You have been ordering McDonald’s fries wrong your whole life March 21, 2023 Life is full of mysteries, such as how to reconcile quantum mechanics with the general theory of relativity, or how a person can attend a party and simultaneously be unaware that a party is taking place. These are, to quote Donald Rumsfeld, known unknowns. But there are other mysteries lurking in plain sight, strange phenomena [...]
TikTok: Chinese owned firm updates rulebook to include ‘human rights’ commitment as western security fears build March 21, 2023 TikTok has rolled out updated rules and standards for content and users as it faces increasing pressure from western authorities over concerns that material on the Chinese-owned video-sharing app could be used to push false information. The company released a reorganised set of community guidelines that include eight principles to guide content moderation decisions. “These [...]
Pinduoduo: Google pulls China shopping platform from app store after malware discovery March 21, 2023 Google has suspended the Chinese shopping platform Pinduoduo on its app store after malware was discovered in versions of the app from other sources. Google said it suspended the Pinduoduo app on the Google Play store out of “security concerns” and that it was investigating. The suspension of the app – mainly used in China [...]
Broadband firms urged to cancel ‘exorbitant’ mid-contract price hikes for vulnerable customers March 21, 2023 Broadband firms have been urged to cancel “exorbitant” mid-contract price rises for vulnerable customers less than two weeks before they are due to take effect. Millions of broadband and mobile phone customers can expect to face monthly bill increases of at least 14 per cent from April. Providers often link their annual price rises to [...]
Exclusive: MP slams TikTok sponsorship with Women’s Six Nations as ‘disappointing’ amid calls to be wary of app and its data gathering March 20, 2023 A senior UK Parliamentary committee chair has questioned TikTok’s sponsorship of the Women’s Six Nations, calling the deal “disappointing”. Alicia Kearns, MP for Rutland and Melton and chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, told City A.M. of her concerns that the Chinese-owned social media platform is “being promoted through European and British Sport”. The app, [...]
Amazon to sack 9,000 more workers as mass tech job cuts continue March 20, 2023 Amazon is slashing another 9,000 employee job roles worldwide as the tech giant steams ahead with further cost-cutting measures. The firm made staff aware of the job cuts in a note by chief Andy Jassy, who said workers in the Amazon Web Services, human resources, advertising and Twitch units would be most impacted by the [...]
Now the BBC has told staff to delete TikTok from any corporate devices March 20, 2023 The BBC has urged staff to delete TikTok from any corporate devices unless they are using it for editorial and marketing reasons. Guidance sent to staff at the broadcaster on Sunday, as first reported by Deadline, said: “We don’t recommend installing TikTok on a BBC corporate device unless there is a justified business reason. If [...]
CMA: £1.2bn deal with data and software firms will push UP NHS costs and reduce competition March 17, 2023 A £1.2 billion deal between two data management and software companies could push up costs for the NHS by reducing competition, a regulator has found. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) gave UnitedHealth and Emis five days to come up with a plan to mitigate some of its concerns – or risk the watchdog blocking [...]
Vodafone Business CEO steps down as mobile giant battles European sales slowdown March 16, 2023 The chief executive of Vodafone Business will leave the mobile giant at end of this year, it has been announced. Vinod Kumar will continue to run the business until 31 December before pursuing a portfolio career. This comes after the dramatic stepping-down of Vodafone Group’s former CEO Nick Read in December 2022, with Margherita Della [...]
Silicon Valley Bank: US bosses sued for fraud as fallout from collapse begins March 14, 2023 The parent company of Silicon Valley Bank and two of its top bosses are being sued by shareholders who have accused them of hiding the lender’s vulnerabilities to the effects of rising interest rates.