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Social Life Network (WDLF)
:WDLF
US Market

Social Life Network (WDLF) Risk Analysis

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Public companies are required to disclose risks that can affect the business and impact the stock. These disclosures are known as “Risk Factors”. Companies disclose these risks in their yearly (Form 10-K), quarterly earnings (Form 10-Q), or “foreign private issuer” reports (Form 20-F). Risk factors show the challenges a company faces. Investors can consider the worst-case scenarios before making an investment. TipRanks’ Risk Analysis categorizes risks based on proprietary classification algorithms and machine learning.

Social Life Network disclosed 32 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Social Life Network reported the most risks in the “Finance & Corporate” category.

Risk Overview Q3, 2023

Risk Distribution
32Risks
59% Finance & Corporate
16% Tech & Innovation
13% Macro & Political
6% Production
3% Legal & Regulatory
3% Ability to Sell
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
This chart displays the stock's most recent risk distribution according to category. TipRanks has identified 6 major categories: Finance & corporate, legal & regulatory, macro & political, production, tech & innovation, and ability to sell.

Risk Change Over Time

2022
Q4
S&P500 Average
Sector Average
Risks removed
Risks added
Risks changed
Social Life Network Risk Factors
New Risk (0)
Risk Changed (0)
Risk Removed (0)
No changes from previous report
The chart shows the number of risks a company has disclosed. You can compare this to the sector average or S&P 500 average.

The quarters shown in the chart are according to the calendar year (January to December). Businesses set their own financial calendar, known as a fiscal year. For example, Walmart ends their financial year at the end of January to accommodate the holiday season.

Risk Highlights Q3, 2023

Main Risk Category
Finance & Corporate
With 19 Risks
Finance & Corporate
With 19 Risks
Number of Disclosed Risks
32
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 31
32
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 31
Recent Changes
1Risks added
2Risks removed
6Risks changed
Since Sep 2023
1Risks added
2Risks removed
6Risks changed
Since Sep 2023
Number of Risk Changed
6
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 3
6
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 3
See the risk highlights of Social Life Network in the last period.

Risk Word Cloud

The most common phrases about risk factors from the most recent report. Larger texts indicate more widely used phrases.

