• The National Institutes of Health is enrolling 10,000 healthy people in a study that seeks to determine how far the novel coronavirus has spread.
• They'll use blood samples to detect antibodies the body produces to fight off infection.
• Whereas typical coronavirus tests measure for active infection, the antibody tests can tell whether people have been exposed to the virus in the past.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The National Institutes of Health is enrolling up to 10,000 healthy people in a study that seeks to determine how many people have immunity to the novel coronavirus.

Investigators will take blood from participants and test it for antibodies the body produces to fight off infection. The idea is to figure out the true number of people who've been exposed to the virus, whether or not they had symptoms.

The study is one of many public and private efforts to expand "serology" or immunity tests in the US. Since the tests can measure a response to the virus long after it's occurred, they've been called the next frontier of coronavirus screening and should help the NIH understand the extent of its spread.

Read more: Tests that can tell if you're immune to the coronavirus are on the way. Here are the companies racing to bring them to the US healthcare system.

Led by researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, the rollout is one of the biggest serology efforts at the federal level thus far.

"This study will give us a clearer picture of the true magnitude of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States by telling us how many people in different communities have been infected without knowing it, because they had a very mild, undocumented illness or did not access testing while they were sick," said Anthony S. Fauci, a key member of President Donald Trump's coronavirus task force and the director of NIAID, in a press release.

Whereas reporting of confirmed cases in the US has mostly relied on molecular tests that determine the active presence of the virus in a person's airways, NIH investigators will analyze the blood for two kinds of antibodies indicating prior exposure, proteins called IgM and IgG. 

The former develops quickly and typically lasts for a week or two. The latter has a longer life and is involved in the body's secondary immune response, according to the NIH.

"An antibody test is looking back into the immune system's history with a rearview mirror," said Matthew J. Memoli, the study's principal investigator.

Volunteers near Washington, DC will give blood in-person at the NIH campus in Maryland. The NIH will ship kits made by medical device company Neoteryx to other participants for at-home use. 

Never miss out on healthcare news. Subscribe to Dispensed, Business Insider's weekly newsletter on pharma, biotech, and healthcare.

The study is not open to people with current coronavirus symptoms or those with laboratory-confirmed histories of the virus. People who suspect they recovered without tests or never had symptoms consistent with the virus in the first place are encouraged to enroll, however.

People interested in joining can contact the NIH at clinicalstudiesunit@nih.gov and will be asked to consent over the phone. Enrollees can request their results after a prolonged waiting period of weeks or months, according to the NIH.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The reason some men go bald, according to a dermatologist

• Ad holding company giant Dentsu has instituted cost-cutting measures across all its agencies outside Japan, including a hiring freeze, pay cuts, furloughs, and layoffs.
• Three sources told Business Insider that the Dentsu Aegis Network division in the US, which include Carat, 360i, and Merkle, was told to cut expenses by a certain date, primarily by pay cuts and furloughs.
• The news comes days after Dentsu Aegis Network hired former Omnicom and Coca-Cola executive Wendy Clark as its new global CEO.
• A company spokesperson said the network's focus is to support its employees, its clients, and the local economies where it operates.
• Click here for more BI Prime stories.

Dentsu Aegis Network, the largest division of ad holding company giant Dentsu, has instituted cost-cutting measures across the US, including a company-wide hiring freeze, significant top-down pay cuts, large-scale furloughs, and layoffs.

The news comes as the coronavirus pandemic cuts across all areas of the economy and all the major ad holding companies prepare for significant cuts in the weeks and months ahead.

The changes also come just as Dentsu Aegis Network hired longtime marketing executive Wendy Clark from Omnicom's DDB as global CEO.

A Dentsu Aegis Network US spokesperson said the company's primary focus since the pandemic took hold has been to support its employees, its clients, and the local economies where it operates.

"As a result of COVID-19 business impacts, we are activating a set of cost saving measures across the company to ensure business continuity and to safeguard our people's livelihoods around the world," the spokesperson wrote. "We consider our people to be our greatest strength and are doing everything we can to ensure we have a healthy and sustainable business for them and our clients, after this crisis passes."

Dentsu agencies were required to slash pay around 10% across the board, sources say

Tokyo-based Dentsu is one of the world's largest ad holding companies by revenue, with clients such as P&G, Coca-Cola, and Huawei. Dentsu Aegis Network handles all Dentsu operations outside of Japan, with a headquarters in London and about 50,000 employees at agencies including 360i, Merkle, Carat, and McGarryBowen. 

Three Dentsu Aegis Network employees, who are known to Business Insider but spoke on condition of anonymity to protect their jobs and career prospects, said communications in the US have been dictated by Dentsu Aegis Network corporate and come from US CEO Jacki Kelley.

Two weeks ago, agency leaders were told they would have to reduce operating expenses, primarily by slashing employee pay by about 10%.

The sources said the pay cuts and furloughs, which followed a company-wide hiring freeze, have affected all Dentsu Aegis Network agencies.

Agencies are scrambling to save money, but large-scale layoffs have not yet hit Dentsu

One executive described the emergency cost-cutting to Business Insider as a "top-down" directive from Dentsu corporate and said the parent company gave agencies little latitude in determining how to achieve savings.

Two other people said some agencies have managed to tier the cuts so those with significantly higher pay give up more of their salaries, and some have also moved to four-day work weeks as another way to save.

One source said furloughs were announced internally last week but have not taken effect. The other estimated that furloughed employees will see their salaries cut by about 80%, though the company will continue to pay for their health insurance.

The furloughs are designed, at least in part, to help minimize layoffs, which all three sources say have been moderate so far. One person said some layoffs have hit the agency where they work, while another said this has only happened in cases where specific pieces of business were lost.

The ad holding companies are preparing for significant challenges ahead. In an all-staff memo sent out last Friday, IPG CEO Michael Roth warned that agency leaders would have to consider every option available, including "salary cuts and, unfortunately, reductions in staffing levels."

Dentsu was one of the first to be directly affected by the virus, closing its Tokyo headquarters in late February after two employees tested positive.

Got more information about this story or another ad industry tip? Contact Patrick Coffee on Signal at (347) 563-7289, email at pcoffee@businessinsider.com or patrickcoffee@protonmail.com, or via Twitter DM @PatrickCoffee. You can also contact Business Insider securely via SecureDrop.

SEE ALSO: Ad agencies are moving to virtual pitches in the era of remote work, and it could cause more pain for the holding companies

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NOW WATCH: Why Pikes Peak is the most dangerous racetrack in America

• Apple Maps is working on a new feature that will show the nearest COVID-19 testing locations.
• Apple released a form this week calling on healthcare providers, labs, and other businesses that administer COVID-19 tests to submit their locations.
• It's not yet clear how soon the feature will be available, but most testing sites in the US are just now opening.
• The company is also partnering with Google to build a contact-tracing API that would notify users when they've come in contact with a person carrying COVID-19.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Apple Maps will soon show people the nearest COVID-19 testing locations in their area.

It's not clear how soon the new feature will roll out, but this week Apple asked healthcare providers, labs, and other businesses giving coronavirus tests to register with Apple Maps, 9to5Mac first reported.

Apple's form asks testing sites to indicate whether people need an appointment or doctors' referral to be tested, meaning that information could also be included in the Apple Maps interface.

The new feature comes as Apple is in the process of building an ambitious contact tracing API along with Google that would use Bluetooth to notify users when they've come in contact with people carrying COVID-19.

Apple Maps' new feature might not be useful to the bulk of users in the US, where coronavirus testing still lags behind other nations. President Donald Trump promised last month that Walgreens would have drive-thru testing locations, and the company announced last week that it would soon expand to 15 testing locations in seven states. Walmart is also expanding to 20 testing locations in 10 states, the company announced last week.

In its FAQ for the new feature, Apple wrote that it is "working to verify and add as many testing locations as we can, as quickly as possible."

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why thoroughbred horse semen is the world's most expensive liquid

• Facebook has deleted two anti-5G groups whose users pushed conspiracy theories that 5G caused the coronavirus.
• The two groups, "Stop 5G UK" and "Destroy 5G Save Our Children," were open for anyone to join and had thousands of members.
• Business Insider previously found that members of the "Stop 5G UK" group also pushed the drug hydroxychloroquine as a cure for coronavirus. The drug is not proven as an effective treatment.
• Facebook said it was taking "aggressive steps" to halt misinformation around the coronavirus and 5G.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Facebook blocked two anti-5G groups over the weekend after members encouraged the destruction of mobile phone masts in breach of the network's policies on promoting violence. Group members also promoted misinformation linking 5G to the coronavirus outbreak.

The "Stop 5G Group" had racked up around 60,000 members, and originally began as a fringe group with concerns about the rollout of faster mobile connectivity. Another group, "Destroy 5G Save Our Children," had more than 2,500 members and was also removed.

Research published on Monday by anti-hate group Hope Not Hate highlighted posts on both groups encouraging the destruction of phone masts.

"Comment sections were filled with incitement to criminal damage against 5G infrastructure," the researchers wrote, adding that a post on "Stop 5G UK" about "5G Hell Towers" was shared more than 400 times.

Hope Not Hate also found posts openly discussing plans to attack 5G masts.

Anti-5G activists believe that 5G radio waves harm humans. But radio waves are low energy compared to other types of radiation, and Cancer Research has concluded that neither 4G or 5G cause cancer.

Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, the anti-5G conspiracy theory has evolved.

Since the outbreak spread globally through March, conspiracists have been pushing the idea that 5G weakens the immune system and make people more susceptible to the virus, or else that the virus is somehow transmitted through radio waves. Neither is true.

The new conspiracy theory is thought to have led to activists setting light to phone masts around the UK.

Philip Jansen, chief executive of the UK's biggest telecoms firm BT, wrote in the Mail on Sunday over the weekend that 39 telecoms engineers had been attacked verbally or physically. Jansen pinned the blame on conspiracy theorists, adding that 11 phone masts had been set alight.

He wrote: "Some go so far as to assume that Covid-19 is an entirely fabricated virus; nothing but a cover-up for 5G." He added that most of the sites under attack were not 5G masts.

Last week, Business Insider reported that users on the "Stop 5G UK" group were dangerously pushing the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine as a cure for the coronavirus. Although some governments have issued emergency authorization for the use of hydroxychloroquine in treating desperately ill patients, its efficacy remains unproven.

A Facebook spokesman said in a statement: "Content encouraging attacks on 5G masts clearly violates our policies and we have removed a number of Pages, Groups and posts.

"Over the last week, under our existing policies against harmful misinformation, we have also begun removing false claims that 5G technology causes the symptoms of or contraction of COVID-19. We will continue to work closely with governments, other tech companies and third parties to remove harmful misinformation and promote official guidance from local health authorities."

SEE ALSO: Here's what we know about the bizarre coronavirus conspiracy theory that led to people setting fire to 5G masts

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's what it's like to travel during the coronavirus outbreak

• Omnicom, the world's second-largest advertising holding company, confirmed in a memo from CEO John Wren that it would furlough and lay off staff due to the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
• In the memo, Wren thanked employees but wrote that Omnicom has to "respond quickly to the reality of the moment." He also outlined other cost-cutting steps.
• Omnicom follows rival holding company Dentsu, which instituted furloughs and pay cuts earlier this month.
• During the last economic downturn in 2018, the company laid off an estimated 5% of its global workforce, or about 3,500 people.
• Click here for more BI Prime stories.

John Wren, chairman and CEO of Omnicom, sent a memo to all employees today stating that the world's second-largest ad holding company would furlough and lay off staff across its global agency network due to the economic effects of the coronavirus.

Rival holding company Dentsu confirmed earlier this week that it had instituted pay cuts and furloughs across agencies, and sources told Business Insider that some have been laid off as well.

The full John Wren memo, which is included below, thanked employees for their work but stated that "we have to respond quickly to the reality of the moment" by reducing expenses in ways that would affect Omnicom's 70,000-plus employees worldwide. Wren also wrote that he will waive 100% of his own salary through the end of September.

An Omnicom spokesperson declined to comment. 

A source who is known to Business Insider but requested anonymity because they are not authorized to comment said furloughs at the company, which includes agencies such as BBDO, OMD, and TBWA\Chiat\Day, were expected to begin this week.

The scale of the changes is unclear. During the last economic downturn in 2008, Omnicom laid off at least 5% of its global workforce, which amounted to 3,500 people or more. Analysts told Business Insider that the current recovery will most likely be longer and more challenging for the ad industry.

Read the full memo below.

A message from John Wren

As the impact of COVID-19 continues to evolve, we are focused on protecting the safety and well-being of our people, continuing to serve our clients and preserving the strength of our business.

I have personally heard from clients around the globe just how much they value the work you are doing in their time of need. Thank you for everything you are doing, despite all the challenges. 

Unfortunately, COVID-19 has had a profound impact on the economy, on our clients' businesses, and in turn, on ours. While we hope for a swift recovery, we have to respond quickly to the reality of the moment, to ensure the sustainability of our business and our ability to continue to provide our clients with outstanding service.

