Risk Factors Dashboard
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ITEM 1A.RISK FACTORS
We maintain a comprehensive cybersecurity program and process for identifying, assessing and managing risks from cybersecurity threats as part of our broader risk management system. Our cybersecurity program is run by a dedicated team of cybersecurity professionals with deep expertise in incident prevention, detection and remediation, led by our Vice President, Information Security (a certified information systems security professional with a degree in computer science and more than 30 years of relevant work experience) and our Chief Operating Officer (a seasoned executive with a degree in industrial systems and decades of product and technology experience, including more than 19 years with the Company). The Information Security team is responsible for identifying, assessing and mitigating cybersecurity vulnerabilities, threats and risks; evaluating and deploying appropriate security tools; and operating a 24x7 security operations center to promptly detect, remediate and prevent security incidents. The team maintains a comprehensive incident response policy that includes prompt reporting of security incidents to a cross-functional working group (including our Chief Operating Officer, General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and other security and privacy personnel) in order to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company with respect to security incidents is timely identified and reported. Our Board of Directors has an active role, as a whole and at the committee level, in overseeing management of our material risks from cybersecurity threats. The Board's Audit Committee oversees management of financial, regulatory, compliance and security risks and receives reports at least quarterly from our Chief Operating Officer regarding our cybersecurity programs, vulnerabilities, threats and risks. The full Board is regularly informed about such risks through committee reports, attendance at committee meetings and other communications.
An investment in our Common Stock involves a substantial risk of loss. You should carefully consider the following risk factors, together with all of the other information included in this 10-K, before you decide whether to invest in our stock. The risks identified below could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results. In that case, the trading price of our Common Stock could decline, and you could lose part or all of your investment. The risks described below are not the only risks we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial also may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results, and may result in the loss of part or all of your investment.
Summary Risk Factors
Our business is subject to a number of risks, including risks that may prevent us from achieving our business objectives or may adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and prospects. These risks are discussed more fully below and include, but are not limited to:
Risks Related to Our Business and Our Technologies
•Macroeconomic factors could continue to impact demand for our products and increase our costs.
•The market for our products is highly competitive, and our revenues could decline if we cannot compete effectively.
•If we are unable to provide complete analytics, our ability to maintain and grow our business will be harmed.
•We depend on third parties for data and hosting/delivery services that are critical to our business.
•If we fail to respond to technological developments or evolving industry standards, our products may become obsolete or less competitive.
•Our business may be harmed if we deliver inaccurate or untimely information products, change our methodologies or the scope of information we collect, or are unable to maintain sufficient panels.
•We derive a significant portion of our revenues from subscription-based products, and our customers could terminate or fail to renew their subscriptions.
•Our financial results may suffer if we are unable to retain or add large customers or if we cannot persuade customers to substitute our products for incumbent providers.
•Our acquisitions or partnerships with other companies may not be successful and may divert our management's attention.
•System failures, security breaches, delays in system operations, or failure to pass customer or partner security reviews may harm our business.
•Our restructuring activities may not deliver the expected results and could disrupt our business operations.
•We may not be able to adequately retain and hire qualified personnel.
Risks Related to Our Results of Operations
•We may fail to meet the expectations of securities analysts or investors, which could cause our stock price to decline.
•We may not generate sufficient cash to service our debt, dividend obligations, lease facilities and trade payables.
•We may incur another impairment of goodwill or other intangible assets.
•Changes in the fair value of our financing derivatives could adversely affect our financial condition and results.
•We may continue to incur net losses and may not achieve profitability.
•Our net operating loss carryforwards may expire unutilized or underutilized.
Risks Related to Legal and Regulatory Compliance, Litigation and Tax Matters
•Concern over data privacy and security, AI and data governance could materially harm our business.
•Domestic or foreign laws may limit our ability to collect and incorporate media usage information in our products and impose costly requirements on our business.
•Third parties could assert that we are infringing their intellectual property rights, or we could be unable to protect and enforce our own intellectual property rights.
•Our use of open source software could limit our ability to sell our products or require us to reengineer our products.
•There could be adverse developments in tax laws or disagreements with our tax positions in the jurisdictions where we operate.
Risks Related to International Operations
•Our business is susceptible to risks associated with international operations.
•Export controls and sanctions laws could impair our ability to compete in international markets and subject us to liability.
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•Changes in foreign currencies could have a significant effect on our operating results.
Risks Related to Our Capital Structure and Financings
•The holders of our Preferred Stock have significant influence and rights that may conflict with the interests of our other stockholders.
•Our financing and debt obligations and covenants could restrict our operating flexibility.
•Any failure to meet our debt obligations could adversely affect our business and financial condition.
•We may need additional capital to support our business or meet our debt or dividend obligations, which may not be available on acceptable terms or at all.
General Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock
•Securities that we may become obligated to issue under existing or future agreements may cause immediate and substantial dilution to our current stockholders.
•Actions of activist stockholders may disrupt our business and cause fluctuations in our stock price.
•Provisions in our governing documents and under Delaware law might discourage, delay or prevent a change of control or changes in our management.
Risks Related to Our Business and Our Technologies
Macroeconomic factors could continue to adversely affect our business and financial results.
Our business depends on the health of the media and advertising industries in which we operate. The strength of the advertising market can fluctuate in response to the economic prospects of specific advertisers or industries, advertisers' spending priorities, and the economy in general. In recent years, macroeconomic factors including inflation, rising interest rates and supply chain disruptions have caused some advertisers to reduce or delay advertising expenditures. Over the past two years, macroeconomic factors including inflation, rising interest rates and supply chain disruptions have caused some advertisers to reduce or delay advertising expenditures. These declines, which may continue in future periods, have a direct impact on demand for our products, which measure advertising campaigns and audiences across platforms.
Further reductions in advertising spending could result in customers terminating their subscriptions for our products, delaying renewals, or renewing on terms less favorable to us. Furthermore, our newer products, for which we recognize revenue based on impressions used, are subject to higher fluctuations in revenue from changes in our customers' advertising budgets and spending. Macroeconomic factors could also increase our costs, reducing margins and preventing us from meeting our profitability goals. Finally, these factors make it more difficult for us to predict our future revenue and costs, which could result in misallocation of resources or operating inefficiencies that could harm our business. The extent of the impact of macroeconomic factors on our business is uncertain and may continue to adversely affect our operations and financial results.
The market for media measurement and analytics products is highly competitive, and if we cannot compete effectively, our revenues could decline and our business could be harmed.
The market for audience and advertising measurement products is highly competitive and continues to evolve rapidly. We compete primarily with providers of media intelligence and related analytical products and services. We also compete with providers of marketing services and solutions, with full-service survey providers, and with internal solutions developed by customers and potential customers. In recent years, competition has intensified as a result of the entrance of new competitors, the increasing variety and number of media channels and platforms requiring measurement, and the development of new technologies, products and services in our industry to address this media fragmentation. We expect these trends to continue. Some of our competitors have substantially greater resources than we do. As a result, these competitors may be able to devote greater resources to development of systems and technologies, acquisition of data, recruitment and retention of personnel, marketing and promotional campaigns, panel retention and development, and other key areas that can impact our ability to compete effectively. In addition, some of our competitors have adopted and may continue to adopt aggressive pricing policies, including the provision of certain services at little or no cost, in order to retain or acquire customers. Furthermore, large software companies, internet platforms and database management companies may enter our market or enhance their current offerings, either by developing competing services or by acquiring our competitors, and could leverage their significant resources and pre-existing relationships with our current and potential customers. Finally, consolidation of our competitors could make it difficult for us to compete effectively. If we are unable to compete successfully against our current and future competitors, we may not be able to retain and acquire customers, and we may consequently experience a decline in revenues, reduced operating margins, loss of market share and diminished value from our products.
If we are unable to provide television, digital or cross-platform analytics, or if our analytics are incomplete, our ability to maintain and grow our business will be harmed.
As the media and advertising industries increasingly evaluate advertising campaigns across various forms of media, the ability to measure the combined size and composition of audiences across channels and platforms is increasingly important and in demand. If we are unable to gain or maintain access to information measuring a media component or type, or if we are unable to do so on commercially reasonable terms, our ability to meet our customers' demands and our business and financial performance may be harmed. If we are unable to gain or maintain access to information measuring a media component or type, or if we are unable to do so on 13Table of Contentscommercially reasonable terms, our ability to meet our customers' demands and our business and financial performance may be harmed. Furthermore, even if we do have access to a particular form of data, if we have insufficient technology or encounter
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challenges in our methodological approaches, our products may be inferior to other offerings, and we may be unable to meet our customers' demands. In such event, our business and financial performance may be harmed.
Our competitors may have more leverage with data providers than we do, which may result in those providers being unwilling to provide us with access to quality data to support our products, on reasonable terms or at all. Likewise, our acquisition of data may be reliant on large digital publishers that may technologically or legally prevent access to their proprietary platforms for research or measurement purposes. Moreover, as mobile devices, technology and CTV viewing continue to proliferate, gaining and maintaining cost-effective access to mobile and CTV data has become increasingly critical, and we could face difficulty in accessing these forms of data on reasonable terms or at all. If we are unable to acquire and integrate data effectively and efficiently, or if the cost of data acquisition or integration continues to increase, our business, financial condition and results of operations will be harmed.
We depend on third parties for data and services that are critical to our business, and our business could suffer if we cannot continue to obtain reliable data from these suppliers or if third parties place additional restrictions on our use of such data.
