Business news in brief
By The Associated Press
Deal would put M&M’s alongside Cheez-It
M&M’s maker Mars is paying nearly $30 billion for Kellanova, the maker of Cheez-Its and Pop-Tarts. The acquisition could significantly broaden Mars’ snacking portfolio and help it expand globally.
Kellanova was created last year when the Kellogg Co. split into two companies. Chicago-based Kellanova sells many of the former company’s most profitable brands, including Pringles and Rice Krispies Treats. It had net sales of more than $13 billion last year.
Mars is one of the largest privately held companies in the U.S.
The deal is expected to close in the first half of next year. Kellanova would remain in Chicago, where Mars Snacking is based.
Meta kills off misinformation tracking tool CrowdTangle
SAN FRANCISCO | Facebook and Instagram parent Meta Platforms has shut down CrowdTangle. That’s was a tool widely used by researchers, watchdog organizations and journalists to monitor social media posts, notably to track how misinformation spreads on its platforms.
The shutdown was protested by researchers and nonprofits. Dozens of groups including the Center for Democracy and Technology, the Digital Forensic Research Lab at the Atlantic Council, Human Rights Watch and NYU’s Center for Social Media & Politics sent a letter to the company asking that it keep the tool running through at least January so it would be available through the U.S. presidential elections.
Judge tells Google to brace for shakeup of Android app store
SAN FRANCISCO | A federal judge has indicated he will order major changes in Google’s Android app store. It’s to punish the company for engineering a system that a jury declared an illegal monopoly that has hurt millions of consumers and app developers.
Over the course of a three-hour hearing in San Francisco, U.S. District Judge James Donato made it clear that the forthcoming shake-up will probably include a mandate requiring Google’s Play Store for Android phones offer consumers a choice to download alternative app stores. The judge said he hopes to issue an order within the next few weeks, possibly before Labor Day weekend.
—From AP reports