Since my last note to you, we have solidified some of the internal measures to adjust our business to meet the changing needs of our clients. Regrettably, this will include furloughs and staff reductions across many of our agencies. We are doing everything we can to limit staff reductions, and to take care of those who are affected.

• Where possible, our agencies will use furloughs rather than permanent reductions, so we can bring people back if, and when, conditions improve and client demand recovers.
• Our agencies will participate in government subsidy programs around the world to reduce the number of permanent staff reductions we need to make.
• We have expanded coverage in our U.S. health benefit plans for those affected by COVID-19.
• We are actively looking to move people into areas of our business that are growing, such as Omnicom Health Group.
• Omnicom's executive leadership team, including our Network and Practice Area CEOs, are reducing their salaries by a third, and I am waiving 100% of my salary, through the end of September.
• With few exceptions, we have stopped all new hires, frozen salaries, and reduced the number of freelancers we use.
• We are eliminating discretionary costs and capital expenditures, wherever possible, including participation in award shows and industry events.
• Lastly, we have suspended our share repurchase program, have strengthened our liquidity position through new financings, and are conserving cash wherever possible.

You are the heart of our business and that makes these actions extremely difficult. We have survived crises before. Our people and our company have shown tremendous grit and resilience and we will come out of this stronger.  

Thank you for your hard work and commitment during this difficult time. 

Stay home. Stay safe.

John

Got more information about this story or another ad industry tip? Contact Patrick Coffee on Signal at (347) 563-7289, email at pcoffee@businessinsider.com or patrickcoffee@protonmail.com, or via Twitter DM @PatrickCoffee. You can also contact Business Insider securely via SecureDrop.

SEE ALSO: Ad holding company Dentsu implements 10% pay cuts, furloughs, and layoffs across the US amid coronavirus pandemic

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NOW WATCH: Pathologists debunk 13 coronavirus myths

• Silicon Valley executives are among the richest people.
• They are also among the most famous and can become a lightning rod for public anger.
• They spend millions on security measures: hiring armed bodyguards, installing bulletproof panels in their offices, and installing rumored escape passages.
• Scroll on to see how much the likes of Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos spend on security.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Silicon Valley contains a high concentration of the world's richest tech billionaires, many of whom spend huge amounts on personal-security measures.

Public filings can give us some insight into how much tech moguls spend on security, as their companies shell out millions to keep their executives safe, sometimes by buying them commodities like private planes.

Public records are just the tip of the iceberg, as Silicon Valley's richest can supplement their security costs out of their own (considerably deep) pockets.

Here, in ascending order, is how much tech's C-suite stars spend on security.

Jack Dorsey: $68,500 at last count

Jack Dorsey's security costs were last revealed in 2016 in an SEC filing that showed Twitter paid him $68,506 for "residential security and protective detail."

Dorsey's spend may have increased in the intervening years, especially since his Twitter account was hacked in September 2019.

Eric Schmidt: $296,353

Schmidt stepped down as Google chairman in 2018, and the previous year the company spent just under $300,000 on Schmidt's personal security. Bloomberg pegs Schmidt's net worth at $14 billion.

Tim Cook: $457,000

Apple spent $457,083 on private security for Tim Cook in 2019, according to a proxy statement filed in January of this year, up 104% from $310,000 in 2018.

This is still a modest expenditure by Silicon Valley standards — especially considering Apple regularly dips in and out of being the world's most valuable company.

Cook's travel costs also surged last year by 239% to $315,311, a possible consequence of Cook's vigorous lobbying to save Apple from the brunt of the US-China trade war.

Dara Khosrowshahi: $596,500

A proxy statement filed by Uber in March 2020 said the company paid out $596,554 in "business and personal security costs" for Khosrowshahi in 2019.

This is a significant drop since 2018, as Uber's IPO filing revealed that CEO Dara Khosrowshahi's compensation included $2 million for "security costs," roughly equivalent to his bonus.

In 2019 the company also paid Khosrowshahi's $1,392,569 for costs incurred by "personal travel in Uber-provided vehicles."

Sundar Pichai: $1.2 million

Google spent $1.2 million on security CEO Sundar Pichai in 2018, almost double the previous year when he was handed $680,000 for personal protection.

The sudden uptick in Pichai's security expenditure came months after an active shooter entered YouTube's San Bruno campus, injuring three employees.

Pichai's new "overall security program" was approved in July 2018, three months after Nasim Najafi Aghdam shot three people and then herself at YouTube HQ in San Bruno. Following the attack, YouTube announced that it was stepping up its security.

A Google spokesperson told Business Insider's Nick Bastone that stepping up Pichai's security was part of a more general trend — Pichai's security cost also doubled between 2016 and 2017.

Jeff Bezos: $1.6 million

The world's richest man doesn't spend the most on security — at least not publicly. Forbes reports that the amount Amazon shells out for Bezos' security hasn't changed since 2012 despite the billionaire's wealth growing by about $113 billion. An Amazon spokesperson said Bezos pays separately for his personal security.

Bezos had bulletproof panels installed in his office.

A Seattle city-planning permit, spotted by The Daily Beast, showed that Amazon applied to install bulletproof panels in Bezos' office in November 2018, and was granted permission in January 2019. The panels cost $180,000 to install and can withstand multiple shots from a military assault rifle.

Bezos' personal-protection bills aren't available to scrutinize, but in 2019 his security chief said the billionaire wrote him a blank check to launch a private investigation.

After Bezos' intimate texts to former TV anchor Lauren Sanchez were leaked to The National Enquirer, Bezos hired his personal-security chief, Gavin de Becker, to investigate the source of the leak.

Writing in The Daily Beast in March, de Becker said Bezos told him to "spend whatever is needed" to get to the root of how his texts were obtained by The Enquirer.

De Becker's investigation concluded "with high confidence" that Saudi Arabia was behind the leak. Bezos owns The Washington Post, which has reported deeply on the death of Jamal Khashoggi, the Post journalist who was murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.

In early 2020 it we learned that Bezos' phone had been hacked.

In January 2020, a forensic investigation of Bezos' phone revealed that in May 2018 he had been hacked via WhatsApp, most likely by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Although Saudi Arabia denied the accusation, the UN threw its weight behind the claim.

Larry Ellison: $1.6 million

Oracle pays the annual costs of protecting CTO and cofounder Larry Ellison's "primary residence," which Forbes speculated is likely to be his Japanese-inspired Woodside estate in California, although the company declined to comment.

Sheryl Sandberg: $4.3 million

Sandberg's security costs climbed by 168% in 2019, from $2.9 million in 2018 to $4.3 million.

Mark Zuckerberg: $23 million

Zuckerberg's security costs skyrocketed in tandem with the company's disastrous 2018.

Facebook spent $10 million on personal protection for Zuckerberg in 2018, up $2.5 million from the year before. He was also given a "pretax allowance" of $10 million for "additional costs" to do with keeping him and his family safe.

In an SEC filing, the company said that public rage directed toward Facebook was part of the reason for Zuckerberg's high security spend.

"He is synonymous with Facebook, and as a result, negative sentiment regarding our company is directly associated with, and often transferred to, Mr. Zuckerberg," Facebook said.

Facebook upheld that astronomical sum for 2019, per a proxy filing from April 2020, spending roughly $23 million on Zuckerberg's security and travel costs.

Zuckerberg's security detail includes 24/7 protection.

Business Insider's Rob Price published a 5,000-word investigation into Facebook's security operations and discovered that Zuckerberg is constantly protected by armed executive protection officers who stand guard outside his Bay Area homes, one of which is equipped with a panic room.

The Facebook CEO is rumored to have an escape passage under his conference room.

Price discovered a popular rumor among Facebook employees is that Zuckerberg has a "panic chute" in case him and his team need to evacuate the offices. One source told Price they had been briefed on the passageway's existence. Facebook declined to comment.

Elon Musk: unknown

Elon Musk is one of the most bombastic and divisive personalities to dominate Silicon Valley. His security costs are not readily available. Tesla declined to comment.

In November 2018, the Tesla CEO tweeted that one of his other ventures, The Boring Company, was looking for someone to guard a Monty Python-inspired watchtower.

Specifically, Musk said that he needed "a knight to yell insults at people in a French accent."

Google cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin haven't revealed their security costs in many years.

The last time Google disclosed security costs for its cofounders was in 2006, when it gave Larry Page $33,195 for transportation, logistics, and personal security.

Page and Brin have now both left Google's parent company Alphabet, handing power to Sundar Pichai.

• You can easily report a post, profile, or comment on Instagram's mobile app.
• To report a post directly from your feed on your mobile device, tap the "..." symbol in the upper right corner of the post and then select the reason you are flagging it. 
• Depending on why you report the post, you may be asked for additional information about the content to help Instagram deem whether it is spam or inappropriate.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

While most of the posts that cross your Instagram feed won't violate the platform's Community Guidelines or Terms of Use, it sometimes happens. If another user is posting something inappropriate or that might be considered spam on Instagram, you can report the post, comment, person, or account right on the app.

If you don't have an Instagram account, you can report most issues using this form. If an inappropriate or spam comment has been left on one of your posts, you can delete it by swiping left on iOS or pressing down on the reply for Android. 

If you think something on Instagram should be flagged for removal, here's how you report posts, profiles, and comments as inappropriate or spam. 

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

iPhone 11 (From $699.99 at Apple)

Samsung Galaxy S10 (From $859.99 at Walmart)

How to report a post on Instagram

1. To report something as spam or inappropriate, tap the three-dotted symbol located at the top right of every Instagram post in your feed. For Story posts, you can find it at the bottom right. 

2. Tap Report.

3. Select the reason why you're reporting the post. Your first two options are "It's spam" and "It's inappropriate." 

4. You may be prompted to provide additional details about why you're reporting the post. 

5. Instagram confirms it has received your report. 

How to report a profile on Instagram

1. On the app, go to the user's profile and tap the three dots located on the top right of the screen next to their name. On the browser, the three dots will be located near the username, directly to the right of the "Message" and "Follow" buttons. 

2. Tap "Report" on the app and "Report User" in the browser. 

3. Once again, select the reason why you're reporting the profile. 

4. A "Thank You" message for your report will appear once you've finished. 

How to report a comment on Instagram

1. Tap the speech bubble icon or "View comments" to see all the visible replies on an Instagram post.

2. Scroll to the comment you want to report and swipe left on for iOS users, or tap and hold the comment on an Android.

3. An icon of an exclamation point will appear. Tap it. 

4. Select "Report this comment." 

5. Choose the reason why you're reporting the comment before providing additional detail on why.

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

• How to edit your Instagram bio on desktop or mobile

• How to get Instagram on your iPad by downloading the iPhone app version

• How to unmute an Instagram story on your iPhone or Android phone

• How to add multiple photos to your Instagram story at once, or use a collage app

• You can't edit a comment on Instagram, but you can easily delete and repost a comment — here's how

SEE ALSO: The best iPhone on any budget to snap the perfect Instagram photo

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why electric planes haven't taken off yet

• As coronavirus sweeps across the globe, governments are stepping up surveillance.
• A new index from digital rights group Top10VPN documents which countries are introducing new measures to track people's phones.
• Some countries are collecting anonymized data to study the movement of people more generally, while others are providing detailed information about individuals' movements.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Governments across the world are availing every surveillance tool at their disposal to help stem the spread of the novel coronavirus. 

Countries have been quick to use the one tool almost all of us carry with us: our smartphones. Governments are also receiving support from private tech companies. Google and Apple announced in April they were working together to develop an API which could be used by countries' health authorities in order to build coronavirus-tracking apps.

A live index of ramped up security measures by Top10VPN details the countries which have already brought in measures to track the phones of coronavirus patients, ranging from anonymized aggregated data to monitor the movement of people more generally, to the tracking of individual suspected patients and their contacts, known as contact tracing.

Samuel Woodhams, Top10VPN's Digital Rights Lead who compiled the index, warned that the world could slide into permanently increased surveillance.

"Without adequate tracking, there is a danger that these new, often highly invasive, measures will become the norm around the world," he told Business Insider. "Although some may appear entirely legitimate, many pose a risk to citizens' right to privacy and freedom of expression.

"Given how quickly things are changing, documenting the new measures is the first step to challenging potential overreach, providing scrutiny and holding corporations and governments to account."

While some countries will cap their new emergency measures, otherwise may retain the powers for future use. "There is a risk that many of these new capabilities will continue to be used following the outbreak," Woodhams said. "This is particularly significant as many of the new measures have avoided public and political scrutiny and do not include sunset clauses."

Here's a breakdown of which countries have started tracking phone data, with varying degrees of invasiveness:

The US is reportedly gathering data from the ads industry to get an idea of where people are congregating

Sources told The Wall Street Journal that federal, state, and local governments have begun to gather and study geolocation data to get a better idea of how people are moving about.

In one example, a source said the data had shown people were continuing to gather in Prospect Park in Brooklyn, and this information had been handed over to local authorities. The eventual aim is to create a portal for government officials with data from up to 500 US cities.

The data is being gathered from the advertising industry, which often gains access to people's geolocation when they sign up to apps. Researcher Sam Woodhams says using the ad industry as a source poses a particular problem for privacy.