We rely on third-party data sources for information usage across the media platforms that we measure, as well as demographics about the people that use such platforms. The availability and accuracy of this data is important to the continuation and development of our products and the performance of our obligations to customers. These data suppliers, some of whom compete with us or our significant stockholders, may increase restrictions on our use of such data, undertake audits (at either our or their expense) of our use of such data, require us to implement new processes with respect to such data, fail to adhere to our quality control, privacy or security standards or otherwise satisfactorily perform services, increase the price they charge us for the data or refuse to license the data to us. Additional restrictions on third-party data could limit our ability to include that data in our products, which could lead to decreased commercial opportunities for our products as well as loss of customers, sales credits, refunds or liability to our customers. To comply with any additional restrictions, we may be required to implement certain additional technological and manual controls that could put pressure on our cost structure and could affect our pricing. Supplier consolidation and increased pricing for additional use cases could also put pressure on our cost structure and our ability to meet obligations to our customers. We may be required to enter into vendor relationships, strategic alliances, or joint ventures with some third parties in order to obtain access to the data sources that we need. If our partners do not apply rigorous standards to their data collection methodology and actions, notwithstanding our best efforts, we may receive third-party data that is inaccurate, defective, or delayed. If third-party information is not available to us on commercially reasonable terms, or is found to be inaccurate, it could harm our products, our reputation, and our business and financial performance.
If we fail to respond to technological developments or evolving industry standards, our products may become obsolete or less competitive.
We operate in industries that require sophisticated data collection and processing technologies. Our future success will depend in large part on our ability to develop new and modify or enhance our existing products and services, including without limitation, our data collection technologies and approaches, in order to meet customer needs, add functionality and address technological advancements and evolving industry standards.
For example, the development of opt-in permissions and enhanced focus on consent-based measurement provide the benefit of limiting the transfer of consumer personal information, but also mean changes to our data collection, storage and delivery processes. In particular, limitations on the use of cookies, pixels and similar technologies (which we collectively refer to as "cookies") may create significant challenges for our products that use these technologies for data collection and measurement. The most common Internet browsers allow users to delete and block cookies through changes to their settings, and some browsers and software providers block cookies by default. We also maintain mechanisms for users to opt out of the collection of their information via cookies and other technologies. Any substantial reduction in the availability, use or effectiveness of cookies - whether due to user opt-outs, browser changes, regulatory action or otherwise - could negatively affect our products that use these technologies.
As we innovate and adapt our methodologies to address limitations on cookies and other technological challenges, our products may be negatively impacted.As we innovate and adapt our methodologies to address the deprecation of cookies and other technological challenges, our products may be negatively impacted. For example, we may be unable to report the same types of data or level of granularity as previously available; we may see breaks in historical trends or comparability of data across periods; and we may experience delays or disruptions in service delivery to our customers. If we are unable to address these issues, our products may become less competitive or obsolete.
More generally, we will need to develop new products and methodologies to address evolving technologies and standards across the universe of media, including television, online and mobile usage. However, we may be unsuccessful in identifying new product opportunities, developing or marketing new products in a timely or cost-effective manner, or obtaining the necessary access to data or technologies needed to support new products, or we may be limited in our ability to operate due to patents held by others. In addition, our product innovations may not achieve the market penetration or price levels necessary for profitability. If we are unable to develop and integrate timely enhancements to, and new features for, our existing methodologies or products or if we are unable to develop new products and technology that keep pace with rapid technological developments, changing industry standards or consumer preferences, our products may become obsolete, less marketable and less competitive, and our business will be harmed.
Furthermore, the market for our products is characterized by changes in protocols and evolving industry standards.14Table of ContentsFurthermore, the market for our products is characterized by changes in protocols and evolving industry standards. For example, industry associations such as the Advertising Research Foundation, the Council of American Survey Research Organizations, the Internet Advertising Bureau, the U.S. Joint Industry Committee and the Media Rating Council as well as foreign and international industry associations have undertaken efforts to review market research methodologies across the media that we measure and/or
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develop minimum standards, accreditations or certifications for such research. Failure to seek or achieve accreditation or certification, delays in accreditation or certification, or adverse audit findings may negatively impact the market acceptance of our products. Failure to seek or achieve accreditation, delays in accreditation, or adverse audit findings may negatively impact the market acceptance of our products. Meanwhile, successful accreditation, certification or audits may lead to costly changes to our procedures and methodologies, may divert development resources from other priorities, and may not result in the anticipated commercial benefits.
Our business may be harmed if we deliver, or are perceived to deliver, inaccurate or untimely information products.
The metrics contained in our products may be viewed as an important measure of the success of certain businesses, especially those that utilize our metrics to evaluate priorities ranging from their internal operations to advertising initiatives.The metrics contained in our products may be viewed as an important measure of the success of certain businesses, especially those that utilize our metrics to evaluate a variety of investments ranging from their internal operations to advertising initiatives. If the information that we provide to our customers, the media, or the public is inaccurate, or perceived to be inaccurate, whether due to inadequate methodological approaches, errors, biases towards certain available data sources or partners, disparate data sets across our products, defects or errors in data collection and processing (conducted by us or by third parties) or the systems used to collect, process or deliver data, our business may be harmed. Similarly, if the information that we provide to our customers is delayed or perceived to be untimely, our business may be harmed.
Any inaccuracy, perceived inaccuracy, inconsistency or delay in the data reported by us could lead to consequences that could adversely impact our operating results, including loss of customers; sales credits, refunds or liability to our customers; the incurrence of substantial costs to correct any material defect, error or inconsistency; increased warranty and insurance costs; potential litigation; interruptions in the availability of our products; diversion of development resources to improve our processes or delivery; lost or delayed market acceptance and sales of our products; and damage to our brand.
Our business may be harmed if we change our methodologies or the scope of information we collect.
We have in the past and may in the future change our methodologies, the methodologies of companies we acquire, or the scope of information we collect. Such changes may result from identified deficiencies in current methodologies, development of more advanced methodologies, changes in our business plans or in industry standards, changes in law or regulatory requirements, changes in technology used by websites, browsers, mobile applications, servers, or media we measure, integration of acquired companies or expressed or perceived needs of our customers, potential customers or partners. Any such changes or perceived changes, or our inability to accurately or adequately communicate to our customers and the media such changes and the potential implications of such changes on the data we have published or will publish in the future, may result in customer dissatisfaction, particularly if certain information is no longer collected or information collected in future periods is not comparable with information collected in prior periods. As a result of future methodology changes, some of our customers that may also supply us with data may decide not to continue buying products or services from us or may decide to discontinue providing us with their data to support our products. Such customers may elect to publicly air their dissatisfaction with the methodological changes made by us, which may damage our brand and harm our reputation.
If we are not able to maintain panels of sufficient size and scope, or if the costs of establishing and maintaining our panels continue to increase, our business could be harmed.
We believe that the quality, size and scope of our research panels are important to our business. In recent years, however, panel participation has declined, in part due to changes by software providers that have made it more difficult to obtain consent to participate in panels, steps taken by antivirus providers to remove third-party measurement software despite panelists' previous consent, and operating system updates (including iOS and Android) that limit the ability of third parties to measure device usage. At the same time, the difficulty and cost of recruiting new panelists have increased. At the same time, the difficulty of recruiting new panelists has increased. Although we have taken (and continue to take) steps to mitigate the impact of these changes on our business, there can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain panels of sufficient size and scope to provide the quality of marketing intelligence that our customers demand from our products. Although we have taken steps to mitigate the impact of these changes on our business, there can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain panels of sufficient size and scope to provide the quality of marketing intelligence that our customers demand from our products. We anticipate that the cost of traditional panel recruitment will continue to increase with the proliferation of proprietary and secure media content delivery platforms, evolving industry practices and regulatory developments, and that the difficulty in collecting these forms of data will continue to grow, which may require significant hardware and software investments, increases to our panel incentive and panel management costs, and evaluation of alternative panel resources. We anticipate that the cost of panel recruitment will increase with the proliferation of proprietary and secure media content delivery platforms, evolving industry practices and regulatory developments, and that the difficulty in collecting these forms of data will continue to grow, which may require significant hardware and software investments, as well as increases to our panel incentive and panel management costs. To the extent that any additional expenses are not accompanied by increased revenues, our operating margins may be reduced and our financial results could be adversely affected. If we are unable to maintain panels of sufficient size and scope, whether through traditional recruitment or alternative sources, we could face negative consequences, including degradation in the quality and competitiveness of our products, failure to receive accreditation or certification from industry associations, loss of customers and damage to our brand. If we are unable to maintain panels of sufficient size and scope, we could face negative consequences, including degradation in the quality and competitiveness of our products, failure to receive accreditation from industry associations, loss of customers and damage to our brand.
We derive a significant portion of our revenues from sales of our subscription-based products. If our customers terminate or fail to renew their subscriptions, our business could suffer.
We currently derive a significant portion of our revenues from our syndicated products, which are typically one-year subscription-based products. This has generally provided us with recurring revenue due to high renewal rates among our enterprise customers; however, syndicated digital revenue from our smaller and international customers has declined in recent years. If additional customers terminate their subscriptions for our products, do not renew their subscriptions, delay renewals of their subscriptions or renew on terms less favorable to us, our revenues could continue to decline and our business could suffer.