Risk Factors Full Breakdown - Total Risks 32

Finance & Corporate
Total Risks: 19/32 (59%)Above Sector Average
Share Price & Shareholder Rights10 | 31.3%
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1
Changed
There is no active public trading market for our tokens and an active market may never develop.
Our WDLF tokens and preferred stock is not quoted on any trading medium. Consequently, investors may be unable to liquidate their investment or liquidate it at a price that reflects the value of the business. As a result, holders of our securities may not find purchasers for our securities should they attempt to sell their securities. Consequently, only investors having no need for liquidity in their investment should purchase our securities and who can hold our securities for an indefinite period.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2
Our independent registered public accounting firm has issued a going concern opinion; there is substantial uncertainty that we will continue operations in which case you could lose your investment.
In our Form 10-K report dated December 31, 2022, our independent registered public accounting firm, BF Borgers CPA PC, stated that our condensed financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis which assumes that we will be able to realize our assets and discharge our liabilities and commitments in the normal course of business for the foreseeable future. We had an accumulated deficit of $32,861,283 at September 30, 2023, had a net loss of $67,757 from operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. These factors raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Our ability to continue as a going concern is dependent upon our generating profitable operations in the future and/or to obtain the necessary financing to meet our obligations and repay our liabilities arising from normal business operations when they come due. Our management intends to finance operating costs over the next twelve months with existing cash on hand and public issuance of common stock. Although we may be successful in obtaining financing and/or generating revenue to fund our operations, meet regulatory requirements and achieve commercial goals, there are no assurances that such funding will be achieved at a sufficient level or that we will succeed in our future operations.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3
Because we do not have certain corporate governance matters in place such as an independent board of directors or nominating, audit, or compensation committees, there may be conflicts of interests and corporate governance related risks.
Our Board consists mostly of current executive officers and consultants, which means that we do not have any outside or independent directors. The lack of independent directors: - May prevent the Board from being independent from management in its judgments and decisions and its ability to pursue the Board responsibilities without undue influence.         - May present us from providing a check on management, which can limit management taking unnecessary risks.         - Create potential for conflicts between management and the diligent independent decision-making process of the Board.         - Present the risk that our executive officers on the Board may have influence over their personal compensation and benefits levels that may not be commensurate with our financial performance.         - Deprive us of the benefits of various viewpoints and experience when confronting challenges that we face. Because officers serve on our Board of Directors, it will be difficult for the Board to fulfill its traditional role as overseeing management. Additionally, we do not have a nominating, audit or compensation committee or any such committee comprised of independent directors. The Board performs these functions and no members of the Board are independent directors. Thus, there is a potential conflict in that board members who are also part of management will participate in discussions concerning management compensation and audit issues that may affect management decisions.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 4
The consideration being paid to our management is not based on arms-length negotiation.
The compensation and other consideration we have paid or will be paid to our management has not been determined based on arm's length negotiations. While management believes that the consideration is fair for the work being performed, we cannot assure that our consideration to management reflects the true market value of their services.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 5
An investment in our securities is highly speculative.-
Our tokens, common and preferred shares are highly speculative in nature, involve a high degree of risk and should be purchased only by persons who can afford to lose the entire amount invested. Before purchasing any of our securities, you should carefully consider the risk factors contained herein relating to our business and prospects. If any of the risks presented herein actually occur, our business, financial condition or operating results could be materially adversely affected. In such case, the trading price of our tokens and common stock could decline at any time, and you may lose all or part of your investment.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 6
You will experience future dilution as a result of future equity offerings.
We may in the future offer additional securities. . Although no assurances can be given that we will consummate new financing, in the event we do, or in the event we sell shares of preferred or common stock or other securities convertible into shares of our common stock in the future, additional and substantial dilution will likely occur. In addition, investors purchasing shares or other securities in the future could have rights superior to investors in prior offerings. Subsequent offerings at a lower price, often referred to as a "down round," could result in additional dilution.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 7
Acquiring interests in other companies could result in operating difficulties, dilution and other harmful consequences.
We do not have direct experience in acquiring interests of companies. which acquisitions if completed will be material to our financial condition and results of operations and may create material risks, including: - need to implement or remediate controls, procedures and policies   - diversion of management's time and focus from operating our business to acquisition integration challenges   - retaining employees   - need to integrate each company's accounting, management information, human resource and other administrative systems for effective management. Should we be unsuccessful in the above integration aspects, the anticipated benefit of our acquiring interests in other companies may not materialize. Future acquisitions or dispositions will likely result in potentially dilutive issuances of our equity securities, the incurrence of debt, contingent liabilities or amortization expenses, or write-offs of goodwill, any of which could harm our financial condition. Future acquisitions may require us to obtain additional equity or debt financing, which may be unavailable on favorable terms or at all.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 8