"Working closely with the ad tech industry to track citizens' whereabouts raises some significant concerns. The sector as a whole is renowned for its lack of transparency and many users will be unaware that these apps are tracking their movement to begin with. It is imperative that governments and all those involved in the collection of this sensitive data are transparent about how they operate and what measures are in place to ensure citizens' right to privacy is protected," Woodhams told Business Insider.

The US' coronavirus economic relief bill also included a $500 million for the CDC to build a "surveillance and data collection system" 

South Korea gives out detailed information about patients' whereabouts

South Korea has gone a step further than other countries, tracking individuals' phones and creating a publicly available map to allow other citizens to check whether they may have crossed paths with any coronavirus patients.

The tracking data that goes into the map isn't limited to mobile phone data, credit card records and even face-to-face interviews with patients are being used to build a retroactive map of where they've been.

Not only is the map there for citizens to check, but the South Korean government is using it to proactively send regional text messages warning people they may have come into contact with someone carrying the virus.

The location given can be extremely specific, the Washington Post reported a text went out that said an infected person had been at the "Magic Coin Karaoke in Jayang-dong at midnight on Feb. 20."

Some texts give out more personal information however. A text reported by The Guardian read: "A woman in her 60s has just tested positive. Click on the link for the places she visited before she was hospitalised."

The director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Jeong Eun-kyeong, acknowledged that the site infringes on civil liberties, saying: "It is true that public interests tend to be emphasized more than human rights of individuals when dealing with diseases that can infect others."

The map is already interfering with civil liberties, as a South Korean woman told the Washington Post that she had stopped attending a bar popular with lesbians for fear of being outed. "If I unknowingly contract the virus... that record will be released to the whole country," she said.

The system is also throwing up other unexpected challenges. The Guardian reported that one man claiming to be infected threatened various restaurants saying he would visit and hurt their custom unless they gave him money to stay away.

Iran asked citizens to download an invasive app

Vice reported that Iran's government endorsed a coronavirus diagnosis app that collected users' real-time location data. 

On March 3, a message went out to millions of Iranian citizens telling them to install the app, called AC19, before going to a hospital or health center.

The app claimed to be able to diagnose the user with coronavirus by asking a series of yes or no questions. The app has since been removed from the Google Play store.

Israel passed new laws to spy on its citizens

As part of a broad set of new surveillance measures approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on March 17, Israel's Security Agency will no longer have to obtain a court order to track individuals' phones. The new law also stipulates all data collected must be deleted after 30 days. 

Netanyahu described the new security measures as "invasive" in an address to the nation.

"We'll deploy measures we've only previously deployed against terrorists. Some of these will be invasive and infringe on the privacy of those affected. We must adopt a new routine," said Netanyahu.

Singapore has an app which can trace people within 2 meters of infected patients

Singapore's Government Technology Agency and the Ministry of Health developed an app for contact tracing called TraceTogether which launched on March 20.

Per the Straits Times, the app is used "to identify people who have been in close proximity — within 2m for at least 30 minutes — to coronavirus patients using wireless Bluetooth technology."

"No geolocation data or other personal data is collected," TraceTogether said in an explanatory video.

The app hasn't been widely adopted by the population however, with only 12% of Singaporeans downloading it.

Jason May, senior director at Singapore's Government Technology Agency and TraceTogether's product lead, warned against taking about automated contact-tracing as a "panacea" in a blog post published after Google and Apple announced their partnership.

"If you ask me whether any Bluetooth contact tracing system deployed or under development, anywhere in the world, is ready to replace manual contact tracing, I will say without qualification that the answer is, No," May wrote in a blog post.

He pointed out that other factors such as ventilation need to be taken into account when working out whether people are likely to have infected each other, which apps like TraceTogether can't know.

Taiwan can tell when quarantined people have left the house

Taiwan has activated what it calls an "electronic fence," which tracks mobile phone data and alerts authorities when someone who is supposed to be quarantined at home is leaving the house.

"The goal is to stop people from running around and spreading the infection," said Jyan Hong-wei, head of Taiwan's Department of Cyber Security. Jyan added that local authorities and police should be able to respond to anyone who triggers an alert within 15 minutes.

Even having your phone turned off seems to be enough to warrant a police visit. An American student living in Taiwan wrote in a BBC article that he was visited by two police officers at 8:15 a.m. because his phone had run out of battery at 7:30 a.m. and the government had briefly lost track of him. The student was in quarantine at the time because he had arrived in Taiwan from Europe.

Austria is using anonymized data to map people's movements

On March 17 Austria's biggest telecoms network operator Telekom Austria AG announced it was sharing anonymized location data with the government.

The technology being used was developed by a spin-off startup out of the University of Graz, and Telekom Austria said it is usually used to measure footfall in popular tourist sites.

Woodhams told Business Insider that while collecting aggregated data sets is less invasive than other measures, how that data could be used in future should still be cause for concern.

"Much of the data may remain at risk from re-identification, and it still provides governments with the ability to track the movement of large groups of its citizens," said Woodhams.

Poland is making people send selfies to prove they're quarantining correctly

On March 20 the Polish government announced the release of a new app called "Home Quarantine." The point of the app is to make sure people who are supposed to be quarantining themselves for 14 days stay in place.

To use the app first you have to register a selfie, it then sends periodic requests for geo-located selfies. If the user fails to comply within 20 minutes, the police will be alerted.

"People in quarantine have a choice: either receive unexpected visits from the police, or download this app," a spokesman for Poland's Digital Ministry said.

The Polish government is automatically generating accounts for suspected quarantine patients, including people returning from abroad.

The UK is getting ready to release an opt-in contact-tracing app

The UK confirmed in April that it is building an opt-in contact-tracing app for citizens which uses Bluetooth technology similar to Singapore's app.

The app will let people self-report if they develop symptoms, then send out a "yellow alert" to people that have been in their vicinity. If the person then gets an official COVID-19 diagnosis they will be able to enter a unique code into the app, which will then send out a "red alert."

While nothing official has been announced yet, the UK is also in talks with major telecoms providers including O2 and EE to provide large sets of anonymized data.

Google has also indicated it is taking part in discussions.

Belgium is using anonymized data from telcos

The Belgian government gave the go-ahead on March 11 to start using anonymized data from local telecom companies.

Germany is modeling how people are moving around

Deutsche Telekom announced on March 18 it would be sharing data with the Robert Koch Institute (Germany's version of the CDC). 

"With this we can model how people are moving around nationwide, on a state level, and even on a community level," a spokesperson for Deutsche Telekom told Die Welt.

Italy has created movement maps

Italy, which has been particularly hard-hit by the coronavirus outbreak, has also signed a deal with telecoms operators to collect anonymized location data.

As of March 18 Italy had charged 40,000 of its citizens with violating its lockdown laws, per The Guardian.

• The legal sports-betting industry is scrambling to adapt to the lack of live sporting events, as major leagues cancel or postpone their seasons due to coronavirus concerns.
• Sports-betting companies, and the media businesses that had been rushing to capitalize on the industry, are cutting costs to keep their businesses afloat and finding creative ways to keep fans entertained while much of the sports world is in limbo.
• Betting operators and sport broadcasters are scrambling to find live events for people to bet on, including virtual sports, Russian table tennis, and the US presidential election.
• All eyes are also on the fall NFL season as the next big comeback opportunity for sports betting.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The coronavirus pandemic has dealt a blow to the legal sports-betting industry that was poised to take off in the US in 2020.

Major sporting events, including the college-basketball betting frenzy known as March Madness, have been canceled. Others, like the NBA, NHL, MLB, and Premier League seasons, are on hold.

Sports-betting companies, and the media businesses that had been rushing to capitalize on the industry, are now cutting costs to keep their businesses afloat and finding creative ways to keep fans entertained while much of the sports world is in limbo, industry insiders told Business Insider. 

For some sports betting and media companies the name of the game right now is conserving capital. 

Product launches that had been planned around major sporting moments like March Madness or MLB's opening day are on hold. Some marketing campaigns are also being pushed.

"Everybody is hunkering down and preparing contingency plans to keep their businesses operating," said one industry advisor, who has advised multiple media companies that are moving into sports betting. "They're thinking through how to, frankly, preserve their employee bases and trying to avoid having to lay people off."

Read the full story about how the sports-betting industry is responding: Sports-betting insiders say companies are in 'triage mode,' cutting costs and getting creative to keep fans interested until live sports return

Sports-betting operators are also scrambling to find live events for people to bet on as wagering plunges. 

One UK-based betting-services provider, FSB Technology, said during an April 7 presentation that sports wagering was down 75% across the 25 brands on its network.

"Our industry has been so severely affected by this," said Dave McDowell at FSB, whose clients are primarily based in Europe. "I never imagined a time when we wouldn't have live sports available to us."

McDowell said his company has been racing to integrate content and data feeds from any sports that are still active into its platform, including table tennis and virtual sports, to meet the sudden demand from operators.

Those events probably won't match the betting volume of major sports that have been suspended, like soccer and basketball, but they're stop-gap measures until other live sports return. 

Operators like FanDuel have also requested approval from West Virginia regulators to take bets on the US presidential election for similar reasons.

Read the full story on how gaming operators are adapting: How sports-betting operators are creating new gambling opportunities as wagering plummets without live sports, according to 4 industry experts

Physical sportsbook operators are in the toughest spot, because they own massive casinos and retail locations that have mostly been shut down. 

"They don't have any customers now," said Chris Bevilacqua, cofounder of Bevilacqua Helfant Ventures, an advisory and investment firm for the sports and entertainment industries. "A lot are going to undergo some financial hardship."

Online-gaming providers, including daily-fantasy-sports companies FanDuel and DraftKings, are leaning on their daily-fantasy businesses to weather the rough economic climate.

Read the full story about the most-exposed companies: The sports-betting companies threatened most and least by the coronavirus pandemic, according the industry insiders

Meanwhile, with the current and spring NBA, NHL, and MLB seasons on hold, all eyes are on the fall NFL season as the next big comeback opportunity for sports betting. 

"Hopefully in the fall with the NFL season, you'll have new, innovative next-gen looking sports-betting platforms," said Wayne Kimmel, at venture-capital firm SeventySix Capital, which invests in sports and technology companies. "It all depends upon if everyone can stay healthy and if we have a season. There's a lot of question marks."

Read more the full story about the opportunity around the NFL: US sports-betting companies are planning a resurgence around the NFL season and its delay would be a 'worst case scenario'

Join the conversation about this story »

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• TikTok has become the hottest social platform among Generation Z and influencers are using it as a springboard to social-media stardom.
• Business Insider is recognizing the 19 top talent agencies and management companies that are helping to shape the careers of TikTok stars in 2020.
• These agents and managers come from a variety of backgrounds, with some having experience working with other social-media creators or Hollywood talent, and others entering the talent management space for the first time with the arrival of TikTok. 
• Send your influencer industry tips to the authors at dwhateley@businessinsider.com and aperelli@businessinsider.com.
• Click here for more BI Prime stories.

TikTok has become a serious contender in the battle for social-media attention, with billions of downloads globally. And talent managers and agents are fighting to sign TikTok's roster of up-and-coming stars. 

With the help of their reps, the app's most popular creators have scored Super Bowl ads, lucrative brand sponsorships, and have crossed over into traditional media with talk-show appearances and animated voiceover work.

As with TikTok's top talent — which includes YouTube-famous creators like David Dobrik and Emma Chamberlain and newcomers like Charli D'Amelio — the list of power players in TikTok talent management is a hodgepodge of incumbents and upstart agencies who capitalized on the app's popularity at the right moment.

Some influencers have both a talent manager and an agent to help build their digital brand. In those cases, a manager will often help with day-to-day work of crafting the creator's brand, while an agent will work bringing in deals and on broader business strategy. There's also some overlap.

The most popular TikTok creator is 15-year-old Charli D'Amelio, who posts dance videos with friends or from her bedroom in Connecticut. She has 48 million followers on TikTok.

D'Amelio, her sister, and her two parents are all comanaged by the firms Outshine Talent and Manncom Creative Partners, and represented by United Talent Agency for larger business ventures like going on tour or launching a reality TV show.

Agents and managers earn revenue by receiving a cut of the influencer's earnings, which typically ranges from 10% to 20%, depending on how much the agent they do for the client, according to industry insiders.

After highlighting the top talent managers and agents in the YouTube influencer space last year, Business Insider is now putting a spotlight on the top agents and managers for TikTok talent. These power players are helping shape the careers of TikTok stars in 2020.

Agencies that have worked with traditional Hollywood stars for decades like WME and UTA have been scooping up TikTok talent in recent months. And they're not the only players in the game.

Talent management upstarts like The Fuel Injector, Amp Studios, and Sadowski Enterprises were some of the first to see TikTok's potential and set up management deals with its stars.

"I think TikTok is super interesting," Jad Dayeh, a partner and the cohead of digital at WME, told Business Insider in January. "It's undeniably connecting with youth culture on a global level."

As with other social-media platforms, TikTok's prominence in the cultural zeitgeist has seen a bump in recent weeks as more people spend time online while sheltered at home. TikTok creators have seen video engagement spike and follower counts jump as the app's user base grows to new heights.