Our customers have no obligation to renew after the expiration of their subscription periods, and we cannot be assured that current subscriptions will be renewed at the same or higher dollar amounts, if at all.15Table of ContentsOur customers have no obligation to renew after the expiration of their initial subscription period, and we cannot be assured that current subscriptions will be renewed at the same or higher dollar amounts, if at all. Furthermore, our newer products, for which revenue is
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recognized based on impressions used, are subject to higher fluctuations in revenue. Our customer renewal rates may decline or fluctuate due to a number of factors, including customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction with our products, the costs or functionality of our products, the prices or functionality of products offered by our competitors, the health of the advertising marketplace and the industries in which we operate, mergers and acquisitions affecting our customer base, general economic conditions or reductions in our customers' spending levels.
Our growth depends upon our ability to retain existing large customers and add new large customers. To the extent we are not successful in doing so, our ability to grow revenue and attain profitability and positive cash flow may be impaired.
Our success depends in part on our ability to sell our products to large customers and on the renewal of subscriptions and contracts with these customers in subsequent years. For the years ended 2024, 2023 and 2022, we derived 34%, 37% and 34%, respectively, of our total revenues from our top 10 customers. Uncertain economic conditions, changes in the political or regulatory environment or other factors, such as the failure or consolidation of large customer companies, internal reorganization or changes in customer buying processes, or dissatisfaction with our products, may cause certain large customers to terminate or reduce their subscriptions and contracts with us or may increase our costs to retain those customers. Uncertain economic conditions, changes in the regulatory environment or other factors, such as the failure or consolidation of large customer companies, internal reorganization or changes in focus, or dissatisfaction with our products, may cause certain large customers to terminate or reduce their subscriptions and contracts with us. The loss of any one or more of these customers could decrease our revenues and harm our current and future operating results. The addition of new large customers or increases in sales to existing large customers may require particularly long implementation periods and other significant upfront costs, which may adversely affect our profitability or divert resources from our other priorities. To compete effectively, we have in the past been, and may in the future be, forced to offer significant discounts to maintain existing customers or acquire other large customers. As a result, new large customers or increased usage of our products by large customers may cause our profit margins to decline.
If we are unable to effectively persuade customers to buy our products in substitution for those of an incumbent services provider, our revenue growth may suffer.
Some of our products require that we persuade prospective customers, or customers of our existing products, to buy our products in substitution for those of an incumbent service provider. In some instances, the customer may have built their systems and processes around the incumbent provider's products. Persuading such customers to switch service providers may be difficult and require longer sales cycles, affecting our ability to increase revenue in these areas. Moreover, the incumbent service provider may have the ability to significantly discount its services or enter into long-term agreements, which could further impede our ability to persuade customers to switch service providers, and accordingly, our ability to increase our revenues.
We may expand through investments in, acquisitions of, or the development of new products with assistance from, other companies, any of which may not be successful and may divert our management's attention.
In the past, we completed several strategic acquisitions, most recently our acquisition of Shareablee in 2021. We also may evaluate and enter into discussions regarding an array of potential strategic transactions, including acquiring complementary products, technologies or businesses. An acquisition, investment or business relationship may involve significant operating challenges, expenditures and risks. In particular, we may encounter difficulties integrating the businesses, data, technologies, products, personnel or operations of the acquired companies, particularly if the key personnel of the acquired company choose not to be employed by us, and we may have difficulty retaining the customers and partners of any acquired business due to changes in management and ownership. Acquisitions may also disrupt our ongoing business, divert our resources and require significant management attention that would otherwise be available for ongoing development of our business. Moreover, we cannot guarantee that the anticipated benefits of any acquisition, investment or business relationship would be realized timely, if at all, or that we would not be exposed to unknown liabilities. In connection with any such transaction, we may:
•encounter difficulties retaining key employees of the acquired company or integrating diverse business cultures, particularly in countries where we have not previously had employees;
•incur large charges or substantial liabilities, including without limitation, liabilities associated with products or technologies accused or found to infringe on third-party intellectual property or contractual rights or violate existing or future privacy or security regulations;
•issue shares of our capital stock as part of the consideration, which has been and may be dilutive to existing stockholders;
•become subject to adverse tax consequences, legal disputes, substantial depreciation or deferred compensation charges;
•use cash that we may otherwise need for ongoing or future operation of our business or dividends;
•enter new geographic markets that subject us to different laws and regulations that may have an adverse impact on our business;
•experience difficulties effectively utilizing acquired assets or obtaining required third-party consents;
•encounter difficulties integrating the information and financial reporting systems of acquired businesses, particularly those that operated under accounting principles other than those generally accepted in the U.S. prior to the acquisition by us; and
•incur debt, which may be on terms unfavorable to us or that we are unable to repay.
We also have entered into relationships with certain third-party providers to expand our product offerings, and we may enter into similar arrangements in the future.16Table of ContentsWe also have entered into relationships with certain third-party providers to expand our product offerings, and we may enter into similar arrangements in the future. These relationships and transactions sometimes involve preferred or exclusive licenses, discount
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pricing, provision of our products and services without charge, or investments in other businesses to expand our product development and sales capabilities. These transactions may be material to our financial condition and results of operations, and though these transactions may provide additional benefits, they may not be profitable immediately or in the long term. These transactions could be material to our financial condition and results of operations, and though these transactions may provide additional benefits, they may not be profitable immediately or in the long term. Negotiating any such transactions can be time-consuming, difficult and expensive, and our ability to close these transactions may be subject to regulatory or other approvals and other conditions that are beyond our control. Negotiating any such transactions could be time-consuming, difficult and expensive, and our ability to close these transactions may be subject to regulatory or other approvals and other conditions that are beyond our control. We can make no assurances that any such transactions, investments or relationships will be completed or successful. The impact of any one or more of these factors could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.
System failures, security breaches or delays in the operation of our computer and communications systems may harm our business.
Our success depends on the efficient and uninterrupted operation of our computer and communications systems and the third-party data centers, cloud providers and SAAS platforms we use. Our ability to collect and report accurate data may be interrupted by a number of factors, including the failure of our network or software systems, computer viruses, security breaches, or variability in the information we ingest.
We have experienced, and may in the future experience, system failures and cybersecurity incidents. While prior incidents have not materially affected our business strategy, results of operations or financial condition to date, and although our processes are designed to help prevent, detect and mitigate the impact of such incidents, we cannot guarantee that a future incident will not materially affect our strategy, results of operations or financial condition. Attempted cybersecurity breaches continue to evolve in sophistication and frequency and may be difficult to detect and remediate. A security incident or failure of our network or data gathering procedures, or those of our third-party data suppliers, could result in liability to the Company, impede the processing of data, cause the corruption or loss of data, prevent the timely delivery of our products, give rise to government inquiries or enforcement actions, or damage our customer relationships, brand and reputation.
In the future, we may need to expand our network and systems at a more rapid pace than we have in the past. Our network or systems may not be capable of meeting the demand for increased capacity, or we may incur additional expenses to accommodate these capacity demands. In addition, we may lose valuable data or be unable to obtain or provide data on a timely basis or our network may temporarily shut down if we fail to adequately expand or maintain our network capabilities to meet future requirements. Any lapse in our ability to collect or transmit data may decrease the value of our products and prevent us from providing the data requested by our customers and partners. Any disruption in our data processing or any loss, exposure or misuse of data may damage our reputation and result in the loss of customers, partners and vendors and the imposition of penalties or other legal or regulatory action, and our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. Any disruption in our data processing or any loss, exposure or misuse of internet user data may damage our reputation and result in the loss of customers, partners and vendors and the imposition of penalties or other legal or regulatory action, and our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
We are subject to customer and partner security reviews, and failure to pass these reviews could have an adverse impact on our operations.
Many of our customer and partner contracts require that we maintain certain physical and/or information security standards. Any failure to meet such standards could have an adverse impact on our business. In certain cases, we permit a customer or partner to audit our compliance with contractual standards. Negative findings in an audit and/or the failure to adequately remediate in a timely fashion such negative findings could cause customers or partners to terminate their contracts or otherwise have an adverse effect on our reputation, results of operations and financial condition. Further, customers or partners from time to time may require new or stricter physical or information security than they negotiated in their contracts and may condition continued volumes and business on the satisfaction of such additional requirements. Some of these requirements may be expensive to implement or maintain and may not be factored into our contract pricing. Failure to meet these requirements could have an adverse effect on our business.
We rely on a small number of third-party service providers to host and deliver our products, and any interruptions or delays in services from these third parties could impair the delivery of our products and harm our business.
We host some of our products and serve our customers from data center facilities located throughout the U.S. While we operate our equipment inside these facilities, we do not control the operation of these facilities, and, depending on service level requirements and costs, we may not continue to operate or maintain redundant data center facilities for all of our products or for all of our data, which could increase our vulnerability. These facilities are vulnerable to damage or interruption from earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, fires, power loss, telecommunications failures and similar events. They are also subject to break-ins, computer viruses, security breaches, sabotage, intentional acts of vandalism and other misconduct. A natural disaster or an act of terrorism, a decision to close the facilities without adequate notice, or other unanticipated problems could result in lengthy interruptions in availability of our products. We may also encounter capacity limitations and cost increases at our third-party data centers. We may also encounter capacity limitations at our third-party data centers. Additionally, our data center facility agreements are of limited durations, and our data center facilities have no obligation to renew their agreements with us on commercially reasonable terms, if at all. We select our third-party data center providers through a rigorous process based on redundant capability and compliance with industry standards and audits. We believe that we will be able to renew or find alternative providers on commercially reasonable terms, although there can be no guarantee of this. We believe that we will be able to renew, or find alternative data center facilities, on commercially reasonable terms, although there can be no guarantee of this. If we are unable to renew our agreements with the owners of the facilities on commercially reasonable terms, or if we migrate to a new provider, we may experience significant cost increases or delays in delivering our products until an agreement with another provider can be arranged or the migration to a new facility is completed. If we are unable to renew our agreements with the owners of the facilities on commercially reasonable terms, or if we migrate to a new data center, we may experience delays in delivering our products until an agreement with another data center facility can be arranged or the migration to a new facility is completed.