The market price of our Common Stock may fluctuate significantly in the future.
We expect that the market price of our Common Stock may fluctuate in response to one or more of the following factors, many of which are beyond our control: - competitive pricing pressures;         - our ability to market our services on a cost-effective and timely basis;         - changing conditions in the market;         - changes in market valuations of similar companies;- stock market price and volume fluctuations generally;         - regulatory developments;         - fluctuations in our quarterly or annual operating results;         - additions or departures of key personnel; and         - future sales of our Common Stock or other securities. The price at which you purchase shares of our Common Stock may not be indicative of the price that will prevail in the trading market. Shareholders may experience wide fluctuations in the market price of our securities. These fluctuations may have a negative effect on the market price of our securities and may prevent a shareholder from obtaining a market price equal to the purchase price such shareholder paid when the shareholder attempts to sell our securities in the open market. In these situations, the shareholder may be required either to sell our securities at a market price, which is lower than the purchase price the shareholder paid, or to hold our securities for a longer period than planned. An inactive or low trading market may also impair our ability to raise capital by selling shares of capital stock. You may be unable to sell your shares of Common Stock at or above your purchase price, which may result in substantial losses to you and which may include the complete loss of your investment. Any of the risks described above could adversely affect our sales and profitability and the price of our Common Stock.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 9
Any market that develops in shares of our common stock will be subject to the penny stock regulations and restrictions pertaining to low priced stocks that will create a lack of liquidity and make trading difficult or impossible.
The trading of our securities will be in the over-the-counter market, which is commonly referred to as the OTC Markets, as maintained by FINRA. As a result, an investor may find it difficult to dispose of, or to obtain accurate quotations as to the price of our securities. Rule 3a51-1 of the Exchange Act establishes the definition of a "penny stock," for purposes relevant to us, as any equity security that has a minimum bid price of less than $5.00 per share or with an exercise price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to a limited number of exceptions that are not available to us. It is likely that our shares will be penny stocks for the foreseeable future. This classification severely and adversely affects any market liquidity for our common stock. For any transaction involving a penny stock, unless exempt, the penny stock rules require that a broker or dealer approve a person's account for transactions in penny stocks and the broker or dealer receive from the investor a written agreement to the transaction setting forth the identity and quantity of the penny stock to be purchased. In order to approve a person's account for transactions in penny stocks, the broker or dealer must obtain financial information and investment experience and objectives of the person and make a reasonable determination that the transactions in penny stocks are suitable for that person and that that person has sufficient knowledge and experience in financial matters to be capable of evaluating the risks of transactions in penny stocks. The broker or dealer must also deliver, prior to any transaction in a penny stock, a disclosure schedule prepared by the SEC relating to the penny stock market, which, in highlight form, sets forth: - the basis on which the broker or dealer made the suitability determination, and         - that the broker or dealer received a signed, written agreement from the investor prior to the transaction. Disclosure also must be made about the risks of investing in penny stock in both public offerings and in secondary trading and commissions payable to both the broker-dealer and the registered representative, current quotations for the securities and the rights and remedies available to an investor in cases of fraud in penny stock transactions. Additionally, monthly statements must be sent disclosing recent price information for the penny stock held in the account and information on the limited market in penny stocks. Because of these regulations, broker-dealers may not wish to engage in the above-referenced necessary paperwork and disclosures and/or may encounter difficulties in their attempt to sell shares of our common stock, which may affect the ability of selling shareholders or other holders to sell their shares in any secondary market and have the effect of reducing the level of trading activity in any secondary market. These additional sales practice and disclosure requirements could impede the sale of our securities when our securities become publicly traded. In addition, the liquidity for our securities may decrease, with a corresponding decrease in the price of our securities. Our shares, probably, will be subject to such penny stock rules for the foreseeable future and our shareholders will, likely, find it difficult to sell their securities.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 10
Cautionary Note
We have sought to identify what we believe to be the most significant risks to our business, but we cannot predict whether, or to what extent, any of such risks may be realized nor can we guarantee that we have identified all possible risks that might arise. Investors should carefully consider all of such risk factors before making an investment decision with respect to our common stock.
Accounting & Financial Operations3 | 9.4%
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 1
Certain historical data regarding our business, results of operations, financial condition and liquidity does not reflect the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and related containment measures and therefore does not purport to be representative of our future performance