In the months ahead, TikTok stars will lean on their managers and agents to discover how to leverage near-term fame into a long-term career.

To narrow down a list of finalists, Business Insider relied on a mix of our own reporting, nominations from readers, and industry experts who helped us assess each individual's impact on the influencer business.

The top talent managers and agents for TikTok are listed in alphabetical order by company: 

Sign up for Business Insider's influencer newsletter, Influencer Dashboard, to get more stories like this in your inbox.

Check out our other influencer industry power lists on Business Insider Prime: 

• The top 18 talent agents for YouTube creators and influencers

• The top 14 talent managers for YouTube creators and influencers

A3 Artists Agency

Maxwell Mitcheson (agent), Adam Loria (agent), Marienor Madrilejo (agent), and Keith Bielory (senior agent)

A3 Artists Agency was founded in 1977 and represents clients across the entertainment industry including actors, dancers, YouTube stars, professional gamers, and TikTok creators.

A3 has four agents who specialize in representing TikTok talent. They are a part of the alternative programming, digital media, licensing, and branding team at A3. In addition to their direct digital clients, they also help the TV/film talent team get their clients onto TikTok, like singer Jordan Fisher who has over 3 million TikTok followers.

Keith Bielory, senior agent 

Bielory works in brand marketing, endorsements, licensing, and event sponsorship. He is based in New York and has built a roster of talent in the health, wellness, family, lifestyle, and beauty spaces. Bielory was hired to build the team out on the East Coast. 

Marienor Madrilejo, agent 

Madrilejo works to develop her clients' brands into IP and 360-degree businesses.

She has worked with global brands like Apple, Amazon, Estee Lauder, General Mills, L'Oreal, NFL, Samsung, Sephora, Sony, and Viacom. 

Maxwell Mitcheson, agent

Mitcheson represents a variety of talent and specializes in helping his digital clients cross over into traditional mediums like music, acting, hosting, and endorsements.

Adam Loria, agent

Loria signed TikTok stars Demi Bagby and Tayler Holder. He helps clients develop areas of their brands outside of TikTok like partnership deals and podcasts. He is involved in building the agency's podcast initiative that works with clients to develop new podcasts and help existing ones grow and monetize.

Talent includes: Avani Gregg (16 million TikTok followers), Tayler Holder (9 million TikTok followers), Andre Swilley (7 million TikTok followers), Jordyn Jones (6 million TikTok followers), and Kouvr Annon (5 million TikTok followers).

Amp Studios

Max Levine (chief operating officer)

Max Levine is the COO of Amp Studios, a talent management firm with ten digital clients that collectively generate one billion monthly views across social media. 

Levine's top client, Brent Rivera, has 25 million followers on TikTok and millions more on other social-media platforms. In addition to being managed by Levine, Rivera serves as CEO at Amp Studios and helps direct the 10-creator team. 

Levine told Business Insider:"A lot of groups of creators kind of look at it from, 'Hey, we're going to add influencers or talent.' We kind of look at it from a perspective where it's like, we're a content company, so we want to add more channels to our network." 

Levine previously cofounded the social-engagement platform Shimmur (currently Community.com).

Talent includes: Brent Rivera (25 million TikTok followers), The Stokes Twins (21 million TikTok followers), Lexi Rivera (8 million TikTok followers), Ben Azelart (7 million TikTok followers), Lexi Hensler (2 million TikTok followers), Jeremy Hutchins (4 million TikTok followers), Andrew Davila (2 million TikTok followers), and Pierson
Wodzynski (1 million TikTok followers).

Collab

Eric Jacks (chief strategy officer), Angela Rylander (director of talent partnerships), and partner managers: Matt McGuire, Rocio Ramirez, Cassie Banaszek, Austin Brown, and Vanessa Beals

Collab is a digital talent network and entertainment studio helping rising social-video creators land brand and business opportunities. 

Collab was started by a brother trio of former creators (James, Tyler, and Will McFadden) to provide software, sales, and services to independent creators. 

The company first supported creators on Vine and then Musical.ly, and has been supporting TikTok creators and executing brand campaigns. Now its talent services include content and audience growth strategy, digital rights management, media sales, brand integrations, and creator development.  

Chief strategy officer Eric Jacks, along with director of talent partnerships Angela Rylander, lead the Collab talent team that includes partner managers Matt McGuire, Rocio Ramirez, Cassie Banaszek, Austin Brown, and Vanessa Beals.

Collab helps connect their clients with brands like Nike, Chipotle, Eos, Bliss, L'Oreal, Mattel, and Nickelodeon.

Talent includes: Spencer X (27 million TikTok followers), Baby Ariel (32 million TikTok followers), AdamRayOkay (5 million TikTok followers), and the Eh Bee Family (2 million TikTok followers).

Digital Brand Architects

Ali Itri (senior talent manager) and Shannon Wachtell (talent coordinator)

Digital Brand Architects is a talent management firm representing creators and publishers that was acquired by United Talent Agency last year. DBA has a products division, Digital Brand Products; a podcasting studio, Dear Media; and is partners with the conference series and platform Create and Cultivate.

Ali Itri, senior talent manager

Itri specializes in managing TikTok talent and brokering deals with top brands. 

Her recent accomplishments include signing native TikTok creators Riley Hubatka (3 million TikTok followers), Seth Obrien (2 million TikTok followers), Sterling Myers (1 million TikTok), and Amelie Zilber (1 million TikTok followers). She also helps brands like Sephora and H&M's League, and agencies, understand the platform.

She helped YouTube client Team 2 Moms launch on TikTok, where it quickly gained over 750,000 followers. 

Shannon Wachtell, talent coordinator

Wachtell spearheads DBA's TikTok initiative. She works across the entire company educating her colleagues, brands, and agencies on all things TikTok.

She worked closely with Itri to sign clients, and has landed TikTok deals with brands such as Bliss, Taco Bell, Aussie Hair, and Urban Decay.

Talent includes: Riley Hubatka (3 million TikTok followers), Seth Obrien (2 million TikTok followers), Sterling Myers (1 million TikTok), and Amelie Zilber (1 million TikTok followers).

Fanbytes

Timothy Armoo (CEO)

Timothy Armoo is the CEO of Fanbytes, an influencer marketing agency based in the UK. 

Fanbytes helps brands reach a Gen Z audience on social media and is the parent company of Bytesized Talent, a UK-based TikTok agency that manages around 40 TikTok stars.

Armoo, 25, launched Bytesized Talent around a year ago, and under him, Bytesized has helped launch a lip gloss line with TikTok stars Shanae and Ranae; cast talent into shows with the BBC; and built the show ByteHouse, which documents the lives of TikTok stars amid the coronavirus.

Talent includes: Steve McKell (2 million TikTok followers), Kyran (2.9 million TikTok followers), Bobbie (5.8 million TikTok followers), and Bytesquad (which includes creators, Lily Rose, Seb, Monty, KT, Shauni and Surface).

Fullscreen

Mahzad Babayan (VP of talent management and partnerships)

Mahzad Babayan, the VP of talent at Fullscreen, has helped source and onboard TikTok talent for the entertainment company's roster of social-content creators.

Under Babayan's leadership, Fullscreen's talent management division has nearly tripled in size, representing over 50 clients today.

Babayan's talent management team includes Scarlett Perlman (formerly Red Light Management), Nick Coffey, and Mason Frank (formerly Primary Wave).

Talent includes: Arii (8 million TikTok followers), Champagne Mike (630,000 TikTok followers), Mitchell Crawford (2.8 million TikTok followers), Sara Echeagaray (886,000 TikTok followers), and SwagboyQ (3 million TikTok followers).

Gleam Futures

Liana Mitteldorf (senior talent manager) and Cheyenne Brink (talent manager)

Gleam Futures is a talent management firm behind popular UK vloggers like the beauty and lifestyle influencer Zoe Sugg, known as Zoella online (11.6 million subscribers), and the lifestyle mommy vlogger Louise Pentland (2 million subscribers). 

The firm has recently signed talent native to TikTok, and works with clients to secure brand deals, develop podcasts, publishing, licensing, and other entrepreneurial ventures.

In June, the firm launched an influencer marketing service, Gleam Solutions, which connects brands with creators.

Liana Mitteldorf, senior talent manager 

Mitteldorf has been representing talent at Gleam for over three years. She's helped her YouTube creator clients expand their businesses off the platform, like Claudia Sulewski's capsule collection at Nordstrom, or Claire Marshall's jewelry line with Mejuri.

She was an early adopter of TikTok at Gleam and helped her YouTube clients establish a presence on the app.

Cheyenne Brink, talent manager

Brink started an influencer division at Bella Agency and joined Gleam a year ago. Since then, she has worked to build a roster of emerging talent on TikTok and is focused on signing diverse creators. 

She signed Gabby Morrison (2 million followers), a TikTok creator known for her popular dance videos, last year. 

Gleam helped Morrison build a career off TikTok, and she was recently cast to play a role in the Brat series "Attaway General."

Talent includes: Gabby Morrison (2 million TikTok followers), Miah Griffith (721,000 TikTok followers), and Raimi Reyes (167,000 TikTok followers).

ICM Partners

Chris Sawtelle (agent)

Chris Sawtelle is an agent at ICM Partners, a talent and literary agency representing clients in TV, music, publishing, and other areas of new media like TikTok. 

Sawtelle recently signed the TikTok collab group TalentX.

TalentX Entertainment includes top TikTok creators Joey Klaasen (15 million TikTok followers), Mark Anastasio (7 million TikTok followers), and Nessa Barrett (6 million TikTok followers). 

TalentX is also home to the social collective Sway LA, which consists of TikTok stars Josh Richards (16 million TikTok followers), Griffin Johnson (4 million TikTok followers), and Jaden Hossler (5 million TikTok followers), among others. 

ICM represents TalentX clients in all areas. 

Talent includes: TalentX Entertainment roster and Sway LA.

Manncom Creative Partners and The Well

Billy Mann (founder)

Billy Mann sold his first talent agency, Stealth, in 2007 and later served in C-level roles at EMI Music and BMG. Mann has worked as a consultant or facilitated campaigns with companies like Red Bull Media House, Sony Music, and Sony Pictures TV.

In partnership with Barbara Jones, Mann currently serves as a manager for TikTok's biggest star, Charli D'Amelio, and her family members Dixie D'Amelio, Marc D'Amelio, and Heidi D'Amelio. 

Mann is also a Grammy-nominated songwriter and producer who has worked with artists like P!nk, John Legend, David Guetta, and Cher.​

Talent includes: The D'Amelio family: Charli (48 million TikTok followers), Dixie (20 million TikTok followers), Heidi (3 million TikTok followers), and Marc (4 million TikTok followers).

Moxie

Erika Monroe-Williams (founder)

Erika Monroe-Williams recently started her own management and production company, Moxie, after working as a producer and talent manager at The Green Room. 

She began her career in entertainment working with the publicists Stephen Huvane, Robin Baum and Simon Halls.

Monroe-Williams represents some of TikTok's top creators, including the Hype House's Avani Gregg, Chase Hudson, and Kouvr Annon. She also represents the Hype House alongside the talent agency WME. As a manager, she has helped guide her clients' careers beyond the digital space into television, film, music, fashion, and licensing.

Talent includes: Avani Gregg (16.6 million TikTok followers), Chase Hudson (18.4 million TikTok followers), Madi Monroe (4.8 million TikTok followers), Tayler Holder (9.3 million TikTok followers), and Kouvr Annon (5.9 million TikTok followers).

Outshine Talent

Barbara Jones (founder)

In partnership with Billy Mann, Barbara Jones manages Charli D'Amelio and her family.

She spent the first part of her career in the music industry, including her role as the head of marketing at Columbia Records. 

She founded an influencer marketing agency, Blissful Media Group, and has worked in the industry for over a decade.  

Jones recently founded Outshine Talent to help social creators manage their careers and build their personal brands. She is on the advisory board of the Influencer Marketing Association and lives in Greenwich, Connecticut. 

Talent includes: The D'Amelio family: Charli (48 million TikTok followers), Dixie (20 million TikTok followers), Heidi (3 million TikTok followers), and Marc (4 million TikTok followers), along with Parker James (5.4 million TikTok followers), Jay Sage (5.3 million TikTok followers), Madison Vanderveen (2.4 million TikTok followers), and Nikko Zingus (1.4 million TikTok followers). 

Sadowski Enterprises

Josh Sadowski (founder and CEO)

Josh Sadowski is a TikTok star with 4 million followers and a manager to 11 other TikTok creators. 

Sadowski, 20, began filming videos for TikTok when he was a senior in high school. After his videos went viral, he became known for the intricate characters in his comedy skits.

He's also built long-term relationships with brands like Chipotle and Bumble for himself and the creators he manages, and he plans to launch a TikTok creator collab house once it's safe to do so. 

The TikTok creators that will be moving into the house are Sadowski, Garrison Irwin (who is the group's content producer and director), Hope Schwing (7 million TikTok followers), AceCrossCrook (2 million TikTok followers), Sam Vicchiollo (951,000 TikTok followers), and two others. 