If we or the third-party data centers that we use were to experience a major power outage, we would have to rely on back-up generators, which may not function properly, and their supply may be inadequate.17Table of ContentsIf we or the third-party data centers that we use were to experience a major power outage, we would have to rely on back-up generators, which may not function properly, and their supply may be inadequate. Such a power outage could result in the disruption
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of our business. Additionally, if our current facilities fail to have sufficient cooling capacity or availability of electrical power, we would need to find alternative facilities and could experience delays in delivering our products.
We have begun an initiative to transform certain data collection, processing and delivery systems from traditional data centers to cloud-based platforms.We have engaged in an initiative to transform certain data collection, processing and delivery systems from traditional data centers to cloud-based platforms. The migration of these processes has required, and will continue to require, significant time and resources from our management, technology and operations personnel and has introduced new requirements for security, financial and software development controls. The migration of these processes requires significant time and resources from our management, technology and operations personnel and introduces new requirements for security, financial and software development controls. This initiative has diverted and may continue to divert resources from other priorities, which could have a negative impact on our revenue and growth opportunities. This initiative may divert resources from other priorities, which could have a negative impact on our revenue and growth opportunities. If the migration of these processes is not successful, or if the initiative takes longer or requires more resources than we anticipate, our results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.
We depend on access to the internet through third-party bandwidth providers to operate our business. If we lose the services of one or more of our bandwidth providers for any reason, we could experience disruption in the delivery of our products or be required to retain the services of a replacement bandwidth provider. It may be difficult for us to replace any lost bandwidth on a timely basis, on commercially reasonable terms, or at all, due to the large amount of bandwidth our operations require.
Any errors, defects, breaches, disruptions or other performance problems related to our products or the delivery of our services caused by third parties could reduce our revenues, harm our reputation, result in the loss of customers, partners and vendors and the imposition of penalties or other legal or regulatory actions and otherwise damage our business. Interruptions in the availability of our products and the delivery of our services may reduce our revenues due to increased turnaround time to complete projects, cause us to issue credits or refunds to customers, cause customers to terminate their agreements or adversely affect our renewal rates. Our business, financial condition and results of operations would be materially and adversely affected if there were errors or delays in delivering our products or services, including for reasons beyond our control, and our reputation would be harmed if our customers or potential customers believe our products and services are unreliable.
Our restructuring activities and cost reduction initiatives may not deliver the expected results and could disrupt our business operations.
Achieving our long-term revenue and profitability goals depends significantly on our ability to allocate resources in line with our strategic objectives and control our operating costs. As described in Footnote 15, Organizational Restructuring, of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this 10-K, we communicated a workforce reduction in 2022 as part of our broader efforts to improve cost efficiency and better align our operating structure and resources with strategic priorities. In addition to employee terminations, our restructuring activities have included the reallocation of commercial and product development resources, reinvestment in and modernization of key technology platforms, consolidation of data storage and processing activities to reduce our data center footprint, and reduction of other operating expenses.
If our restructuring activities do not generate the expected cost savings, our business and financial results could be adversely affected.If the Restructuring Plan does not generate the expected cost savings, our business and financial results could be adversely affected. Moreover, some of the organizational and operational changes we have made and are making require careful management to avoid disrupting customer, partner and employee relationships. Moreover, some of the organizational and operational changes we have made and are making in connection with the Restructuring Plan require careful management to avoid disrupting customer, partner and employee relationships. If we do not successfully manage our restructuring activities, the expected benefits may not be realized, and our operations and business could be disrupted. If we do not successfully manage our restructuring activities, including the Restructuring Plan, the expected benefits may not be realized, and our operations and business could be disrupted.
We rely heavily on our management team and other personnel to operate and grow our business. The loss of one or more key employees, the inability to attract and retain qualified personnel, or the failure to integrate new personnel could harm our business.
Our success and future growth depend to a significant degree on the skills and continued services of our management team. Our future success also depends on our ability to retain, attract and motivate highly skilled technical, managerial, sales and marketing personnel. The market for these personnel is extremely competitive, particularly for software engineers, data scientists and other technical staff, and our restructuring activities have put additional pressure on our ability to retain, attract and motivate key personnel. If we cannot retain highly skilled workers and key leaders, our ability to develop and deliver our products and increase our revenues may be materially and adversely affected. If we must increase employee compensation and benefits in order to remain competitive for these personnel, our operating costs and financial condition may be adversely affected. Recruiting and training costs may also place significant demands on our resources. We may experience a loss of productivity due to the departure of key personnel and the associated loss of institutional knowledge, or while new personnel integrate into our business and transition into their respective roles. Failure to ensure effective transitions and knowledge transfers may adversely affect our operations and our ability to execute on our strategic plans and growth initiatives.
The availability and effectiveness of equity awards as a means to recruit and retain key personnel have diminished, and we may need to request additional shares for our equity plan or grant equity awards outside of our existing plan.The effectiveness of our equity awards as a means to recruit and retain key personnel has diminished, and we may need to request additional shares for our equity plan or grant equity awards outside of our existing plan.
Historically, we have relied on equity awards as one means of recruiting and retaining key personnel, including our senior management. Due to declines in our stock price in recent years, the effectiveness of equity awards as a means to attract and retain key personnel has diminished, and we have had to shift a larger portion of employee compensation to cash. Due to declines in our stock price in recent years, the effectiveness of our outstanding equity awards as a means to retain key personnel has diminished. Moreover, the quantity of equity awards we are able to grant under our 2018 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan ("2018 Plan") is limited. Moreover, the quantity of equity awards we are able to grant under our 2018 Equity and Incentive 18Table of ContentsCompensation Plan ("2018 Plan") is limited. These limits have further impacted our ability to offer awards to current and prospective employees, which in turn has contributed to employee retention and hiring challenges. These limits have impacted our ability to offer new awards to current and prospective employees, which in turn has contributed to employee retention and hiring challenges. In order to address our compensation needs, we may seek an amendment to our 2018 Plan to increase the number of shares available for future equity awards. We also may consider granting equity awards outside of our 2018 Plan, as we did
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with a 2021 executive hire. Either of these options would result in additional dilution to our existing stockholders. Alternatively, we may need to shift an even larger portion of employee compensation to cash, which could adversely affect our liquidity and financial condition. Alternatively, we may need to shift a larger portion of employee compensation to cash, which could adversely affect our liquidity and financial condition.
Risks Related to Our Results of Operations
Our revenues and results of operations may fluctuate in the future. As a result, we may fail to meet or exceed the expectations of securities analysts or investors, which could cause our stock price to decline.
Our results of operations may fluctuate as a result of a variety of factors, many of which are outside of our control. If our revenues or results of operations do not meet or exceed the expectations of securities analysts or investors, the price of our Common Stock could decline substantially. Factors that may cause fluctuations in our revenues or results of operations include:
•changes in our customers' buying behaviors, including disintermediation of traditional channels;
•variability of demand for custom projects and usage-based products;
•changes to contract renewal rates caused by our customers' budgetary constraints, competition, or customer corporate restructuring or consolidation;
•the timing and success of new product introductions or changes in methodology, particularly in light of consent requirements, cookie deprecation and other changes in our industry;
•the impact of our Preferred Stock transactions, including our long-term data license with Charter;
•the impact of our decision to discontinue certain products or exit certain geographic regions;
•our failure to accurately estimate or control costs, including those incurred as a result of technology upgrades, product development initiatives and restructuring activities;
•the cost and availability of data from third-party sources and the cost to integrate such data into our systems and products and implement new use cases;
•adverse judgments or settlements, or increased legal fees, in legal disputes or government proceedings;
•costs incurred in connection with strategic or financing transactions, including financial advisory, legal, accounting, consulting and other advisory fees and expenses;
•service of our existing debt and incurrence of additional debt;
•the amount and timing of capital expenditures and operating costs related to the maintenance, migration and expansion of our operations and infrastructure;
•service outages, other technical difficulties or security breaches;
•maintaining appropriate staffing levels and capabilities, particularly during organizational restructuring;
•the cost and timing of organizational restructuring;
•the timing of any changes to our deferred tax valuation allowance;
•the impact of foreign currency exchange rates; and
•general economic, political, regulatory, industry and market conditions and those conditions specific to media and advertising businesses.
We believe that our revenues and results of operations on a year-over-year and sequential quarter-over-quarter basis may vary significantly in the future and that period-to-period comparisons of our operating results may not be meaningful. Investors are cautioned not to rely on the results of prior periods as an indication of future performance.
We may not be able to generate or obtain sufficient cash to service our debt, dividend obligations, lease facilities and trade payables.•We may not generate sufficient cash to service our debt, dividend obligations, lease facilities and trade payables.
We currently have indebtedness and lease facilities, as well as trade payables, including expenses incurred in prior periods. In addition, we are required to pay annual dividends on our Preferred Stock, and we may incur additional debt for operations or to fund a special dividend to the holders of our Preferred Stock. In addition, we are required to pay annual dividends on our Preferred Stock, which we deferred in 2023 and continue to accrue, and we may incur additional debt for operations or to fund a special dividend to the holders of our Preferred Stock. These obligations could require us to use a large portion of our cash flow from operations to service our debt, dividend obligations, and lease facilities and pay accrued expenses. These obligations could require us to use a large portion of our cash flow from operations to service our debt, current and deferred dividend obligations, and lease facilities and pay accrued expenses. They could also limit our flexibility to invest in our business and adjust to market conditions, which could impact our customer relationships and place us at a competitive disadvantage.