The information included in our Annual report on Form 10-K for our fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 and our other reports filed with the SEC, including this Form 10-Q, includes information regarding our business, results of operations, financial condition and liquidity as of dates and for periods before and during the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and related containment measures (including quarantines and governmental orders requiring the closure of certain businesses, limiting travel, requiring that individuals stay at home or shelter in place and closing borders). Therefore, certain historical information therefore does not reflect the adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the related containment measures. Accordingly, investors are cautioned not to unduly rely on such historical information regarding our business, results of operations, financial condition or liquidity, as that data does not reflect the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and therefore does not purport to be representative of the future results of operations, financial condition, liquidity or other financial or operating results of us, or our business.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 2
We expect to incur substantial expenses to meet our reporting obligations as a public company.
We estimate costs of approximately $500,000 annually to maintain the proper management and financial controls for our filings required as a public reporting company, funds that would otherwise be spent for our business operations. Our public reporting costs may increase over time, which will increase our expenses and may decrease our potential profitability. We have generated a majority of our revenue in 2023, 2022, and 2021 from licensing, event, and digital marketing revenues, respectively; the loss of the majority of our revenues in future periods will negatively affect our results of operations.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 3
If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls, we may be unable to accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud; as a result, current and potential stockholders could lose confidence in our financial reporting, which would harm our business and the trading price of our stock.
Effective internal controls are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports and effectively prevent fraud. If we cannot provide reliable financial reports or prevent fraud, our brand and operating results will likely be harmed. We may in the future discover areas of our internal controls that need improvement. We cannot be certain that any measures we implement will ensure that we achieve and maintain adequate controls over our financial processes and reporting in the future. Any failure to implement required new or improved controls, or difficulties encountered in their implementation, could harm our operating results or cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations. Inferior internal controls could also cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information and materially harm our business, which would have a negative effect on our operations.
Debt & Financing2 | 6.3%
Debt & Financing - Risk 1
We will need substantial additional funding to continue our operations, which could result in dilution to our stockholders; we may be unable to raise capital when needed, if at all, which could cause us to have insufficient funds to pursue our operations, or to delay, reduce or eliminate our development of new programs or commercialization efforts.
We expect to incur additional costs associated with operating as a public company and to require substantial additional funding to continue to pursue our business and continue with our expansion plans. We may also encounter unforeseen expenses, difficulties, complications, delays and other unknown factors that may increase our capital needs and/or cause us to spend our cash resources faster than we expect. Accordingly, we expect that we will need to obtain substantial additional funding in order to continue our operations. To date, we have financed our operations entirely through equity investments by founders and other investors and the incurrence of debt, and we expect to continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Additional funding from those or other sources may not be available when or in the amounts needed, on acceptable terms, or at all. If we raise capital through the sale of equity, or securities convertible into equity, it will result in dilution to our existing stockholders, which could be significant depending on the price at which we may be able to sell our securities. If we raise additional capital through the incurrence of additional indebtedness, we will likely become subject to further covenants restricting our business activities, and holders of debt instruments may have rights and privileges senior to those of our equity investors. In addition, servicing the interest and principal repayment obligations under debt facilities could divert funds that would otherwise be available to support development of new programs and marketing to current and potential new clients. If we are unable to raise capital when needed or on attractive terms, we could be forced to delay, reduce or eliminate development of new programs or future marketing efforts. Any of these events could significantly harm our business, financial condition and prospects.
Debt & Financing - Risk 2
Future issuances of debt securities, which would rank senior to our common stock upon our bankruptcy or liquidation, and future issuances of preferred stock, which would rank senior to our common stock for the purposes of dividends and liquidating distributions, may adversely affect the level of return you may be able to achieve from an investment in our common stock.
In the future, we may attempt to increase our capital resources by offering debt securities. Upon bankruptcy or liquidation, holders of our debt securities, and lenders with respect to other borrowings we may make, would receive distributions of our available assets prior to any distributions being made to holders of our common stock. Moreover, if we issue preferred stock, the holders of such preferred stock could be entitled to preferences over holders of common stock in respect of the payment of dividends and the payment of liquidating distributions. Because our decision to issue debt or preferred securities in any future offering, or borrow money from lenders, will depend in part on market conditions and other factors beyond our control, we cannot predict or estimate the amount, timing or nature of any such future offerings or borrowings. Holders of our common stock must bear the risk that any future offerings we conduct or borrowings we make may adversely affect the level of return they may be able to achieve from an investment in our common stock.
Corporate Activity and Growth4 | 12.5%
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 1
There are risks associated with the proposed expansion of our business.
Any expansion plans that we undertake to increase or expand our operations entail risks, which may negatively impact our potential profitability. Consequently, investors must assume the risk that (i) such expansion may ultimately involve expenditures of funds beyond the resources available to us at that time, and (ii) management of such expanded operations may divert management's attention and resources away from its existing operations, any of which factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition. We cannot assure investors that our products, services, or controls will be adequate to support the anticipated growth of our operations.