Talent includes: Hope Schwing (7 million TikTok followers), AceCrossCrook (2 million TikTok followers), Sam Vicchiollo (951,000 TikTok followers), and Alex Kawaguchi (2 million TikTok followers).

Spark Media

Charlie Buffin (founder and CEO)

Spark Media is an influencer marketing and talent management company based in Los Angeles. Buffin has worked in the digital industry for seven years, recently managing and collaborating with top creators like Jayden and Gilmher Croes, Madison Lewis, and Shantale Collins on TikTok. 

Prior to founding Spark, Buffin was the cofounder and COO of Shimmur (now Community.com). 

Talent includes: Gilmher Croes (26 million TikTok followers), Jayden Croes (21.7 million TikTok followers), Madison Lewis (7 million TikTok followers), and Shantale Collins (2 million TikTok followers).

TalentX Entertainment

Michael Gruen (cofounder)

TalentX Entertainment is a talent management firm led by CEO Warren Lentz (formerly of Fullscreen), and YouTubers Tal Fishman and Jason Wilhelm.

TalentX, which launched in 2019, works with social-media stars like Josh Richards, Anthony Reeves, Griffin Johnson, and Ava Rose. The company runs one of Los Angeles' popular TikTok "collab houses,"Sway LA.

A former NBA and FIBA sports agent, Gruen kicked off his talent management career when he started a sports management company at the age of 15. In 2017, Gruen teamed up with the Nickelodeon star Jace Norman to launch Creator Edge Media, an influencer marketing agency focused solely on representing social-media creators.

Gruen said he often relies on intuition to identify talent on TikTok.

"A lot of it is going through their social and seeing what other talent are doing," he told Business Insider. "We obviously have an algorithmic formula as well, but a big part of it's also a gut feeling. I'm a big believer in seeing it more than just the statistics."

Talent includes: Josh Richards (16 million TikTok followers), Joe Albanese (15 million TikTok followers), Anthony Reeves (8 million TikTok followers), Nessa Barrett (6 million TikTok followers), Bryce Hall (5 million TikTok followers), Jaden Hossler (5 million TikTok followers), Kio Cyr (4.9 million TikTok followers), Griffin Johnson (4.8 million TikTok followers), and Ava Rose (2 million TikTok followers).

The Fuel Injector

Devain Doolaramani (founder and CEO)

Devain Doolaramani is a 21-year old college student who founded his TikTok-focused talent management agency, The Fuel Injector, while studying finance at Chapman University. 

In addition to managing a client roster of TikTok creators with millions of followers, Doolaramani recently worked with the musical artist Rontae Don't Play to help get their song placed in 40,000 videos on the app.

Talent includes: The Bailey Bakery (5 million TikTok followers), Shaun Duenas (1.9 million TikTok followers), Ryan Manick (1 million TikTok followers), Alyssa McKay (1.6 million TikTok followers), Anthony Cervantes (2.8 million TikTok followers), and Ryan Cea (342,000 TikTok followers).

United Talent Agency

Ali Berman and Greg Goodfried (coheads of digital talent) and agents: Ty Flynn, Austin Mayster, Rebecca Bibb, and Samantha Schoenberg

United Talent Agency represents artists and other professionals in the entertainment industry, from Ali Wong to Timothée Chalamet. Established in 1991, UTA is among the major Hollywood talent agencies and has developed a digital talent department focused on building businesses for top creators. 

Ali Berman and Greg Goodfried, coheads of digital talent 

Berman and Goodfried signed the most popular family on TikTok, the D'Amelios, early this year.

Berman and Goodfried introduced Charli D'Amelio to Prada, making her the first TikTok talent to partner alongside a designer fashion brand and marking Prada's first-ever partnership with an influencer. 

Her sister Dixie recently partnered with Ralph Lauren and will continue to work with several major brands later this year. Their parents Marc and Heidi have also established strong TikTok fan bases each with millions of followers. 

Berman has also helped talent who began their careers on traditional media elevate their profiles on TikTok. She represents actress and recording artist Sofia Wylie, who now has 6.2 million followers on TikTok. She is currently starring in the Disney Plus show, "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series."

Goodfried also represents Jalaiah Harmon, who is known online for creating the popular TikTok dance, the "Renegade." Recently, Harmon performed at the 2020 NBA All-Star game.

Ty Flynn, agent

Flynn represents Maggie Thurmon (1 million TikTok followers), who he recently signed over Zoom. 

Austin Mayster, agent

Mayster represents a variety of TikTok creators including Lauren Godwin (18.9 million TikTok followers), Sebastian Bails (10.4 million TikTok followers), and Benji Krol (8 million TikTok followers).

He recently signed Godwin, who is known for her comedic videos and skits. Mayster closed a deal for Godwin to partner with LG Electronics for TikTok campaigns such as the LG Dual Screen Challenge in support of the LG V60 ThinQ Dual Screen smartphone. 

Rebecca Bibb, agent 

Bibb represents TikTok creators like Alex French (3 million TikTok followers).

Bibb worked with Goodfried and agent Samantha Schoenberg to close a deal for French to partner with beauty brand e.l.f. Cosmetics for a makeup tutorial video and helped French translate her following to Instagram, where she now has over 425,000 followers.

Samantha Schoenberg, agent

Schoenberg recently worked to land French a deal to participate in J.C. Penney's prom 2020 TikTok campaign.

Additionally, Schoenberg and Bibb signed TikTok creator Alyssa Shreeve (883,000 TikTok followers), who is known for her viral story time videos, often told with voiceovers about her everyday life adventures. Shreeve previously partnered with brands including Walmart Beauty, Reebok, and Roxy.

Talent includes: The D'Amelio family (80 million combined TikTok followers), Jacob Sartorius (23 million TikTok followers), Lauren Godwin (18.9 million TikTok followers), Sebastian Bails (10 million TikTok followers), Benji Krol (8 million TikTok followers), Brittany Broski (3.6 million TikTok followers), Alex French (3 million TikTok followers), Jalaiah Harmon (2 million TikTok followers), Maggie Thurmon (1 million TikTok followers), and Alyssa Shreeve (883,000 TikTok followers).

Viral Nation

Ray Ligaya (head of talent relations)

Ray Ligaya is the head of talent relations at the influencer marketing agency, Viral Nation. In his role, Ligaya manages a team of six talent managers, agents, and coordinators who work with dozens of TikTok creators. 

Ligaya's talent relations team supports creators in many areas of business, including brand partnerships, merchandising, acting, and media opportunities. He told Business Insider that his team has driven millions in revenue for Viral Nation in the past few years. 

Ligaya is a Shorty Award nominee and an influencer himself, with 110,000 followers on Instagram. He had over a million followers on Vine before the app shut down. 

Talent includes: Isabella Avila (5.9 million TikTok followers), Letícia Gomes (3.5 million TikTok followers), Jake Maldonado (4 million TikTok followers), and Cole Walliser (5 million TikTok followers).

Whalar Stars

David White (head of influencer management)

David White leads influencer management for Whalar Stars, the in-house talent management division of the influencer marketing firm Whalar. 

White previously served as a senior influencer brand partnership manager at Pulse Advertising and Talent Management. 

In his role as talent management lead, White helped Whalar client Anna O'Brien secure a partnership with the luxury fashion brand Dolce & Gabbana. He also brokered a deal for O'Brien to serve as a brand "ambassador" for Dove.

White recently signed the special effects creator Caleb Natale, who got his start on TikTok creating videos for the movie star Will Smith.

Talent includes: Anna O'Brien (5 million TikTok followers), Caleb Natale (731,000 TikTok followers), Geordi La Corgi (256,000 TikTok followers), and UR Mom Ashley (217,000 TikTok followers).

WME

Agents: Alex Devlin, Joe Izzi, and Justin Greenberg

WME is among the top Hollywood talent agencies, serving clients like Ben Affleck and Amy Adams. The current company was formed in 2009 after William Morris Agency and the Endeavor Agency merged.

In January, WME signed the 17-year-old TikTok star Chase Hudson (who is known online as Lilhuddy and has 18 million followers) and Addison Easterling (who is known as Addison Rae online and has 33 million TikTok followers) and her parents. The agency also represents the Hype House, a popular TikTok "collab house" that Easterling and Hudson are both a part of, alongside Moxie's Erika Monroe-Williams.

WME has begun placing Hudson and Easterling at events, and as seen on Instagram, they have each started to promote brands like Fendi, Dolce & Gabbana, and Reebok to their millions of followers.

Joe Izzi and Justin Greenberg, digital talent agents at WME, work to diversify and expand their clients businesses globally across all categories of entertainment. 

Alex Devlin, who is a digicomm agent, works in the intersection of digital and commercials and she brings brand deals to TikTok talent. 

Talent includes: Chase Hudson (18 million followers) and Addison Easterling (33 million TikTok followers) and her parents.

OnePlus is making its debut in the era of 5G connectivity with the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro smartphones— two similar devices with a few nuanced differences that set them apart.

As you may have guessed, it's the smaller OnePlus 8 that gets the butt-end of the deal with a screen that isn't quite as smooth and a specific component that isn't quite as fast as you'll find on the larger OnePlus 8 Pro.

Still, you're getting an extremely similar core experiences on both the smaller OnePlus 8 and the larger OnePlus 8 Pro. That's to say you're getting incredible performance, long battery life, and sharp cameras with whichever model you go for.

Unfortunately, however, there is one thing you might notice about the OnePlus 8. OnePlus has reserved its new and incredibly fast wireless charging for the larger OnePlus 8 Pro, which could be a deciding factor. Smartphone users who prefer smaller devices and like wireless charging, too, will have to compromise if they decide on the smaller OnePlus 8, as it doesn't support any wireless charging whatsoever.

For context, wireless charging on the OnePlus 8 phones is a big deal, since it's the first time the company has adopted wireless charging for its smartphones, and it's been highly requested by the company's fan base for years.

The new OnePlus 8 smartphones will be available to buy starting on April 29 from OnePlus' website, T-Mobile, and for the first time ever, Verizon and Amazon starting at $699.00.

Check out the similarities and differences between the smaller OnePlus 8 and the larger OnePlus 8 Pro:

OnePlus 8 vs OnePlus 8 Pro: Price, colors, and configurations

The OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro will be available to buy on April 29 from OnePlus' website.

OnePlus 8:

• "Glacial Green"— 8GB RAM + 128GB of storage: $699.00 (will be available on Amazon)
• "Interstellar Glow"— 12GB RAM + 256GB of storage: $799.00 (will be available on Amazon)

OnePlus 8 Pro:

• "Glacial Green"— 8GB RAM + 128GB of storage: $899.00 (will be available on Amazon)
• "Onyx Black"— 8GB RAM + 128GB of storage: $899.00
• "Glacial Green"— 12GB RAM + 256GB of storage: $999.00
• "Onyx Black"— 12GB RAM + 256GB of storage: $999.00 (will be available on Amazon)
• "Ultramarine Blue"— 12GB RAM + 256GB of storage: $999.00 (will be available on Amazon)

The new OnePlus phones will also be sold by Verizon, T-Mobile, and Amazon. The carriers will announce their own pricing, which is likely to be similar to OnePlus' own pricing. As for Amazon, just some of the models will be available, as indicated above.

OnePlus 8 vs OnePlus 8 Pro: Displays

• OnePlus 8:
  • 6.55-inch AMOLED screen
  • 90Hz refresh rate at 1080p FHD (1,920 x 1,080) resolution
• OnePlus 8 Pro:
  • 6.78-inch AMOLED screen
  • 120Hz refresh rate at 1440p QHD (2,560 x 1,440) resolution
  • Adaptive display (changes screen color tone to match ambient lighting)
  • Motion graphics smoothing (artificially makes videos play more smoothly)

OnePlus 8 vs OnePlus 8 Pro: Dimensions, weight, and water resistance

• OnePlus 8:
  • 160 x 73 x 8mm
  • 180g
  • No official IP water resistance rating.

OnePlus 8 Pro:

• • 165 x 74 x 8.5mm
  • 199g
  • IP68 water resistance (30 mins down to 1.5m depth).

OnePlus 8 vs OnePlus 8 Pro: Processor and memory

Both the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro run on the Snapdragon 865 processor— the latest mobile system on a chip, or SoC, from Qualcomm that comes with 5G connectivity by default.

The Snapdragon 865 will run several of the high-end smartphones in 2020, including Samsung's Galaxy S20 series released earlier in 2020.

The memory, or RAM, in both phones are a little different, but both start with 8GB of RAM with the option for 12GB configurations:

• The OnePlus 8 runs on LPDDR4X RAM.
• The OnePlus 8 Pro runs on LPDDR5 RAM. There isn't a perceivable difference in day-to-day usage, but the OnePlus 8 Pro's LPDDR5 is technically faster and more power efficient RAM.