We expect to obtain the funds to pay our expenses and meet our financial obligations from cash flow from our operations, existing debt facilities and, potentially, from other debt or equity offerings and transactions.We expect to obtain the funds to pay our expenses and meet our financial obligations from cash flow from our operations and, potentially, from other debt or equity offerings and transactions. Accordingly, our ability to meet our obligations depends on our future performance and corporate activities, which will be affected by financial, business, contractual, economic and other factors, some of which are beyond our control. Failure to meet our payment obligations could disrupt our supply of goods and services and impact our reputation, creditworthiness and relations with customers, partners, creditors and holders of our Preferred Stock. It could also lead to costly litigation.
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If our cash flow and capital resources prove inadequate to allow us to satisfy our trade payables, pay the interest and principal on our debt when due, invest in our business and meet our other financial obligations, we could face substantial liquidity challenges and might be required to dispose of material assets or operations, obtain alternative financing (which we may be unable to do on acceptable terms) or forego attractive business opportunities. In addition, the terms of our existing or future financing agreements and Preferred Stock may restrict us from pursuing these alternatives. Failure to meet our financial obligations could have significant consequences including, potentially, forcing us into bankruptcy or liquidation.
Our financial condition and results of operations could suffer and be adversely affected if we incur another impairment of goodwill or other intangible assets.
We are required to test goodwill and intangible assets, annually and on an interim basis if an event occurs or there is a change in circumstance that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of our reporting unit below its carrying value or indicate that the carrying value of such intangibles is not recoverable. When the carrying value of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, a charge to operations, up to the total amount of goodwill, is recorded. If the carrying amount of an intangible asset is not recoverable, a charge to operations is recognized. Either event would result in incremental expense for that period, which would reduce any earnings or increase any loss for the period in which the impairment was determined to have occurred. We recorded impairment charges totaling $64.4 million and $79.7 million in 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Our impairment analysis is sensitive to changes in key assumptions used in our analysis, such as expected future cash flows, the degree of volatility in equity and debt markets and our stock price. Additionally, changes in our strategy or significant technical developments could significantly impact the recoverability of our intangible assets. If the assumptions used in our analysis are not realized, it is possible that additional impairment charges may need to be recorded in the future.
Changes in the fair value of our derivative financial instruments could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
We use various models and assumptions to determine the fair value of our financing derivatives, including assumptions with respect to term and the probability of occurrence of certain events. Any change in our assumptions could result in a change in the fair value of our derivatives, which would be recorded to earnings and could significantly affect our financial condition and results of operations. Any change in our assumptions could result in a change in the fair value of our derivative liabilities or warrants, which would be recorded to earnings and could significantly affect our financial condition and results of operations.
We have a history of significant net losses, may incur significant net losses in the future and may not achieve profitability.
We incurred net losses of $60.2 million, $79.4 million and $66.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.We incurred net losses of $79.4 million, $66.6 million and $50.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively. We cannot make assurances that we will be able to achieve profitability in the future. As of December 31, 2024, we had an accumulated deficit of $1.5 billion. Because a large portion of our costs are fixed, we may not be able to adequately reduce our expenses in response to any decrease in our revenues, which would adversely affect our operating results. In addition, our operating expenses may increase as we implement certain growth initiatives and restructuring activities, which include, among other things, the development of new products, enhancement of our data assets and infrastructure, and payment of severance and other costs in connection with organizational restructuring. If our revenues do not increase to offset these increases in costs and operating expenses, our operating results would be adversely affected.
Our net operating loss carryforwards may expire unutilized or underutilized, which could prevent us from offsetting future taxable income.
Under the provisions of Internal Revenue Code Section 382, certain substantial changes in the Company's ownership may result in a limitation on the amount of U.S. net operating loss carryforwards that can be utilized annually to offset future taxable income and taxes payable. We completed a Section 382 study in 2023 and concluded that an ownership change occurred in May 2021 as a result of the Preferred Stock transactions; therefore all of our U.S. net operating loss carryforwards are subject to annual limitations under Section 382.
As of December 31, 2024, we estimate our U.S. federal and state net operating loss carryforwards for tax purposes to be $539.0 million and $1.5 billion, respectively, subject to limitation as described above. We estimate that $436.2 million of our U.S. federal net operating loss carryforwards and $1.3 billion of our state net operating loss carryforwards are utilizable given the annual limitations under Section 382. Our net operating loss carryforwards begin to expire in 2025 for federal and 2026 for state income tax reporting purposes. The federal and certain state net operating losses generated after December 31, 2017 have an indefinite carryforward period as a result of the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ("TCJA"). As of December 31, 2024, we estimate our aggregate net operating loss carryforwards for tax purposes related to our foreign subsidiaries to be $6.3 million, which begin to expire in 2025.
We apply a valuation allowance to our deferred tax assets when management does not believe that it is more likely than not that they will be realized. In assessing the need for a valuation allowance, we consider all sources of taxable income, including potential opportunities for loss carrybacks, the reversal of existing temporary differences associated with our deferred tax assets and liabilities, tax planning strategies and future taxable income. We also consider other evidence such as historical pre-tax book income in making the determination. As of December 31, 2024, we continue to have a valuation allowance recorded against the net deferred tax assets of our U.S. entities and certain foreign subsidiaries, including net operating loss carryforwards.
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Risks Related to Legal and Regulatory Compliance, Litigation and Tax Matters
Concern over data privacy and security, AI and data governance could lead to regulatory scrutiny, public relations problems, contractual disputes and lawsuits, which could harm our business.
We are subject to numerous U.S. and foreign laws and regulations and contractual obligations covering a wide variety of data privacy, security and governance topics, and our introduction and maintenance of products, methodologies and technologies will continue to be impacted by regulatory developments and concern in these areas.
In recent years, governments around the world and in numerous U.S. states have adopted new laws and regulations focused on data privacy and protection. These laws and regulations apply to the collection, transmission, storage and use of personal information, among other things. The regulatory environment surrounding information security, data privacy and the use of AI in data collection and processing varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and is constantly evolving and increasingly demanding. The regulatory environment surrounding information security and data privacy varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and is constantly evolving and increasingly demanding. The restrictions imposed by such laws continue to develop and may require us to incur substantial costs and fines or adopt additional disclosure or compliance measures, such as notification requirements and corrective actions. The restrictions imposed by such laws continue to develop and may require us to incur substantial costs and fines or adopt additional compliance measures, such as notification requirements and corrective actions. They also have required, and may continue to require, us to change our business practices and modify the products that we offer, which may increase our costs and decrease the quality and functionality of our products. They also may require us to change our business practices and modify the products that we offer, which may increase our costs and decrease the quality and functionality of our products.
Any perception of our practices, products or services as a violation of individual privacy rights may subject us to public criticism, loss of customers, partners or vendors, litigation (including class action lawsuits), reputational harm, or investigations or claims by regulators, industry groups, activist groups or other third parties, all of which could significantly disrupt our business and expose us to increased liability. Additionally, laws regulating privacy and third-party products purporting to address privacy concerns could negatively affect the functionality of, and demand for, our products and services, thereby resulting in loss of customers, partners and vendors and harm to our business.
In addition to our own data privacy, security and governance policies, we also rely on security questionnaires and contractual representations made to us by customers, partners, vendors and other third-party data providers that their own use of our services and the information they provide to us do not violate any applicable privacy laws, rules and regulations or their own privacy or security policies.21Table of ContentsIn addition to our own data privacy, security and governance policies, we also rely on security questionnaires and contractual representations made to us by customers, partners, vendors and other third-party data providers that their own use of our services and the information they provide to us do not violate any applicable privacy laws, rules and regulations or their own privacy or security policies. As a component of our client contracts, we generally obligate customers to provide their consumers the opportunity to obtain the appropriate level of consent (including opt outs) for the information collection associated with our services, as applicable, or provide another appropriate legal basis for collection. If these questionnaires or representations are false, inaccurate or incomplete, or if our customers, partners, vendors and other third-party data providers do not otherwise comply with applicable privacy laws or security practices, we could face adverse publicity and possible legal or regulatory action.
Outside parties, including foreign actors, may attempt to fraudulently induce our employees or users of our solutions to disclose sensitive information via illegal electronic spamming, phishing, threats or other tactics. Unauthorized parties may also attempt to gain physical access to our information systems. Any breach of our security measures or the accidental loss, inadvertent disclosure or unauthorized dissemination of proprietary information or sensitive, personal or confidential data about us, our employees or our customers, partners or vendors, including the potential loss or disclosure of such information or data as a result of hacking, fraud, trickery or other forms of deception, could expose us, our employees, our customers or the individuals affected to risks of loss or misuse of this information. Any actual or potential breach of our security measures may result in litigation and potential liability or fines, governmental inquiry or oversight or a loss of customer confidence, any of which could harm our business and damage our brand and reputation, possibly impeding our present and future success in retaining and attracting new customers and thereby requiring time and resources to repair our brand.
Domestic or foreign laws, regulations or enforcement actions may limit our ability to collect and incorporate media usage information in our products, which may decrease their value and cause an adverse impact on our business and financial results.
Our business could be adversely impacted by existing or future laws, regulations or actions by domestic or foreign regulatory agencies, or by our customers' or partners' efforts to comply with these laws. For example, privacy, data protection and personal information, intellectual property, advertising, data security, data retention and deletion, protection of minors, consumer protection, economic or other trade prohibitions or sanctions concerns have and could continue to lead to legislative, judicial and regulatory limitations on our and our partners' ability to collect, maintain and use information about consumers' behavior and media consumption in the U.S. and abroad, impacting the amount and quality of data in our products and increasing our costs.