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 2
Our business and operations and that of the businesses that we may acquire interests in may experience rapid growth; if we fail to manage our growth, our business and operating results could be negatively impacted.
We or the companies from which we may acquire interests from may experience rapid growth in our operations, which may place significant demands on our and those acquired companies' management, operational and financial infrastructure. If the companies from which we intend to acquire interests do not manage growth, the quality of their products and/or services could materially suffer, which could negatively affect our brand and operating results and that of the companies we intend to acquire interests of. To manage this growth, we and those acquired companies will need to continue to improve operational, financial and management controls and reporting systems and procedures. These systems enhancements and improvements will require significant capital expenditures and allocation of valuable management resources. If the improvements are not implemented successfully, our and those companies' ability to manage growth will be impaired causing significant additional expenditures.
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 3
We may be unable to identify, purchase or integrate desirable acquisition targets, future acquisitions may be unsuccessful, and we may not realize the anticipated cost savings, revenue enhancements or other synergies from such acquisitions.
We plan to investigate and acquire strategic businesses with the potential to be accretive to earnings, increase our market penetration, brand strength and its market position or enhancement of our existing product and service offerings. There can be no assurance that we will identify or successfully complete transactions with suitable acquisition candidates in the future. Additionally, if we were to undertake a substantial acquisition, the acquisition may need to be financed in part through additional financing through public offerings or private placements of debt or equity securities or through other arrangements. There is no assurance that the necessary acquisition financing will be available to us on acceptable terms if and when required. Acquisitions could also result in dilutive issuances of equity securities or the incurrence of debt, which could adversely affect our operating results. We may also unknowingly inherit liabilities from acquired businesses or assets that arise after the acquisition and that are not adequately covered by indemnities. In addition, if an acquired business fails to meet our expectations, its operating results, business and financial position may suffer.
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 4
We may be unable to effectively manage our growth or improve our operational, financial, and management information systems, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
In the near term and contingent upon raising adequate funds or generate the needed revenue, we intend to expand our operations significantly to foster growth. Growth may place a significant strain on our business and administrative operations, finances, management and other resources, as follows: - The need for continued development of financial and information management systems;   - The need to manage strategic relationships and agreements with manufacturers, customers and partners; and   - Difficulties in hiring and retaining skilled management, technical, and other personnel necessary to support and manage the business. Should we fail to successfully manage growth could, our results of operations will be negatively affected.
Tech & Innovation
Total Risks: 5/32 (16%)Below Sector Average
Trade Secrets2 | 6.3%
Trade Secrets - Risk 1
If we fail to protect or develop our intellectual property, business, operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.
Any infringement or misappropriation of our intellectual property could damage its value and limit its ability to compete. We may have to engage in litigation to protect the rights to our intellectual property, which could result in significant litigation costs and require a significant amount of management time and attention. In addition, our ability to enforce and protect our intellectual property rights may be limited in certain countries outside the United States, which could make it easier for competitors to capture market position in such countries by utilizing technologies that are similar to those that we develop. We may also find it necessary to bring infringement or other actions against third parties to seek to protect its intellectual property rights. Litigation of this nature, even if successful, is often expensive and time-consuming to prosecute and there can be no assurance that we will have the financial or other resources to enforce its rights or prevent other parties from developing similar technology or designing around our intellectual property.
Trade Secrets - Risk 2
Our trade secrets may be difficult to protect.
Our success depends upon the skills, knowledge, and experience of our technical personnel, consultants and advisors. Because we operate in several highly competitive industries, we rely in part on trade secrets to protect our proprietary technology and processes. However, trade secrets are difficult to protect. We enter into confidentiality or non-disclosure agreements with our corporate partners, employees, consultants, outside scientific collaborators, developers, and other advisors. These agreements generally require that the receiving party keep confidential and not disclose to third party's confidential information developed by the receiving party or made known to the receiving party by us during the course of the receiving party's relationship with us. These agreements also generally provide that inventions conceived by the receiving party in the course of rendering services to us will be our exclusive property. These confidentiality, inventions and assignment agreements may be breached and may not effectively assign intellectual property rights to us. Our trade secrets also could be independently discovered by competitors, in which case will be unable to prevent the use of such trade secrets by our competitors. The enforcement of a claim alleging that a party illegally obtained and was using our trade secrets could be difficult, expensive and time consuming and the outcome would be unpredictable. In addition, courts outside the United States may be less willing to protect trade secrets. The failure to obtain or maintain meaningful trade secret protection could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Cyber Security1 | 3.1%
Cyber Security - Risk 1
Security breaches and other disruptions could compromise the information that we maintain and expose us to liability, which would cause our business and reputation to suffer.