OnePlus 8 vs OnePlus 8 Pro: Battery size and charging

• OnePlus 8:
  • 4,300mAh battery
  • 30W wired charging with included Warp Charge 30T charger
  • No wireless charging
• OnePlus 8 Pro:
  • 4,510mAh battery
  • 30W wired charging with included Warp Charge 30T charger
  • 30W wireless charging with optional Warp Charge 30 Wireless

I asked OnePlus why the OnePlus 8 doesn't come with wireless charging support, and the reasoning is that the OnePlus 8 is the company's premium offering, and the OnePlus 8 Pro is the "ultra-premium" offering.

OnePlus 8 vs OnePlus 8 Pro: Cameras

OnePlus 8:

• Rear main camera
  • 48 megapixels, option to pick 12-megapixel mode
  • Optical and electronic image stabilization
  • 2X zoom
• Macro camera (for closeup shots)
  • 2 megapixels
• Ultra-wide camera
  • 16 megapixels
  • 116-degree field of view
• Selfie camera
  • 16 megapixels
  • Electronic image stabilization

OnePlus 8 Pro:

• Rear main camera
  • 48 megapixels, option to pick 12-megapixel mode
  • Optical and electronic image stabilization
• Zoom camera
  • 8 megapixels
  • 3x "hybrid" zoom, up to 30x digital zoom
  • Optical image stabilization
• Ultra-wide camera
  • 48 megapixels
  • 119-degree field of view
• Selfie camera
  • 16 megapixels
  • Electronic image stabilization

OnePlus 8 vs OnePlus 8 Pro: 5G

Both the OnePlus 8 phones can connect to low and mid-band 5G networks.

Low-band 5G networks have long range, but they haven't proven to be much faster than traditional 4G LTE networks.

Mid-band 5G networks offer a balance between range and the incredibly fast speeds associated with 5G.

Only the OnePlus 8 phones bought from Verizon itself can connect to a super-fast high-band 5G network. And, as you guessed it, it only connects to Verizon's high-band 5G network.

OnePlus 8 vs OnePlus 8 Pro: Which one should you get?

Get the OnePlus 8 if:

• You can't or don't want to spend more than $700 on a smartphone.
• You want the absolute best value in high-end smartphones.
• You prefer smaller phones.
• You don't mind losing out on wireless charging. 

Get the OnePlus 8 Pro if:

• You prefer larger phones.
• You want the best value in larger high-end phones.
• You want the absolute best that OnePlus has to offer (super fast wireless charger support, 120Hz 1440p screen, and technically faster RAM).

• This story was delivered to Business Insider Intelligence Connectivity & Tech Briefing subscribers earlier this morning.
• To get this story plus others to your inbox each day, hours before they're published on Business Insider, click here.
• Stay up-to-date with our latest coverage on the impacts of coronavirus on technology, marketing, and the digital economy here.

Vietnamese authorities shut down a unit within a Samsung Display factory after a worker tested positive for the coronavirus, according to Reuters. As a precautionary response, 44 additional workers from the unit were quarantined, and the factory and buses for worker transportation were disinfected.

In recent years, Samsung has shifted much of its manufacturing to India and Vietnam — whereas it had once relied heavily on China — in a bid to reduce manufacturing costs and the burden of tariffs. This strategy appeared to work in Samsung's favor when the impacts of the coronavirus were primarily felt in China, but the global spread of the pandemic has now seen both India and Vietnam institute lockdowns.

The unit shutdown in Samsung's Vietnam factory highlights the unpredictable nature of coronavirus impacts. Early in the pandemic, much of the analysis about how companies would fare was based on the location of their factories. For instance, Samsung was believed to be better positioned than Apple because its supply chain was less concentrated in China.

But this analysis doesn't hold up now that all major manufacturing countries have been impacted by the coronavirus, and operations can grind to a halt due to something as unpredictable as a single worker contracting the virus: Even in South Korea — one of the nations that's been the most successful at curbing its spread — Samsung had to briefly halt factory operations after coronavirus cases were detected. Many factories have instituted precautionary measures such as temperature checks, but these are by no means a guarantee of a coronavirus-free workforce.

The New Normal: Companies will have a heightened awareness of supply chain risks in the wake of the pandemic, which increases the probability of overreaction in terms of overhauling supply chain operations. The magnitude of the current supply chain disruption increases pressure to institute changes: 62% of respondents who are executive decision-makers at companies within the connectivity, technology, and software sectors believed their companies would experience supply chain issues in the next six months, according to Business Insider Intelligence's Coronavirus Business Impact Survey from March 2020. 

Companies will turn to intentional redundancy in supply chains to limit downtime for future crises, but the benefits won't always outweigh the long-term costs — here's why: 

• Adding intentional redundancy creates a status quo of operational inefficiency, whereas the extent to which such measures bolster operations in a time of crisis is unpredictable. 
• Maintaining output levels throughout a global economic crisis could be unnecessary, given reduced demand associated with them.
• Investing in contingency measures for supply chain operations can be just as effective in mitigating risk as making dramatic changes to an operational footprint — if not more so.

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• The coronavirus outbreak has led millions to spend their days at home under quarantine, and rely on the internet for communication with the outside world and entertainment to pass the time.
• Many of us have found ourselves navigating social platforms and news sites detailing death and destruction, while our eyes glaze over and our minds fail to absorb the information.
• There's now a term for that mindless habit: doomscrolling.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Dragging a bit today because you stayed up too late reading about all the gloomy implications of the coronavirus pandemic? A term has now emerged to describe this self-destructive behavior: doomscrolling.

Since my life under lockdown began more than a month ago, my daily routine consists of watching Netflix, working from my laptop, going on TikTok, and spending hours in a semicomatose state swiping through tweets and news stories about coronavirus.

I am far from the only one who has found themselves sacrificing sleep, productivity, and their mental well-being to go down this mind-numbing spiral of pandemic-related headlines. 

"Doomscrolling" has been gaining momentum this week since the Los Angeles Times included it in a recent article about how coronavirus has introduced a new lexicon of words into our daily lives. The Times' Mark Barabak described doomscrolling as "an excessive amount of screen time devoted to the absorption of dystopian news."

However, the Times can't be credited with inventing the word. Quartz reporter Karen Ho has been posting regular reminders on Twitter— often, between the hours of 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. — to stop doomscrolling and go to bed. But, as Ho pointed out, she spotted the term's use on Twitter in a post from October 2018— and the word could easily have online origins even earlier than that.

Doomscrolling is just one of the words that have recently resurged in popularity to become need-to-know parts of our vocabulary. Terms like "asymptomatic,""social distancing," and "herd immunity" have all entered our lexicon in the wake of COVID-19.

Beyond that, the pandemic has infiltrated internet slang and produced newfound words. There's "the rona," a shortened term for coronavirus; "Zoombombing," the act of trolls infiltrating video calls to spam them with disruptive and hateful messages; covidiot, an individual who isn't taking lockdown and social distancing orders seriously; and quarantini, an alcoholic drink for virtual happy hours.

Doomscrolling has already spread on Twitter and to other corners of the internet. Predictably, it's on Urban Dictionary, where doomscrolling is described as the act of "obsessively reading social media posts about how utterly f--ked we are."

So, there it is: We now have a word to describe those late nights and early mornings of scrolling through social media, unable to stop ourselves even as we dig ourselves into deeper pits of despair. Let me know if you've figured out a solution to doomscrolling — you can find me on Twitter at 2 a.m., refreshing my feed yet again.

SEE ALSO: Invite a llama or goat to your next corporate Zoom meeting or video call for under $100

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why electric planes haven't taken off yet

• Apple and Google are working together on a digital contact tracing system that would use Bluetooth technology to alert users when they've been in contact with someone infected with COVID-19.
• The system is opt-in only, meaning users must give their explicit consent and choose to participate in the program.
• Apple and Google are giving public health authorities access to its APIs so that smartphone owners will eventually be able to use the system without downloading an app.
• Both companies say the system was designed with privacy in mind.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

In a rare move, Apple and Google will partner on a new technology intended to curb the coronavirus' spread, the companies announced on Friday.

The tech giants are creating a digital contact tracing system powered by a network of smartphones to better help the public understand when they may have been exposed to the virus. The system will enable both iPhones and Android devices to anonymously broadcast signals to other nearby devices using Bluetooth and scan for beacons from other phones in proximity.

Through this technology, Apple and Google aim to implement a system that would make it so that your smartphone can notify you if you've recently been in contact with a potentially contagious person, while trying to avoid compromising user privacy.

Here's a closer look at everything we know about Apple and Google's contact tracing system so far.

SEE ALSO: Zoom could be the next great video chat app, but rampant security concerns have left room for Microsoft to swoop in

The project is being rolled out in two phases.

The first will require that those who want to opt into the program download an app distributed by a public health authority. Apple and Google are making their application programming interfaces, or tools that enable apps to use certain aspects of an operating system, available for public health authorities in May. 

The second phase will involve Apple and Google building the ability to participate in the program directly into their respective smartphone operating systems, eliminating the need to download an app. This stage is expected to arrive in the coming months.

Both steps will roll out to iOS and Android devices through software updates.

But users will have to provide their explicit consent by opting into the program when it launches if they wish to participate. 

Apple and Google have shared some clarity on how they plan to address older devices that may not be supported by future software updates. Google has said that it will be distributing these updates through Google Play Services updates rather than traditional operating system updates, which should allow it to address a broad swath of Android devices. 

Apple has said it hopes to address as many devices as it possibly can, although it has an advantage in the fact that iOS is far less fragmented and many iPhones in use already run on the same software. As of January 2020, 77% of devices introduced in the last four years were running on iOS 13, Apple's latest software, according to the company. 

The idea of contact tracing through smartphones isn't new.

Contact tracing is the process of monitoring the people that an infected person may have come into contact with so that those people can take the appropriate steps should they develop symptoms.

This is typically done manually, but there's been a growing interest in utilizing smartphones for this purpose recently as the coronavirus has spread. Singapore recently launched a contact tracing app called TraceTogether that also uses Bluetooth signals, and the French government also said its working on an app to warn users if they've come into contact with an infected individual. 

The nonprofit Pan-European Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing project, which was developed by 130 European technologists and scientists and unveiled earlier this month, also  uses Bluetooth low energy signals to enable smartphones to anonymously communicate and alert users when they may have been exposed to the virus.

With their system, Apple and Google hope to encourage widespread adoption by making one large network that works across iOS and Android and doesn't require the user to download an app. 

Here's how Apple and Google's system will work.

Apple and Google's contact tracing system will use Bluetooth low energy signals to enable smartphones to simultaneously broadcast and scan for beacons coming from nearby devices.

That means the system would never use location data since it relies on these anonymous keys being sent out from nearby smartphones to determine your proximity to a potentially contagious person.

Here's an example of what a scenario in which the system is used could look like. A man and a woman are sitting on a park bench and have a brief, 10-minute conversation. Their phones exchange anonymous keys via Bluetooth that don't include any identifiable information. 

The man is later diagnosed with COVID-19 after testing positive, and he enters this information into the app he's downloaded from a public health authority. The man gives the app permission to send the last 14 days worth of keys for his broadcast beacons to a server, where they're stored for 14 days.

Meanwhile, the woman's phone periodically checks keys from the server and downloads them to her phone. That list of keys from the server is then checked against the keys that the woman's phone has collected while in proximity to other devices. 

Since she was recently in proximity to the man who tested positive who chose to share his keys to the server, the system would then find a match in the list of keys her phone collected and the list of keys from downloaded from the server. This matching process is done locally on her device.

The woman would then receive a notification from a public health authority alerting her that she's been  in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. That notification would include  a link directing her to a health authority app or website where she can find more information. 

The companies say the system has been built with privacy in mind.

Apple and Google say the system has many protections in place to ensure that privacy isn't compromised. 

First, the user will have to opt in to use the service, even when the second phase rolls out and it's baked into the operating system. Both companies say the system is designed to be opt-in only, and governments won't be able to mandate use of the technology.

The keys being broadcast from the user's device do not contain any identifiable information; they're just a string of numbers. The identities of people who have tested positive would not be revealed to other users or to Apple and Google.

These keys also change every 15 minutes, so it wouldn't be possible to track a device for an extended period of time. And again, the system doesn't use any location data. 

There also isn't a centralized server where the keys are stored long-term, and the key-matching process also occurs on the user's device locally. 

Apple and Google are only offering these APIs to public health authorities, and the companies can disable the beacon broadcasting system when it's no longer needed.

They've also thought about how to prevent false positives, although it's not entirely clear how the system will do so in practice.

Namely, what's to stop someone from saying they have COVID-19 when they in fact don't.

A Google representative said the team has considered using a system in which some external verification from a healthcare professional is required. For example, one idea could involve scanning a QR code from your doctor after testing positive for COVID-19 in order to verify this within the app.  

But this will only work if a lot of people adopt it and widespread testing becomes available.

For Apple and Google's system to meaningfully help in slowing the spread of COVID-19, two key things need to happen: The system must be widely-used, and there must be widespread testing. 

The former point is a big part of the reason why Apple and Google have stressed in their joint announcement that the system was built with privacy in mind. The latter will likely be a significant challenge in getting the system to work to its full potential, as the United States has struggled to make COVID-19 testing available broadly.