State and federal laws within the U.S. and foreign laws and regulations are varied, overlapping and at times conflicting, resulting in higher risk related to compliance. A number of laws have come into effect over the past decade, and there are proposals pending before federal, state and foreign legislative and regulatory bodies that have affected and are likely to continue to affect our business. A number of laws have recently come into effect, and there are proposals pending before federal, state and foreign legislative and regulatory bodies that have affected and are likely to continue to affect our business. For example, the European Union's ("EU") General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, has imposed more stringent EU data protection requirements with greater penalties for noncompliance. For example, the European Union's ("EU") General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, became effective in 2018, imposing more stringent EU data protection requirements and providing for greater penalties for noncompliance. In addition, regulators in the EU, the U.S. and elsewhere have increasingly focused on transparency, consent, consumer choice and the collection of data using tracking technologies. In the EU, cross-border data transfers are increasingly scrutinized to ensure compliance, and there have been expanded enforcement efforts in this area. Many U.S. states have also adopted comprehensive privacy laws governing the collection and use of personal information, with more expected in 2025 and beyond. These laws have expanded consumer rights to include individual rights of access, deletion, portability, correction and appeal and the right to "opt in" to collection and use of certain types of personal information deemed
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sensitive under the laws. These U.S. federal and state and foreign laws and regulations, which in some cases can be enforced by private parties in addition to government entities, are constantly evolving and impose new and complex requirements on our business.
Artificial intelligence, or AI, is also the subject of evolving review by various governments and regulatory agencies around the world. New and changing laws and regulations covering the development, use and provision of AI technologies and other digital products and services could impact our ability to use certain methodologies, impose new disclosure or consent requirements, or limit our ability to pursue alternative strategies to build our products. These new and changing laws and regulations covering the development, use and provision of AI technologies and other digital products and services could impact our ability to use certain methodologies or limit our ability to pursue alternative strategies to build our products. We may also be required to expend resources to adjust and analyze certain product offerings and methodologies as the regulatory environment evolves.
We have implemented policies and procedures to comply with the GDPR, state privacy laws, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act and other existing laws and regulations, and we continue to evaluate and implement processes and technical enhancements and monitor changes in laws and regulations. However, the application, interpretation, and enforcement of these laws and regulations are often uncertain, particularly in the rapidly evolving industries in which we operate, and may be interpreted and applied inconsistently from country to country, state to state, and customer to customer, and inconsistently with our current policies and practices. Additionally, the costs of compliance with, and the other burdens imposed by, these and other laws, regulatory actions and customer or partner policies may prevent us from selling our products, may require us to alter our products in ways that make them less competitive or compelling to customers, may divert development resources from other priorities, may continue to increase the costs associated with selling our products, and may affect our ability to invest in or jointly develop products in the U.S. and in foreign jurisdictions. In addition, failure to comply with these and other laws and regulations may result in, among other things, government enforcement actions and substantial fines, individual and class action lawsuits, contractual breaches, significant legal fees, and civil and criminal liability. Any regulatory or civil action that is brought against us, even if unsuccessful, may distract our management's attention, divert our resources, negatively affect our public image or reputation among our panelists, customers, partners and vendors, and harm our business.
An assertion from a third party that we are infringing its intellectual property rights, whether such assertion is valid or not, could subject us to costly and time-consuming litigation or expensive licenses.
The media measurement, software and technology industries are characterized by the existence of a large number of patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets and by frequent litigation based on allegations of infringement or other violations of intellectual property rights, domestically or internationally. As we grow, evolve our products and methodologies, and face increasing competition, the probability that one or more third parties will make intellectual property rights claims against us increases. In such cases, our products, technologies or methodologies may be found to infringe on the intellectual property rights of others. Additionally, many of our agreements may require us to indemnify our customers for third-party intellectual property infringement claims, which would increase our costs if we have to defend such claims and may require that we pay damages and provide alternative services if there were an adverse ruling in any such claims. Intellectual property claims could harm our relationships with our customers, deter future customers from buying our products or expose us to litigation, which could be expensive and divert considerable attention of our management team from the normal operation of our business. Even if we are not a party to any litigation between a customer and a third party, an adverse outcome in any such litigation could make it more difficult for us to defend against intellectual property claims by the third party in any subsequent litigation in which we are a named party. Any of these results could adversely affect our brand, business and results of operations.
With respect to any intellectual property rights claim against us or our customers, we may have to pay damages or stop using technology or methodologies found to be in violation of a third party's rights. We may have to seek a license for the technology, which may not be available on reasonable terms or at all, may significantly increase our operating expenses or may significantly restrict our business activities in one or more respects. We may also be required to develop alternative non-infringing technology or methodologies, which could require significant effort and expense. Any of these outcomes could adversely affect our business and results of operations. Even if we prove successful in defending ourselves against such claims, we may incur substantial expenses and the defense of such claims may divert considerable attention of our management team from the normal operation of our business.
The success of our business depends in large part on our ability to protect and enforce our intellectual property rights.
We rely on a combination of patent, copyright, service mark, trademark and trade secret laws, as well as confidentiality procedures and contractual restrictions, to establish and protect our proprietary rights, all of which provide only limited protection. We endeavor to enter into agreements with our employees and contractors and with parties with whom we do business in order to limit access to and disclosure of our proprietary information. We cannot be certain that the steps we have taken will prevent unauthorized use of our technology or the reverse engineering of our technology. Moreover, we may not have adequate resources to devote to obtaining new intellectual property protection for our technology and products, defending our existing rights, or maintaining the security of our know-how and data. We cannot make assurances that any additional patents will be issued with respect to any of our pending or future patent applications, nor can we assure that any patent issued to us will provide adequate protection, or that any patents issued to us will not be challenged, invalidated, circumvented, or held to be unenforceable in actions against alleged infringers. Also, we cannot make assurances that any future trademark or service mark registrations will be issued with respect to pending or future applications or that any of our registered trademarks and service marks will be enforceable or provide adequate protection of our proprietary rights. If we are unable to protect our intellectual property rights, or if we must engage in costly and time-consuming litigation to enforce our rights, our results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.
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Our use of open source software could limit our ability to sell our products, subject our code to public disclosure or require us to reengineer our products.
We use open source software in certain of our products, and it is also contained in some third-party software that we license. There are many types of open source licenses, some of which have not been interpreted or adjudicated by U.S. or other courts. Our use of open source licenses could limit our ability to sell our products or subject our proprietary code to public disclosure if not properly managed. Remediation of such issues may involve licensing software on costly or unfavorable terms or reengineering our products, either of which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
We are subject to taxation in multiple jurisdictions. Any adverse development in the tax laws of any of these jurisdictions or any disagreement with our tax positions could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
We are subject to taxation in, and to the tax laws and regulations of, multiple jurisdictions as a result of the international scope of our operations and our corporate entity structure. We are also subject to transfer pricing laws with respect to our intercompany transactions, including those relating to the flow of funds among our companies. Adverse developments in these laws or regulations, or any change in position regarding the application, administration or interpretation thereof, in any applicable jurisdiction, could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. In addition, the tax authorities in any applicable jurisdiction, including the U.S., may disagree with the positions we have taken or intend to take regarding the tax treatment or characterization of any of our transactions. If any applicable tax authorities, including U.S. tax authorities, were to successfully challenge the tax treatment or characterization of any of our transactions, it could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Taxing authorities may successfully assert that we should have collected or in the future should collect sales and use, value added or similar taxes, and we could be subject to liability with respect to past or future sales.
In certain cases, we have concluded that we do not need to collect sales and use, value added and similar taxes in jurisdictions in which we have sales or operations. Certain jurisdictions in which we do not collect such taxes have asserted, and may in the future assert, that such taxes are applicable, which could result in tax assessments, penalties and interest, and we may be required to collect such taxes in the future. Certain jurisdictions in which we do not collect such taxes may assert that such taxes are applicable, which could result in tax assessments, penalties and interest, and we may be required to collect such taxes in the future. Such tax assessments, penalties and interest or future requirements may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
As an example, we recently received an audit assessment from the State of Washington related to potential sales tax liabilities in that state. Refer to Footnote 11, Commitments and Contingencies, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this 10-K for more information. Although we are disputing the assessment and believe we have a strong position that our activities are not taxable under applicable law, we may not be successful in having the assessment reversed, which would have an adverse effect on our financial condition. Although we have taken steps to mitigate the impact of these changes on our business, there can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain panels of sufficient size and scope to provide the quality of marketing intelligence that our customers demand from our products.
Risks Related to International Operations
Our business is susceptible to risks associated with international operations.
Conducting international operations subjects us to risks that we generally do not face in the U.S. These risks include:
•recruitment and maintenance of a sufficiently large and representative panel both globally and in certain countries;
•difficulties and expenses associated with tailoring our products to local and international markets as may be required by local customers and joint industry committees or similar industry organizations;
•difficulties in expanding the adoption of our server- or census-based web beacon data collection in certain countries or obtaining access to other necessary data sources;
•the complexities and expense of complying with a wide variety of foreign laws and regulations, including the GDPR, other privacy, AI and data protection laws and regulations, and foreign anti-corruption laws, as well as the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and U.S. sanctions regime;
•difficulties in staffing and managing international operations, including complex and costly hiring, disciplinary, and termination requirements as well as third-party contracting arrangements;
•the complexities of foreign value-added taxes and the repatriation of earnings;
•reduced or varied protection for intellectual property rights in some countries;
•political, social and economic instability abroad, terrorist attacks and security concerns;
•fluctuations in currency exchange rates that have affected and could continue to affect our results of operations; and
•increased accounting and reporting burdens and complexities.
