that already compete in other types of advertising given their appeal to young and international consumers, Ampere Analysis said in a study.

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Facebook raises minimum pay for contractors to $15 per hour

By Yasmeen Abutaleb NEW YORK (Reuters) – Facebook raised wages for its contract workers, such as cafeteria staff and janitors, to a minimum of $15 per hour amid rising tension over the wage gap between the technology sector's elite and the lower-paid workers. Contractors will also receive a minimum of 15 days of paid vacation days and a $4,000 new child benefit for parents who do not receive parental leave, Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg said in a Wednesday post on Facebook

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