• Robocallers are using the coronavirus pandemic to scam Americans out of hundreds of millions of dollars. 
• Scammers are also targeting the $1,200 stimulus checks that began hitting people's bank accounts this week. 
• Data provided exclusively to Business Insider showed an eightfold increase in calls in March. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Scams seeking to capitalize on the coronavirus pandemic have exploded, and one company is warning it will only get worse.

Robocalls increased more than eightfold in the final weeks of March, as lawmakers approved the $2 trillion CARES act, which includes a $1,200 stimulus payment to Americans below a certain income threshold.

From the week of March 16, when the coronavirus-related scams first began occurring, to the week of March 23, call volumes surged 844%, according to data tracked by Hiya, a company whose mobile apps help identify potentially fraudulent calls. The following week saw a continued increase of 73%. And as the payments begin to hit American's bank accounts, they're likely to continue.

"The recent COVID-19 epidemic has opened a prime opportunity for scammers to find new victims," Hiya said, noting that the most popular scams involve asking for someone's banking information, claiming it's needed for direct deposit of the stimulus check. Others, not unlike those that existed pre-coronavirus, include asking for social security numbers.

To avoid getting scammed, people should be reticent to give out personal details on the phone. 

"Under no condition would anyone from the federal government call asking for bank account details, social security numbers, or other personal information," Hiya says. "There are no known cures or preventative treatments for COVID-19 at this time. Never give credit card or checking account information to anyone claiming to sell Coronavirus tests or remedies."

US officials warned that scammers could make off with more than $100 million by the time everything is said and done.

On April 12, the Federal Trade Commission said it had received 16,788 reports of robocall scams since the beginning of the year. Nearly half of those reports said they lost money, totaling $12.78 million.

"We will not tolerate businesses seeking to take advantage of consumers' concerns and fears regarding coronavirus disease, exigent circumstances, or financial distress," Joe Simons, chairman of the FTC, said in a press release at the end of March.

You can report a coronavirus-related scam to the agency here.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: We tested a machine that brews beer at the push of a button

• Silicon Valley might be competitive, but it also appears to be a breeding ground for friendships among its famous execs.
• It makes sense: the tech world is home to some of the richest people in the world, and life can probably get a little lonely at the top. 
• Elon Musk, for example, is close friends with Google cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, as well as Twitter and Square CEO Jack Dorsey. 
• Larry Ellison gave a eulogy at Steve Jobs' funeral, and he also has a love/hate relationship with cloud rival Marc Benioff. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. Elon Musk and Larry Ellison. Jeff Bezos and Barry Diller. 

What do all these high-profile pairings have in common? They're all close friendships within the world of tech. 

Silicon Valley may be known for its competitive spirit, but it's also fostered several years-long friendships among some of its most famous executives. Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates and investor Warren Buffett, for example, have been buddies for nearly 30 years. And Larry Ellison and Marc Benioff have been friends for decades, even though their respective enterprise software companies are technically rivals.

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has several close pals in tech, including friends he's defended online or taken for Tesla test drives. 

Here's a closer look at some of the friendships among tech CEOs. 

SEE ALSO: From Facebook to Tesla, here are the lesser-known cofounders of some of the biggest tech companies in the world

Elon Musk and Jack Dorsey

While it's not clear if Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and Twitter and Square CEO Jack Dorsey actually hang out in real life, they do seem to have a solid virtual friendship. 

As far back as 2016, Dorsey said Musk was "a really good model" for how to use Twitter. More recently, Dorsey said in an interview that Musk is his favorite Twitter follow, to which Musk responded, "Thanks Jack, Twitter rocks!"

Then, in January, Dorsey and Musk spoke over video chat in front of Twitter employees and Musk gave Dorsey advice on how to improve the platform. 

In March, as Dorsey faces a possible ouster at the hands of an activist hedge fund, Musk publicly tweeted his support of the CEO. 

"Just want to say that I support @jack as Twitter CEO," Musk tweeted. "He has a good <3." 

Jeff Bezos and Barry Diller

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and IAC Chairman Barry Diller appear to have been friends for years. 

In January 2016, Diller correctly predicted that Bezos would become the richest person in the world.

And in the last few years, as Bezos has gone through changes in his personal life, he's been spotted hanging out with Diller and his wife, designer Diane von Furstenberg, more often. Diller and von Furstenberg have reportedly attended multipleparties hosted by Bezos, and Bezos and his girlfriend, Lauren Sanchez, have sailed aboard von Furstenberg's yacht. The two couples were also reportedly spotted exploring Venice together.

Larry Ellison and Steve Jobs

Oracle founder Larry Ellison and late Apple CEO Steve Jobs were friends for 25 years before Jobs' death in 2011. 

Ellison and Jobs used to be neighbors in Woodside, California, and the pair often went hiking together. It was during one of those hikes that Ellison helped Jobs plot how to regain control of Apple after he was ousted — Ellison even suggested buying Apple himself and installing Jobs as CEO.

It was Jobs who came up with the idea that Apple should acquire his company, Next, instead. When Ellison questioned how the pair would make money, Jobs said to him, "Larry, this is why it's so important that I'm your friend. You don't need any more money," Ellison said in a commencement speech in 2016. 

Ellison said he spent time with Jobs in his final days, taking shorter walks around the block with him as he became weaker. Ellison gave a eulogy at Jobs' funeral. 

Elon Musk, Larry Page, and Sergey Brin

Elon Musk has been friends with the cofounders of Google for a long time.

In the early days of Musk's tenure at the electric car maker, he took Brin and Page on a test drive. Unfortunately, a software bug prevented the car from going any faster than 10 miles per hour, Musk recounted at a company shareholder meeting in 2016. Despite "the world's worst demo," however, the duo ended up investing in Tesla anyway, Musk said. 

Over the years, Musk and Page especially have become close friends — Musk even sometimes sleeps at Page's house when he's in town, and Page once said he'd rather leave his money to Musk than give it away to charity.

Brin, Page, and Musk also reportedly used to hang out in a Google-owned apartment and brainstorm ideas. 

"It's fun for the three of us [including Google cofounder Sergey Brin] to talk about kind of crazy things, and we find stuff that eventually turns out to be real," Page told Ashlee Vance, who wrote a 2015 biography about Musk.

Larry Ellison and Marc Benioff

Ellison and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff met when Benioff began working at Oracle when he was 23. He was a star early on, earning a "rookie of the year" award that same year and becoming Oracle's youngest VP by age 26. He spent 13 years at Oracle, during which he became a trusted lieutenant to Ellison. 

The pair became such close friends that rumors swirled about their relationship's backstory — people wondered if they were related, or if Ellison had been Benioff's childhood babysitter. Ellison and Benioff took trips together, sailed on Ellison's yacht, and went on double dates. 

Benioff began working on Salesforce with Ellison's blessing, and Ellison became an investor, putting in $2 million early on. 

The duo has publiclyfeuded over the years — including when Benioff fired Ellison from Salesforce's board — but Benioff has also described Ellison as his mentor. 

"There is no one I've learned more from than Larry Ellison," Benioff said in 2013.

Bill Gates and Warren Buffett

Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett and Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates met in 1991 when Buffett was invited over to Gates' mother's house. Neither man was very interested in meeting the other, but they ended up hitting it off. Soon after, Gates asked Buffett for a business book recommendation, and Buffett loaned him his copy of "Business Adventures" by John Brookes — Gates still has it today. 

Since then, the duo has done everything from play table tennis together to participate in Berkshire Hathaway's annual newspaper toss competition. And Gates, his wife Melinda, and Buffett launched the Giving Pledge together in 2010, vowing to give away the majority of their wealth in their lifetimes or in their wills. 

While Buffett owns a major stake in Apple, he's said that he'll never invest in Microsoft due to his friendship with Gates. 

Larry Ellison and Elon Musk

Ellison and Musk appear to be two of the friendliest CEOs in tech, if their relationships with Benioff and Jobs, and Page, Brin, and Dorsey are any indication. So it's not much of a surprise that the two moguls are "very close" friends with each other, too. 

Back in 2018, when Ellison was named to Tesla's board of directions, he highlighted his relationship with Musk. 

"I think Tesla has a lot of upside," Ellison said at the time. "I am not sure how many people know, but I'm very close friends with Elon Musk, and I'm a big investor in Tesla."

It makes sense that Ellison and Musk would get along well, as they're two of the most colorful personalities in tech. Ellison owns an entire $300 million island in Hawaii, likes to race yachts, and doesn't mind trash-talking his competitors. Musk spends his money on rare cars, has had multiple high-profile relationships, and is often outspoken on Twitter. 

Mark Zuckerberg and Drew Houston

Dropbox CEO Drew Houston and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg have apparently been friends for years, with the former often turning to the latter for advice. 

"[Zuckerberg's] given me a lot of advice just on company scaling, how do you organize people, how do you set up these systems," Houston told Bloomberg in 2015.

That same year, a Fast Company profile on Dropbox described Houston as a "close friend" of Zuckerberg's. The pair has been photographed together everywhere from Houston's birthday party at a ping-pong club to the prestigious Allen & Co. conference in Sun Valley, Idaho. 

This past February, Houston was appointed to Facebook's board of directors. 

"Drew brings valuable perspective to our board as a leader of a technology company with services used by millions of people and businesses," Zuckerberg said in a statement at the time. "He thinks deeply about where technology is going and how to build a culture that delivers services that always work well."

Kevin Systrom and Jack Dorsey

Instagram founder Kevin Systrom and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey started out as close friends, but it's hard to tell where they stand these days.  

According to the book "No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram" by Sarah Frier, the pair met when they were early employees at Odeo, the audio and video site created by eventual Twitter cofounders Ev Williams and Noah Glass. Dorsey expected to dislike Systrom when he joined as a summer intern in the mid-2000s, but the pair ended up bonding over photography and expensive coffee. 

Systrom and Dorsey stayed in touch even after Systrom got a full-time job at Google — he was an early proponent of Twitter (then known as Twttr) and when Systrom was working on Burbn, the precursor to Instagram, he reached out to Dorsey for guidance. Dorsey ended up becoming an early investor, putting in $25,000. When Burbn pivoted to Instagram, Dorsey became one of the app's biggest fans, cross-posting his Instagrams to Twitter and helping the app go viral soon after it launched. Dorsey eventually attempted to buy Instagram, but Systrom declined, saying he wanted to make Instagram too expensive to be acquired, according to Frier. 

But the Dorsey-Systrom relationship appeared to have soured in 2012, when Dorsey found out through the grapevine that Instagram had signed a deal to be acquired by Facebook, Twitter's biggest rival. According to Frier, Dorsey was hurt that Systrom hadn't called him to discuss the deal, or to negotiate one with Twitter instead.

Dorsey hasn't posted to his Instagram account since April 9, 2012, when he snapped a photo of an unusually empty San Francisco city bus — according to Frier, it was taken the morning he found out Instagram had sold. 

• The interview thank-you email is a crucial part of getting the job you want.
• When you don't send a thank-you email or letter after an interview, you often eliminate yourself from the competition.
• The interview thank-you email doesn't require much heavy lifting — simply follow these guidelines and you'll be hitting "send" in no time.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

You spend weeks preparing for a job interview and give 110% once you're in the hot seat. You walk out feeling confident and relieved that your work is finally done.

But it isn't.

In fact, there's still one more crucial step to take if you really want to land the gig: sending the interview thank-you email. Some hiring managers, like Insider Inc. Managing Editor Jess Liebman, will not even consider candidates who haven't taken the extra effort to thank them for their time.

"The best time frame to send a thank you email is within 24 hours after your interview," says Whitney Purcell, former associate director of Career Development at Susquehanna University. "It should be sent during business hours — no 3 a.m. emails that make your schedule seem a little out of whack with the company's traditional hours."

While the interview thank-you email doesn't require too much heavy lifting, a simple "Thanks for your time!" won't do. You need to really "wow" the hiring manager and make a great final impression before they make a decision about you.

Your follow-up thank-you email (hand-written notes are almost never a better option than email) needs to stand out from the crowd. It should highlight the best parts of the conversation you had with the interviewer, and a final reminder as to why you'd be perfect for the job.

Deborah Good, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh Katz School of Business, says the following email template is an ideal way to follow up because it possesses six important traits:

This is an update of an article originally written by Hope Restle.

SEE ALSO: 25 recession-proof jobs for anyone worried about the next economic downturn

SEE ALSO: Here are the 15 top jobs companies are hiring for amid the pandemic

SEE ALSO: 15 fast-growing, high-paying jobs where you only need an associate's degree

Join the conversation about this story »

• Hospitals are facing a new wave of cybersecurity threats as the COVID-19 pandemic stretches their resources and finances to the limit.
• Ransomware attacks against hospitals have been on the rise for years, and healthcare organizations across the globe were hit with a wave of attacks in the past month.
• Hackers are looking to exploit hospitals' desperation amid coronavirus, as well as new vulnerabilities stemming from telemedicine.
• Security experts told Business Insider that the worst of the attacks may be yet to come.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

As healthcare workers fight on the front lines against the spread of COVID-19, hospitals are simultaneously facing a new wave of cyberattacks from criminals seeking to extort them for profit.