Additionally, operating in international markets requires significant additional management attention and financial resources. We cannot be certain that the investments and additional resources required to maintain operations in other countries will hold their value or produce desired levels of revenues or profitability. We cannot be certain that the investments and additional resources required to establish and maintain operations in other countries will hold their value or produce desired levels of revenues or profitability. We cannot be certain that we will be able to comply with laws, rules, regulations
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or local guidelines to maintain or increase the size of the user panels that we currently have in various countries, that we will be able to recruit a representative sample for our audience measurement products or that we will be able to enter into arrangements with a sufficient number of website and mobile app content providers and/or television operators to allow us to collect information for inclusion in our products. In addition, governmental authorities in various countries have different views regarding regulatory oversight of the internet, data protection, AI and consumer privacy. The impact of these risks could negatively affect our international business and, consequently, our financial condition and results of operations.
Export controls and economic and trade sanctions laws could impair our ability to compete in international markets and subject us to liability if we are not in full compliance with applicable laws.
Our business activities include the sale of services and collection of data from panelists around the world, and such activities may be subject to various restrictions under U.S. export controls and economic and trade sanctions laws. If we fail to comply with these laws and regulations, we could be subject to civil or criminal penalties and reputational harm.
Although we take precautions to prevent the collection of data from panelists in embargoed countries and regions that may be subject to export controls and economic and trade sanctions under these laws and regulations, we have collected such data in the past, and there is a risk that we could collect such data in the future despite our precautions.24Table of ContentsAlthough we take precautions to prevent the collection of data from panelists in embargoed countries and regions that may be subject to export controls and economic and trade sanctions under these laws and regulations, we have collected such data in the past, and there is a risk that we could collect such data in the future despite our precautions. We have implemented a number of screening and other measures designed to prevent transactions with embargoed countries and other U.S. sanctions targets. Changes in the list of embargoed countries and regions or prohibited persons may require us to modify these procedures in order to comply with governmental regulations. Our failure to screen potential panelists, customers, vendors or other third parties properly could result in negative consequences to us, including government investigations, penalties and reputational harm, any of which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. Our failure to screen potential panelists or other third parties properly could result in negative consequences to us, including government investigations, penalties and reputational harm, any of which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Changes in foreign currencies could have a significant effect on our operating results.
We operate in numerous countries in Latin America, Europe and Asia. A portion of our revenues and expenses from business operations in foreign countries are derived from transactions denominated in currencies other than the functional currency of our operations in those countries. As such, we have exposure to changes in exchange rates associated with revenues and operating expenses of our foreign operations, and these changes have impacted our results in prior periods. We do not currently enter into any hedging instruments that hedge foreign currency exchange rate risk. If we grow our international operations, if we acquire companies with established business in international regions, or if exchange rates become more variable, our exposure to foreign currency risk could become more significant.
Risks Related to Our Capital Structure and Financings
The holders of our Preferred Stock have significance influence over the Company, may prevent other stockholders from influencing significant corporate decisions, and may have interests that conflict with those of our other stockholders.
In 2021, we entered into separate Series B Convertible Preferred Stock Purchase Agreements (collectively, the "Securities Purchase Agreements") with each of Charter Communications Holding Company, LLC ("Charter"), Qurate Retail, Inc. ("Qurate") and Pine Investor, LLC ("Pine"). In 2023, Qurate sold its shares of Preferred Stock to Liberty Broadband Corporation ("Liberty") in a private transaction. We collectively refer to Charter, Pine and Qurate/Liberty (as applicable) as the "Investors" in this 10-K.
The issuance of securities pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreements and related matters were approved by our stockholders and completed in 2021. In connection with these transactions, we also entered into a long-term data license with Charter, which was intended to enhance our ability to execute on our strategic plans and growth initiatives.
In 2024, we issued additional shares of Preferred Stock to the Investors in exchange for cancellation of our obligation to pay accrued dividends to the Investors for annual dividend periods ended in 2023 and 2024.
As of December 31, 2024, the Investors were the largest stockholders of the Company, with each Investor's Preferred Stock representing approximately 16.8% of our issued and outstanding Common Stock on an as-converted basis and certain Investors holding (or reporting beneficial ownership of) additional shares of Common Stock beyond their Preferred Stock holdings. This concentration of ownership, together with the voting rights, director designation rights, consent rights and dividend rights described below, has been criticized by certain stockholders, may be perceived negatively by other investors and, as a result, may adversely affect the market price of our Common Stock.
As of December 31, 2024, each Investor's Preferred Stock represented approximately 16.3% of the outstanding voting power of the Company on an as-converted basis. In addition, under our Amended and Restated Stockholders Agreement with the Investors (the "Stockholders Agreement"), each Investor currently has the right to designate two directors to serve on our Board of Directors. Under certain circumstances, an Investor may gain additional designation rights and in some instances, we may even be obligated to increase the size of our Board of Directors to enable an Investor to designate one additional director nominee. Additionally, under certain circumstances, an Investor may gain additional designation rights and in some instances, we may even be obligated to increase the size of our Board of Directors to enable an Investor to designate one additional director nominee. As of the date of this 10-K, each Investor has designated two directors on our Board of Directors, which currently consists of 10 directors. As of the date of this 10-K, each Investor has designated two directors on our Board of Directors.
Pursuant to the Stockholders Agreement, each Investor has consent rights over certain matters. As a result, each Investor is able to influence corporate matters and transactions in a different way than other stockholders.
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As holders of our Preferred Stock, the Investors are entitled to a cumulative dividend at the rate of 7.5% per annum, payable annually in arrears and subject to increase under certain circumstances. In addition, each Investor is entitled to request, and we are obligated to take all actions reasonably necessary to pay, a one-time special dividend equal to the highest amount that our Board of Directors determines can be paid at the applicable time, subject to additional conditions and limitations set forth in the Stockholders Agreement. As described in the Stockholders Agreement, we may be obligated to obtain debt financing in order to effectuate the special dividend.
The interests of the Investors may not always coincide with our interests or the interests of our other stockholders, and the rights described above may delay, deter or prevent acts that would be favored by our other stockholders.25Table of ContentsThe interests of the Investors may not always coincide with our interests or the interests of our other stockholders, and the rights described above may delay, deter or prevent acts that would be favored by our other stockholders. Also, the Investors may seek to cause us to take courses of action that, in their judgment, could enhance their investment in us, but which might involve risks to our other stockholders or adversely affect us or our other stockholders.
Our credit facility may impact our ability to operate our business and secure additional financing in the future, and any failure to meet our debt obligations could adversely affect our business and financial condition.
We have a senior secured financing agreement (the "Credit Agreement") with a borrowing capacity of $60.0 million.We have a senior secured revolving credit agreement (the "Revolving Credit Agreement") with a borrowing capacity of $40.0 million. As of the date of this 10-K, we had outstanding borrowings totaling $45.0 million under the Credit Agreement. As of the date of this 10-K, we had borrowings and letters of credit outstanding under the Revolving Credit Agreement totaling $19.2 million. Amounts outstanding under the Credit Agreement are made at the Adjusted Term SOFR rate or the Reference Rate (each as defined in the Credit Agreement) and bear interest at a rate per annum equal to (i) the Adjusted Term SOFR rate, subject to a 3.0% floor, plus an applicable margin of 7.0%, or (ii) the Reference Rate, subject to a 4.0% floor, plus an applicable margin of 6.0%. As of December 31, 2024, the applicable interest rate was 11.59039%. In addition, the Credit Agreement provides for an unused commitment fee equal to 1.0% per annum of the unused revolving commitments. In addition, the Revolving Credit Agreement provides for an unused commitment fee equal to 0.25% of the unused commitments. The Credit Agreement matures in December 2028.
Amounts outstanding under the Credit Agreement must be prepaid from time to time with the net cash proceeds of certain debt incurrences, equity issuances, asset sales and other dispositions, insurance and condemnation proceeds, tax refunds and other extraordinary receipts. Additionally, we may be required to prepay the loans annually with Excess Cash Flow (as defined in the Credit Agreement) at specified percentages. Certain payments may be subject to prepayment premiums.
Servicing and repaying our indebtedness under the Credit Agreement could divert resources from other priorities, including investment in our products and operations and satisfaction of other financial obligations. If our cash flow from operations is inadequate to allow us to pay the interest and principal on our debt when due and meet our other financial obligations, we could face substantial liquidity challenges.
Under the Credit Agreement, we are subject to restrictive covenants limiting our ability to, among other things, incur additional indebtedness and liens, make investments and loans, enter into mergers and acquisitions, make or declare dividends and other payments, enter into certain contracts, sell assets, and engage in transactions with affiliates.Under the Revolving Credit Agreement, we are subject to restrictive covenants limiting our ability to, among other things, incur additional indebtedness, permit additional liens, make investments and loans, enter into mergers and acquisitions, make or declare dividends and other payments, enter into certain contracts, sell assets, and engage in transactions with affiliates. These covenants could limit our operating flexibility and cause us to forego attractive business opportunities, which could hurt our customer relationships and put us at a competitive disadvantage. The covenants also could prevent us from securing additional financing in the future, including to fund our operations, satisfy liabilities, or pay dividends to the holders of our Preferred Stock. With respect to dividends in particular, the Credit Agreement prohibits the payment of cash dividends to holders of our Preferred Stock prior to April 1, 2026 and imposes certain limitations on cash dividends, including a heightened liquidity requirement, on and after that date.