In the ordinary course of our business, we may collect and store sensitive data, including intellectual property, our proprietary business information and that of our customers and business partners, and personally identifiable information of our customers, in our data centers and on its networks. The secure processing, maintenance and transmission of this information is critical to our business strategy, information technology and infrastructure and we may be vulnerable to attacks by hackers or breached due to employee error, malfeasance or other disruptions. Any such breach could compromise our network and the services and information stored there could be accessed, publicly disclosed, lost or stolen. Any such access, disclosure or other loss of information could result in legal claims or proceedings, liability under laws that protect the privacy of personal information, regulatory penalties, and disruption to our operations and the services it provides to customers. This often results in a loss of confidence in our products and services, which could adversely affect our ability to earn revenues and competitive position and could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Technology2 | 6.3%
Technology - Risk 1
We must successfully maintain and/or upgrade our information technology systems.
We rely on various information technology systems to manage our operations, which subjects us to inherent costs and risks associated with maintaining, upgrading, replacing and changing these systems, including impairment of our information technology, potential disruption of our internal control systems, substantial capital expenditures, demands on management time and other risks of delays or difficulties in upgrading, transitioning to new systems or of integrating new systems into our current systems.
Technology - Risk 2
If our Social Networking Platform technology becomes obsolete, our ability to license our Platform and generate revenue from it will be negatively impacted.
If our Platform technology becomes obsolete, our results of operations will be adversely affected. The market in which we compete is characterized by rapid technological change, evolving industry standards, introductions of new products, and changes in customer demands that can render existing products obsolete and unmarketable. Our Platform will require continuous upgrading, or our technology will become obsolete, and our business operations will be curtailed or terminate.
Macro & Political
Total Risks: 4/32 (13%)Above Sector Average
Economy & Political Environment2 | 6.3%
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 1
Added
A proliferation of bank failures in the US could negatively impact our economy as a whole and our results of operations.
In 2023, First Republic Bank, Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank were subject to bank failures. Should this trend of bank failures proliferate, the banking sector and the entire US economy may be negatively impacted, including that if a large number of banks fail, it could lead to a domino effect, causing other banks to fail as well, including a possible ripple effect causing depositors to withdraws funds from other banks. This could lead to a panic and a loss of confidence in the banking system leading to a recession, financial crisis, and credit crunch, making it difficult for businesses and consumers to access credit and slowing economic growth.
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 2
External economic factors may have a material adverse impact on our business prospects.
Success can also be affected significantly by changes in local, regional and national economic conditions. Factors such as inflation, bank failures such as Silicon Valley Bank, labor, energy, real estate costs, the availability and cost of suitable employees, fluctuating interest rates, availability to debt and equity capital for our Company and our clients, state and local laws and regulations and licensing requirements, and increased competition can also adversely affect our ability to continue with our business model and/or stay in business.
Natural and Human Disruptions2 | 6.3%
Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 1
Changed
The future outbreak of the coronavirus may negatively impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.
In December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus was reported to have surfaced in Wuhan, China, which has and is continuing to spread throughout China and other parts of the world, including the United States. On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) a "Public Health Emergency of International Concern." On January 31, 2020, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II declared a public health emergency for the United States to aid the U.S. healthcare community in responding to COVID-19, and on March 11, 2020 the World Health Organization characterized the outbreak as a "pandemic". The significant outbreak of COVID-19 resulted in a widespread health crisis and any future COVID-19 outbreak could adversely affect the economies and financial markets worldwide, and could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 2
Changed
A future outbreak of the COVID-19 may adversely affect our customers or subscribers and have an adverse effect on our results of operations.
A future outbreak of COVID-19 e could adversely affect our potential licensee's financial condition, resulting in reduced spending by our licensee to pay us our license fees. Risks related to an epidemic, pandemic, or other health crisis, such as COVID-19, could negatively impact the results of operations of one or more of our l licensees or potential licensee operations. The ultimate extent of the impact of any future epidemic, pandemic or other health crisis on our licensees and our business, financial condition and results of operations will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information that may emerge concerning the severity of such epidemic, pandemic or other health crisis and actions taken to contain or prevent their further spread, among others. These and other potential impacts of an epidemic, pandemic, or other health crisis, such as COVID-19, could therefore materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Production
Total Risks: 2/32 (6%)Below Sector Average
Employment / Personnel1 | 3.1%
Employment / Personnel - Risk 1
Changed
Because our Chief Executive Officer holds 10,000,000,000 votes, he can exert significant control over our business and affairs and have actual or potential interests that may depart from those of investors.
Our Chief Executive Officer beneficially owns approximately 57.5% of our outstanding voting stock through his ownership of Class B Common Stock Shares. which provides him with significant influence and control over all corporate actions requiring stockholder approval, irrespective of how our other stockholders may vote, including the following actions: - to elect or defeat the election of our directors;         - to amend or prevent amendment of our certificate of incorporation or by-laws;         - to effect or prevent a merger, sale of assets or other corporate transaction; and         - to control the outcome of any other matter submitted to our stockholders for a vote. This concentration of ownership by itself may have the effect of impeding a merger, consolidation, takeover or other business consolidation, or discouraging a potential acquirer from making a tender offer for our common stock, which in turn could reduce our stock price or prevent our stockholders from realizing a premium over our stock price.
