Netflix to triple London office space as it cashes in on British success stories October 9, 2020 Netflix is set to massively expand its London office space as the US streaming giant doubles down on its commitment to the UK. The streamer will triple its footprint to 100,000 square feet when it moves into the Copyright Building in the West End. Netflix is taking over the lease from outsourcing giant Capita, which [...]
London investment firm Centricus makes surprise entry into Tiktok takeover race October 9, 2020 A little-known British investment firm has reportedly emerged as a shock bidder for Tiktok as it looks to derail Oracle’s tie-up with the Chinese viral video app. London-based Centricus Asset Management has been in negotiations with the chief executive of Tiktok’s parent company Bytedance for weeks, the Wall Street Journal reported. The firm is said [...]
Facebook issues temporary ban on political ads after US election October 8, 2020 Facebook will stop running political ads in the US after polls close on 3 November in a bid to prevent “confusion or abuse” in the aftermath of the presidential election. The social media giant said the temporary ban marked its efforts to “protect the integrity of the election by fighting foreign interference, misinformation and voter [...]
Huawei: ‘Clear evidence’ of collusion with Beijing, MPs warn October 8, 2020 There is “clear evidence of collusion” between Chinese tech giant Huawei and authorities in Beijing, top MPs have warned. In a report published today parliament’s defence committee claimed Huawei was “closely linked” to the Chinese state and the Communist Party. It also cited concerns about Huawei’s receipt of state subsidies and Chinese intelligence laws that [...]
Cambridge Analytica did not misuse data to influence Brexit, watchdog rules October 7, 2020 Disgraced political consultancy Cambridge Analytica did not misuse data to try and influence the outcome of the 2016 Brexit referendum, a major probe has concluded. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has spent three years investigating the use of personal data in political campaigning by the now defunct SCL Elections — the parent company of Cambridge [...]
Beyond Imagination: What’s next for the scandal-hit British chipmaker? October 7, 2020 Imagination Technologies this week confirmed the appointment of telecoms veteran Simon Beresford-Wylie as its next chief executive, marking a new chapter for the British chipmaker. The Hertfordshire-based tech firm has been no stranger to scandal in recent months, with MPs lashing out at the company’s ties to a major investor linked to the Chinese state. [...]
Citigroup fires employee who ran QAnon conspiracy website October 7, 2020 Citigroup has sacked an employee in its technology department after it emerged he ran a popular website dedicated to the QAnon conspiracy theory. Jason Gelinas, who worked as an information technology specialist, was identified by fact checking website Logically.ai as the operator of the website QMap.pub. He was initially placed on leave from the investment [...]
Bill Gates issues warning over spread of ‘titillating untruths’ on social media October 6, 2020 Bill Gates today took aim at social media platforms for allowing the spread of misinformation relating to the coronavirus pandemic. The business mogul said the Covid-19 crisis had highlighted the “urgent” need to crack down misleading and false information online, which he said spread “so much faster than the truth”. “There’s certainly a human weakness [...]
Facebook removes Trump post claiming flu is more deadly than Covid-19 October 6, 2020 Facebook today removed a post by US President Donald Trump in which he falsely claimed that seasonal flu was more deadly than coronavirus. The social media site removed the post as it breached its policies on misinformation related to Covid-19. In the post Trump falsely claimed that the flu sometimes killed more than 100,000 Americans [...]
Software mogul John McAfee arrested on US tax evasion charges October 6, 2020 Controversial tech millionaire John McAfee has been arrested in Spain on US charges of tax evasion. The anti-virus mogul, who founded software company McAfee, allegedly failed to file tax returns despite earning millions from promoting cryptocurrencies, speaking engagements and selling the rights to his life story for a documentary. McAfee faces extradition to the US [...]