In addition, we are subject to financial covenants under the Credit Agreement, including a requirement to maintain a maximum Senior Leverage Ratio and minimum Liquidity (each as defined in the Credit Agreement) during the term of the facility.
If we fail to meet our obligations under the Credit Agreement, the lender(s) may accelerate any amounts outstanding under the Credit Agreement and may terminate their commitments to extend further credit.If we fail to meet our obligations under the Revolving Credit Agreement, the lender(s) may accelerate any amounts outstanding under the Revolving Credit Agreement and may terminate their commitments to extend further credit. This could have important consequences for our company, including requiring us to restructure or refinance our debt (which we may be unable to do on acceptable terms or at all), dispose of assets or, potentially, enter into liquidation or bankruptcy.
We may require additional capital to support our business, and this capital may not be available on acceptable terms or at all.
We intend to continue to make investments to support our business growth and may require additional funds to respond to business challenges, including the need to meet our outstanding financial obligations, develop new products or enhance our existing products, enhance our operating infrastructure, retain and hire key personnel, and acquire complementary businesses and technologies. In addition, as described above, the holders of our Preferred Stock have certain dividend rights, including the right to request a special dividend. Accordingly, we may need to engage in equity or debt financings to secure additional funds. If we raise additional funds through further issuances of equity or convertible debt securities, our existing stockholders could suffer significant dilution, and any new securities we issue could have rights, preferences and privileges superior to those of holders of our Common Stock. Any financing secured by us in the future could include restrictive covenants relating to our capital raising activities and other financial and operational matters, which may make it more difficult for us to obtain additional capital and to pursue business opportunities, including potential acquisitions. We also may be required to repay amounts outstanding under our existing Credit Agreement, together with applicable prepayment premiums, with the proceeds of future financings. Repaying our existing debt obligations and servicing future debt obligations could limit our flexibility to invest in the business and adjust to market conditions, which could impact our customer relationships and place us at a competitive disadvantage. Repaying our existing debt obligations and servicing future debt obligations could also limit our flexibility to invest in the business and adjust to market conditions, which could impact our customer relationships and place us at a competitive disadvantage.
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Capital and credit market conditions, adverse events affecting our business or industry, the tightening of lending standards, rising interest rates, negative actions by regulatory authorities or rating agencies, or other factors also could negatively impact our ability to obtain future financing on terms acceptable to us or at all. If we are unable to obtain adequate financing or financing on terms satisfactory to us when we require it, our ability to support our business growth, meet our dividend payment obligations, and respond to business challenges could be significantly limited. In addition, the terms of any additional equity or debt issuances may adversely affect the value and price of our Common Stock, our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
General Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock
Our outstanding securities and dividend obligations, the stock or securities that we may issue under existing or future agreements, and certain provisions of those securities, may cause immediate and substantial dilution to our existing stockholders.
Our existing stockholders have experienced and may continue to experience substantial dilution as a result of our obligations to issue shares of Common Stock.Our existing stockholders have and may continue to experience substantial dilution as a result of our obligations to issue shares of Common Stock. As of December 31, 2024, our Preferred Stock was convertible into an aggregate of 4,970,514 shares of Common Stock at the election of the holders. As of December 31, 2023, our Preferred Stock was convertible into an aggregate of 4,614,513 shares of Common Stock at the election of the holders. In addition, holders of Preferred Stock are entitled to a cumulative annual dividend at a rate of 7.5% per annum. The Certificate of Designations of our Preferred Stock permits payment of annual dividends in the form of cash, shares of Common Stock, additional shares of Preferred Stock (which would be convertible into shares of Common Stock) or a combination thereof, subject to conditions set forth in the Certificate of Designations. As described above, however, our Credit Facility prohibits the payment of cash dividends on the Preferred Stock prior to April 1, 2026 and imposes certain limitations on cash dividends on and after that date. These restrictions make it more likely that we may become obligated to pay annual dividends on the Preferred Stock in the form of securities.
As of December 31, 2024, 99,469 shares of Common Stock were reserved for issuance pursuant to outstanding stock options under our equity incentive plans (including stock option awards we assumed in the Shareablee acquisition), 381,631 shares of Common Stock were reserved for issuance pursuant to outstanding restricted stock unit and deferred stock unit awards under our equity incentive plans and arrangements (including Shareablee plan awards and an employment inducement award we granted in 2021), and 837,438 shares of Common Stock were available for future equity awards under our 2018 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan.As of December 31, 2023, 108,663 shares of Common Stock were reserved for issuance pursuant to outstanding stock options under our equity incentive plans (including stock option awards we assumed in the Shareablee acquisition), 313,724 shares of Common Stock were reserved for issuance pursuant to outstanding restricted stock unit and deferred stock unit awards under our equity incentive plans and arrangements (including Shareablee plan awards and an employment inducement award we granted in 2021), and 340,728 shares of Common Stock were available for future equity awards under our 2018 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan.
The issuance of shares of Common Stock (i) upon the conversion of or payment of dividends on our Preferred Stock, (ii) pursuant to outstanding and future equity awards, or (iii) upon the conversion of other existing or future convertible securities, may result in substantial dilution to each of our stockholders by reducing that stockholder's percentage ownership of our outstanding Common Stock.
Actions of activist stockholders may disrupt our business and cause fluctuations in our stock price.
We have been and may in the future be subject to legal and business challenges in the operation of our Company due to actions instituted by activist stockholders, such as stockholder proposals, media campaigns and proxy contests. Responding to proxy contests and other actions by activist stockholders, including related litigation, can be costly and time-consuming, disrupt our operations and divert the attention of our Board of Directors and senior management from the pursuit of business strategies, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. Additionally, perceived uncertainties as to our future direction or potential changes to the composition of our Board of Directors as a result of stockholder activism may lead to the perception of an adverse change in the direction of our business, loss of potential business opportunities, instability or lack of management or oversight continuity. These uncertainties may be more acute or heightened if an activist stockholder seeks to change a majority of the Board of Directors or ultimately desires to acquire the Company. Actions by activist stockholders may be exploited by our competitors, cause concern to our current or potential customers and vendors, be interpreted as an increase in risk associated with current or future financing, make it more difficult to attract and retain qualified personnel and create adverse uncertainty for our employees. In addition, actions of activist stockholders may cause significant fluctuations in our stock price based on temporary or speculative market perceptions or other factors that do not necessarily reflect the underlying fundamentals and prospects of our business.
Provisions in our certificate of incorporation, bylaws and under Delaware law might discourage, delay or prevent a change of control of our company or changes in our management and, therefore, depress the trading price of our Common Stock.
Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws contain provisions that could depress the trading price of our Common Stock by acting to discourage, delay or prevent a change of control of our company or changes in our management that the stockholders of our company may deem advantageous. These provisions:
•provide for a classified Board of Directors so that not all members of our Board are elected at one time;
•authorize "blank check" preferred stock that our Board could issue to increase the number of outstanding shares to discourage a takeover attempt;
•prohibit stockholder action by written consent, which means that all stockholder actions must be taken at a meeting of our stockholders;
•prohibit stockholders from calling a special meeting of our stockholders;
•provide that our Board is expressly authorized to make, alter or repeal our bylaws; and
25
•provide for advance notice requirements for nominations for elections to our Board or for proposing matters that can be acted upon by stockholders at stockholder meetings.
In addition, we are subject to Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which prohibits a Delaware corporation from engaging in any of a broad range of business combinations with any "interested" stockholder for a period of three years following the date on which the stockholder became an "interested" stockholder and which may discourage, delay or prevent a change of control of our company.
ITEM 1B. | UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS |
None.
ITEM 1C. | CYBERSECURITY |
We have aligned our information security management system to the International Organization for Standardization ("ISO") 27001 standard and our privacy management system to the ISO 27701 standard. An outside auditor tests the effectiveness of our security and privacy controls against the ISO 27001 and 27701 standards on an annual basis. We also undergo client security audits and cybersecurity program assessments by outside consultants, and we regularly update our program and processes to incorporate recommendations from auditors, consultants and other experts. Finally, we maintain a third-party risk management process that includes screening and evaluation by the Information Security team of service providers who will have access to our systems or confidential information, in order to identify and manage cybersecurity risks associated with our use of such providers.
Our executive leadership team is responsible for designing and implementing our enterprise risk management program, with input from our Chief Product Officer, Chief Operating Officer, General Counsel and other security and privacy personnel regarding material risks from cybersecurity threats.Our executive leadership team is responsible for designing and implementing our enterprise risk management program, with input from our Chief Information Officer, General Counsel and other security and privacy personnel regarding material risks from cybersecurity threats. The executive leadership team regularly discusses security threat trends; incident trends, including any significant incidents that may arise; risk mitigation; and overall security strategy as part of our enterprise security governance process. We consult with outside counsel as appropriate, including on materiality analyses and disclosure matters, and our senior management makes the final materiality determinations and disclosure and other compliance decisions. Our management apprises our independent public accounting firm of any relevant developments.
We have experienced, and may in the future experience, cybersecurity incidents. While prior incidents have not materially affected our business strategy, results of operations or financial condition to date, and although our processes are designed to help prevent, detect and mitigate the impact of such incidents, we cannot guarantee that a future security incident would not materially affect our strategy, results of operations or financial condition. For more information on our cybersecurity related risks, see Item 1A, "Risk Factors" of this 10-K.
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