Costs1 | 3.1%
Costs - Risk 1
Changed
We may have difficulty obtaining officer and director coverage or obtaining such coverage on favorable terms or financially be unable to obtain any such coverage, which may make it difficult for our attracting and retaining qualified members of our board of directors, particularly to serve on our audit committee and compensation committee, and qualified executive officers.
We also expect that being a public company and these new rules and regulations will make it more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, and we may be required to accept reduced coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain coverage or financially be unable to obtain such coverage. These factors could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified members of our board of directors, particularly to serve on our audit committee and compensation committee, and qualified executive officers.
Legal & Regulatory
Total Risks: 1/32 (3%)Below Sector Average
Environmental / Social1 | 3.1%
Environmental / Social - Risk 1
We are subject to data privacy and security risks
Our business activities are subject to laws and regulations governing the collection, use, sharing, protection and retention of personal data, which continue to evolve and have implications for how such data is managed. In addition, the Federal Trade Commission (the "FTC") continues to expand its application of general consumer protection laws to commercial data practices, including to the use of personal and profiling data from online users to deliver targeted Internet advertisements. Most states have also enacted legislation regulating data privacy and security, including laws requiring businesses to provide notice to state agencies and to individuals whose personally identifiable information has been disclosed as a result of a data breach. Similar laws and regulations have been implemented in many of the other jurisdictions in which we operate, including the European Union. Recently, the European Union adopted the General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR"), which is intended to provide a uniform set of rules for personal data processing throughout the European Union and to replace the existing Data Protection Directive (Directive 95/46/EC). Fully enforceable as of May 25, 2018, the GDPR expands the regulation of the collection, processing, use and security of personal data, contains stringent conditions for consent from data subjects, strengthens the rights of individuals, including the right to have personal data deleted upon request, continues to restrict the trans-border flow of such data, requires mandatory data breach reporting and notification, increases penalties for non-compliance and increases the enforcement powers of the data protection authorities. In response to such developments, industry participants in the U.S., and Europe have taken steps to increase compliance with relevant industry-level standards and practices, including the implementation of self-regulatory regimes for online behavioral advertising that impose obligations on participating companies, such as us, to give consumers a better understanding of advertisements that are customized based on their online behavior. We continue to monitor pending legislation and regulatory initiatives to ascertain relevance, analyze impact and develop strategic direction surrounding regulatory trends and developments, including any changes required in our data privacy and security compliance programs.
Ability to Sell
Total Risks: 1/32 (3%)Below Sector Average
Competition1 | 3.1%
Competition - Risk 1
Changed
We face intense competition since many of our competitors have greater resources than we do.
We face significant competition with respect to our technology platform, including but not limited to Facebook and LinkedIn, which offer a variety of online digital and social networking technology offerings. As such, we expect tech competition to intensify further in the future, further subjecting us to competitive forces. Many of our competitors, including the competitors stated above, have greater capital resources, facilities and diversity of services and product lines, which will enable them to compete more effectively in this market. Competition may increase because of consolidation within the industry. We may be unable to differentiate our products and services from those of our competitors, or successfully develop and introduce new products and services that are less costly than, or superior to, those of our competitors, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. We compete with other platforms for market share and for the time and attention of consumers. The proliferation of choices available to consumers for information and business connections has resulted in audience fragmentation and has negatively affected overall consumer demand. We also compete with digital publishers and other forms of media, including social media platforms, search platforms, portals, and digital marketing services. The competition we face has intensified because of the growing popularity of mobile devices, such as smartphones and social-media platforms, and the shift in consumer preference from print media to digital media for the delivery and consumption of content, including video content, websites or use our digital applications directly. Given the ever-growing and rapidly changing number of digital media options available on the Internet, we may be unable to increase our online traffic sufficiently and retain or grow a base of frequent visitors to our websites and applications on mobile devices. In addition, the ever-growing and rapidly changing number of digital media options available on the Internet may lead to technologies and alternatives that we are unable to offer. The proliferation of new platforms available to advertisers may affect both the amount of advertising that we are able to sell as well as the rates advertisers are willing to pay. Our ability to compete successfully for advertising also depends on our ability to drive scale, engage digital audiences, and prove the value of our advertising and the effectiveness of our digital platforms, including the value of advertising adjacent to high quality content, and on our ability to use our brands to continue to offer advertisers unique, and multi-platform advertising programs. If we are unable to demonstrate to advertisers the continuing value of our digital platforms or offer advertisers unique advertising programs tied to our brands, business, financial condition, and results of operations may be adversely affected.
See a full breakdown of risk according to category and subcategory. The list starts with the category with the most risk. Click on subcategories to read relevant extracts from the most recent report.