In the past month alone, hackers targeted a string of medical clinics in Texas, an Illinois public health agency, a Czech hospital facing a coronavirus outbreak, and the computer systems of hospitals in France, Spain, and Thailand. 

Cyberattacks against hospitals have been on the rise for years. The attacks typically involve ransomware: Hackers take down healthcare computer systems and threaten to destroy them unless hospitals pay a price. For hospitals, maintaining infrastructure can be a matter of life and death — studies have suggested that hospitals hit with cyberattacks face an uptick in patient mortality as a result.

Now, a new wave of cybercrime against hospitals in the past month threatens to devastate organizations already stretched thin by the pandemic — and security experts told Business Insider that the worst may be yet to come.

The risks of going remote

Security providers are advising healthcare sector clients to prepare for an influx of phishing attempts from hackers targeting employees working from home as healthcare organizations pivot to telemedicine amid social distancing.

CynergisTek, a cybersecurity company with over 1,000 US hospitals as clients, has seen an uptick in hackers attempting to gain entry to healthcare institutions' computer systems, CEO Caleb Barlow told Business Insider. Most of those attempts haven't proven successful, but Barlow said hospitals should be on high alert.

"We missed the opportunity to get prepared on N95 masks and testing. Let's not miss the opportunity to get prepared from a cybersecurity perspective," Barlow told Business Insider.

Microsoft, which provides security technology to health organizations worldwide, has also noticed a rise in attempted ransomware attacks against hospitals.

Healthcare providers are being hit with phishing scams targeting employees working from home, in which hackers pose as coworkers or trusted authorities to trick workers into handing over their credentials, Microsoft CVP for security and trust Tom Burt said. The company announced Tuesday it would make its phishing protection tools available for free to healthcare workers for the time being.

"Nearly all these attacks have two things in common: a person and email," Burt said in a statement. "An attacker will often disguise malicious content as a message from a health authority or medical equipment provider."

To pay or not to pay?

Security experts almost always advise their clients not to pay ransomware hackers, no matter how dire the situation is. But hospitals — where lives hinge on the ability to keep functioning — don't always have that option, making them a more lucrative target for hackers.

That could be exacerbated by COVID-19 outbreaks. Hospitals tend to operate with low margins and very little cash on hand, and the epidemic is causing some to run out of money entirely.

"You add ransomware in the middle of that and you've got not only a health problem, but you also now have a financial problem," Barlow said. "It isn't any different than funding any other ransom or kidnapping ... but what choice do you have?"

SEE ALSO: Apple Maps will soon show COVID-19 testing locations closest to you

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How waste is dealt with on the world's largest cruise ship

• The OnePlus 8 starts at $699.00, and the OnePlus 8 Pro starts at $899.00.
• The OnePlus 8 smartphones will be released on April 29, and you'll be able to buy them from OnePlus' website, T-Mobile, and for the first time ever, Verizon and Amazon.
• The OnePlus 8 phones are available for pre-order in Europe starting April 14, and will on full retail sale on April 21.
• Few 5G smartphones have been released so far, but 5G networking is proving to be an expensive feature.
• Samsung's Galaxy S20 5G phones start at $999.99 and go all the way up to $1,399.99. LG's V60 5G smartphone is among the cheaper 5G phones so far starting around $900, depending on your carrier. 

The OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro smartphones have 5G connectivity, but they don't cost over $1,000 in the US. That means they're already the least expensive 5G smartphones you can buy.

• The OnePlus 8 starts at $699.00 for the 8GB memory (RAM) and 128GB storage option. There's also the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage OnePlus 8 that goes for $799.00.
• The OnePlus 8 Pro starts at $899.00 for the 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. The 12GB and 256GB storage OnePlus 8 Pro goes for $999.00.

Both smartphones run on the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 mobile system-on-a-chip, or SoC, which gives them the 5G connectivity. You can check out all the main differences between the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro here.

You'll be able to buy the new OnePlus 8 smartphones from OnePlus' own website, T-Mobile, and for the first time ever, from Verizon and Amazon.

OnePlus 8 price explained

OnePlus has built a reputation for making high-end devices that handily rival major smartphone players like Samsung, Google, and Apple, all while sporting lower price tags than the competition. Yet, the OnePlus 8 series marks the most expensive smartphones that OnePlus has released to date, and it mostly has to do with 5G. 

5G "poses many more technical challenges compared to 4G," OnePlus CEO Pete Lau told Business Insider in an interview in March.

Antenna design and squeezing the necessary hardware into a compact smartphone design was "very challenging in terms of design and configuration," Lau also said, "prices across the supply chain, from raw materials to 5G chips, are all rising generally in the industry."

Still, over time, Lau estimates that the price of 5G tech will simmer down after the production, technology, and infrastructure becomes more mature. "The price of 4G devices went down somewhat over time ... we anticipate a similar trend with 5G."

If the new OnePlus 8 smartphones and their 5G connectivity aren't pitching their value well enough, the highly-rated OnePlus 7T from 2019 can still be had for $499.00. That's an incredible value for a smartphone with a high-end chip, triple-camera-system, gorgeous design, smooth 90Hz screen, and comes with one of the fastest chargers included. 

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• The coronavirus crisis forced startups to scramble for ways to cut costs, including drastic headcount reductions.
• But some startup CEOs and founders have opted to make layoffs a last option as they try to survive the crash. Some have even vowed not to cut anyone. We talked to 6 CEOs and founders who have made protecting their employees' jobs a priority in navigating the downturn.
• Emil Mikhailov, CEO of XIX, a San Francisco visual AI startup, told his employees: "Think about the pay cut you can comfortably take without compromising the needs of your families. There are no right or wrong numbers - whatever decision you'll take is the right one."
• Gleb Budman, CEO of Backblaze, also told his employees that "things are fine" and that there will be no layoffs. A key reason, he said, is that the data storage startup strived to be a "cockroach," a resilient, financial robust startup. "It doesn't sound as flattering as a unicorn, but it survives a nuclear war," he told Business Insider.
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As the coronavirus crisis escalated in March, Emil Mikhailov, CEO of the AI startup XIX, sent an email to his employees, warning them to prepare for a recession when their top priority will be to "to survive the storm." 

"It's not clear what is going to happen," he wrote.

Then he made a vow: "We as a team will not lose anyone. We will sacrifice short-term to make sure everyone is OK."

The downturn has upended the world of startups, many of which are scrambling for ways to cut expenses, including layoffs. But some startups are stressing the need to protect their employees' jobs as they figured out ways to survive the downturn. 

Some CEOs and founders, like Mikhailov, have even promised not to cut anyone.

Cutting headcount to survive this crisis has become a controversial subject in the startup world.  Sequoia Capital, one of the most prominent venture capital firms in the world, drew criticism for its "Black Swan letter," which cited headcount as one of the areas that startups could "evaluate critically whether you can do more with less and raise productivity."

One startup CEO argued that the letter created a "herd mentality" that prompted some startups to prioritize job cuts in responding to the crisis.

Another VC firm, Sapphire Ventues, shared its tips in "Considerations For When Letting People Go" which encouraged startups to consider other cost-cutting strategies "before taking the unpleasant step of letting people go," such as company wide pay cuts and reducing the salaries of CEOs and top executives.

These 6 startup CEOs shared their strategies for avoiding laying people off as they navigate the downturn:

XIX CEO Emil Mikhailov: 'DM me the pay cut you can comfortably take.'

Emil Mikhailov, CEO and founder of XIX, sent a grim email to his employees last month as the coronavirus crisis was intensifying.

"People are losing their jobs, companies go bust, the economy is going into the recession and it's not clear what is going to happen," he said.

He then laid out the game plan for the 9-person San Francisco visual AI startup. There will have to be deep cuts in their operating expenses and salaries. But Mikhailov made one vow: no layoffs.

In an offbeat move, he asked his employees to "think about the pay cut you can comfortably take without compromising the needs of your families."

"DM me once you come up with the number," he said, asking his team to send their recommended cut via direct message. "There are no right or wrong numbers - whatever decision you'll take is the right one."

XIX has only 9 employees which made the adjustments more manageable, he said. Mikhailov, whose startup has worked pro bono with a nonprofit group battling human trafficking, said he took a pay cut of at least 50%. Most of his employees took at least a 15% cut each.

His message to his team was to specify a pay reduction that's manageable so they don't have to be stressed out about "putting food on the table," he told Business Insider.

"There are things that we can control, and things that you cannot," he said. "We'll focus on things that we can control to weather the storm and go through it."

Still, it is a time of uncertainty, Mikhailov said. "All my personal insecurities sort of come up," he said. "You're always worried about the fact that you know despite the best effort and how hard you work and how well your intentions are, some things will just not work out, even if you  give 110%. That is my biggest fear."

Celonis CEO Alexander Rinke: 'We are in the right boat to weather the storm.'

Celonis CEO Alexander Rike said he knew the startup's nearly 900 employees had many worries about the pandemic, including their jobs.

So he quickly made it clear to them: "We are in the right boat to weather the storm. We are not going to do any layoffs here."

The Munich-based startup, which uses AI to help businesses analyze and improve their networks, just raised $290 million in Series C funding in November, boosting the startup's valuation to $2.5 billion.

That's certainly helping them stay afloat in the crisis, but Rinke said Celonis has long been careful about its finances. The startup has been cash flow positive (which is different than profitable) every year since it launched in 2011.

He said other Silicon Valley startups became "reckless" and "didn't care about managing resources in a stable way."

"We're in a very different spot because we have a solid business model that we can sustain through good and bad times," he told Business Insider.

Backblaze CEO Gleb Budman: 'A cockroach, not a unicorn.'

Gleb Budman, CEO and co-founder of Backblaze, knows what economic downturns are like. The coronavirus crisis is his third.

He was one of the thousands who got laid off at Excite during the dot-com crash when the iconic dot-com startup "vaporized," as he put it. He launched Backblaze, a cloud storage startup, in 2007, at possibly the worst possible time — just as the Great Recession was starting.

But when the COVID-19 crisis hit, Budman and his team were prepared.  "We've told people, 'things are fine,'" he told Business Insider. There will be no layoffs, he announced to the Silicon Valley startup's 150 employees.

One reason is that the data storage startup's business model is based on recurring subscription revenue. Budman cited another factor: instead of aiming to become a unicorn, a startup valued at $1 billion or more, he and his team aspired to be a cockroach, a resilient, financially robust startup.

"It doesn't sound as flattering as a unicorn, but it survives a nuclear war," he said.

Budman said his past experiences taught him to pay close attention to the financial health of his company and to have a clear idea where it was headed. 

"Unless the business itself completely falls off a cliff, there's no reason for us to cut costs," he said. "We always wanted visibility to make sure we didn't have to lay anyone off because we didn't have enough money."

That made Budman cautious of the exuberance caused by an environment where startups were raising tens and even hundreds of millions of dollars in venture capital investments.

"Sometimes it causes this idea that money will always be free and available," he said. "And that's risky."

Freshworks CEO Girish Mathrubootham: 'No one left behind strategy.'

Freshworks CEO Girish Mathrubootham said his team moved quickly to rein in expenses to adapt to the crisis.

They drafted a game plan to "conserve cash," paused hiring, and postponed merit increases. But he said the customer engagement startup adopted a "no-one-left-behind" strategy.

"We have pledged a no-layoff policy," he told Business Insider. The company is even paying the salaries of house-keeping, food delivery and other staff "even if they are employed by outside vendors."

Mathrubootham is worried about how the crisis will unfold. He is a veteran of both the dot-com crash and the Great Recession. These were devastating for startups, but "the entire world did not shut down."

That's his biggest concern with the current downturn. "Nobody really knows how bad this is going to be for the economy," he said.

Gnowbe CEO So-Young Kang: 'Cuts in pay, not headcount.'

So-Young Kang, CEO of Gnowbe, said the Singapore e-learning platform drafted several plans to deal with the coronavirus crisis. One of their key goals is to minimize headcount reductions.

She said their hope is that the startup, which offers businesses to short online courses, can push forward with their plans for the year. That's Plan A, she said. 

But if there is a slowdown in their business, the company, which has 26 employees, is prepared for possibly two rounds of salary reductions. A first round, or Plan B, would affect members of the executive team. If that is not enough, Gnowbe will go to Plan C where the startup's rank-and-file staff will also take a hit.

So far, the startup is focused on Plan A, Kang said. She said her team is looking to raise more financing to avoid pay cuts.

"We are currently raising to minimize the need to go to Plans B and C," she told Business Insider.

Wisy CEO Min Chen: 'The whole team is taking a hit.'

Wisy CEO Min Chen said she and her three cofounders took a pay cut early this year as the coronavirus crisis was starting. Eventually, everyone in the Silicon Valley data analytics startup, which has 10 employees, took a cut.

"The whole team is taking a hit because no one wants to leave anyone out," she told Business insider. 

Chen was born in China but grew up in Panama, where she lived through the turmoil of the 1989 US invasion. She said she and her co-founders are "wartime survivors" who endured the violence and the disruption of that period.

"That experience, somehow, has prepared us for this crisis," she told Business Insider. "We come from places where there was nothing, even in times of prosperity."