Axios

The world’s biggest tech companies are about to open up their books — and some are expected to serve up record-shattering numbers.

Why it matters: The pandemic made many Americans even more dependent on these companies. That put a massive gust of wind — to the tune of billions of dollars — into the sails of Big Tech.

The biggest player in sports video games has plans to get even bigger — on mobile, in football, maybe even with basketball again — EA Sports general manager Daryl Holt said in an exclusive interview with Axios.

Why it matters: Sports gaming doesn’t get much press, but it’s a surging market with increased competition and lots of players up for grabs.

In the latest bit of fallout from investigations into the impact of Israeli company NSO's Pegasus spyware published last week, the leader of Facebook's WhatsApp stepped forward to support some aspects of the investigation's findings.

Why it matters: The Pegasus Project consortium of newsrooms and human rights organizations found evidence suggesting that the spyware is used by authoritarian governments to surveil their enemies, other governments' officials, activists and journalists.

The Biden administration's push to increase competition in the technology industry could be on a collision course with a formidable obstacle: the courts.

Why it matters: Regulatory agency actions — whether it be adopting new rules or bringing enforcement cases against companies — are almost always challenged and litigated in the court system.

Ratings for the Olympic Games opening ceremony were down 36% compared to 2016, according to preliminary numbers from NBC Universal. 

Why it matters: The figures for the Tokyo Games event mark the lowest audience for an Olympics opening ceremony event in over three decades, per Reuters.

Members of Congress are ready to fight for government money to fund space exploration projects in their districts as the space tourism industry gains momentum.

Why it matters: The recent launches by Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos have Americans looking skyward again. Lawmakers are hoping to take advantage of it by raising awareness of potential space projects in districts outside Houston and Cape Canaveral, Florida.