FAQ

What are “Risk Factors”?
Risk factors are any situations or occurrences that could make investing in a company risky.
    The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires that publicly traded companies disclose their most significant risk factors. This is so that potential investors can consider any risks before they make an investment.
      They also offer companies protection, as a company can use risk factors as liability protection. This could happen if a company underperforms and investors take legal action as a result.
        It is worth noting that smaller companies, that is those with a public float of under $75 million on the last business day, do not have to include risk factors in their 10-K and 10-Q forms, although some may choose to do so.
          How do companies disclose their risk factors?
          Publicly traded companies initially disclose their risk factors to the SEC through their S-1 filings as part of the IPO process.
            Additionally, companies must provide a complete list of risk factors in their Annual Reports (Form 10-K) or (Form 20-F) for “foreign private issuers”.
              Quarterly Reports also include a section on risk factors (Form 10-Q) where companies are only required to update any changes since the previous report.
                According to the SEC, risk factors should be reported concisely, logically and in “plain English” so investors can understand them.
                  How can I use TipRanks risk factors in my stock research?
                  Use the Risk Factors tab to get data about the risk factors of any company in which you are considering investing.
                    You can easily see the most significant risks a company is facing. Additionally, you can find out which risk factors a company has added, removed or adjusted since its previous disclosure. You can also see how a company’s risk factors compare to others in its sector.
                      Without reading company reports or participating in conference calls, you would most likely not have access to this sort of information, which is usually not included in press releases or other public announcements.
                        A simplified analysis of risk factors is unique to TipRanks.
                          What are all the risk factor categories?
                          TipRanks has identified 6 major categories of risk factors and a number of subcategories for each. You can see how these categories are broken down in the list below.
                          1. Financial & Corporate
                          • Accounting & Financial Operations - risks related to accounting loss, value of intangible assets, financial statements, value of intangible assets, financial reporting, estimates, guidance, company profitability, dividends, fluctuating results.
                          • Share Price & Shareholder Rights – risks related to things that impact share prices and the rights of shareholders, including analyst ratings, major shareholder activity, trade volatility, liquidity of shares, anti-takeover provisions, international listing, dual listing.
                          • Debt & Financing – risks related to debt, funding, financing and interest rates, financial investments.
                          • Corporate Activity and Growth – risks related to restructuring, M&As, joint ventures, execution of corporate strategy, strategic alliances.
                          2. Legal & Regulatory
                          • Litigation and Legal Liabilities – risks related to litigation/ lawsuits against the company.
                          • Regulation – risks related to compliance, GDPR, and new legislation.
                          • Environmental / Social – risks related to environmental regulation and to data privacy.
                          • Taxation & Government Incentives – risks related to taxation and changes in government incentives.
                          3. Production
                          • Costs – risks related to costs of production including commodity prices, future contracts, inventory.
                          • Supply Chain – risks related to the company’s suppliers.
                          • Manufacturing – risks related to the company’s manufacturing process including product quality and product recalls.
                          • Human Capital – risks related to recruitment, training and retention of key employees, employee relationships & unions labor disputes, pension, and post retirement benefits, medical, health and welfare benefits, employee misconduct, employee litigation.
                          4. Technology & Innovation
                          • Innovation / R&D – risks related to innovation and new product development.
                          • Technology – risks related to the company’s reliance on technology.
                          • Cyber Security – risks related to securing the company’s digital assets and from cyber attacks.
                          • Trade Secrets & Patents – risks related to the company’s ability to protect its intellectual property and to infringement claims against the company as well as piracy and unlicensed copying.
                          5. Ability to Sell
                          • Demand – risks related to the demand of the company’s goods and services including seasonality, reliance on key customers.
                          • Competition – risks related to the company’s competition including substitutes.
                          • Sales & Marketing – risks related to sales, marketing, and distribution channels, pricing, and market penetration.
                          • Brand & Reputation – risks related to the company’s brand and reputation.
                          6. Macro & Political
                          • Economy & Political Environment – risks related to changes in economic and political conditions.
                          • Natural and Human Disruptions – risks related to catastrophes, floods, storms, terror, earthquakes, coronavirus pandemic/COVID-19.
                          • International Operations – risks related to the global nature of the company.
                          • Capital Markets – risks related to exchange rates and trade, cryptocurrency.
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