Boardroom Uncovered: Can we trust the reviews on Trustpilot? August 20, 2025 Since Trustpilot was founded in 2007 by Peter Holten Mühlmann, the company has set about becoming a household name and, for many, a go-to destination to find out more about what others think of particular companies and experiences. Now, Trustpilot’s CEO has insisted that the reviews site “isn’t perfect” but wants to be “the universal [...]
Should we be worried about Instagram’s map feature? August 20, 2025 Instagram’s new location-sharing feature, dubbed ‘Instagram Map’, has been rolled out to 170m users, but a journey through the platform reveals a perplexing reality: it’s a digital ghost town. While Instagram’s parent, Meta, has billed the feature as a “new, light way to connect”, many users are finding themselves alone on the map, prompting a [...]
Brits call for VPN ban for minors to curb Online Safety Act loopholes August 20, 2025 A majority of Britons believe children under 18 should be banned from using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) following a recent surge, a survey has found. Research from YouGov found that 55 per cent of the public supports a ban for minors, while only 20 per cent think they should be allowed to use them. This [...]
Databricks rides AI boom to $100bn after new funding August 20, 2025 Analytics platform Databricks has sealed a fresh funding round that is set to catapult its valuation over $100bn. The data and AI heavyweight has signed a term sheet for Series K Funding – a type of advanced, late-stage financing – which is expected to close shortly. Whilst details of the raise have not been disclosed [...]
UK backs down on plans to force Apple to share encrypted user data August 19, 2025 The British government has backed down on plans to force Apple to share encrypted user data, according to President Trump’s intelligence chief. Tulsi Gabbard told the Financial Times that the government has agreed to abandon its demands for a “back door” for data. US vice-president JD Vance reportedly intervened to broker the exemption for the [...]
End of Windows 10 support will trigger wave of upgrades, Westcoast says August 18, 2025 A withdrawal of support for Windows 10 is likely to trigger a rush to upgrade systems before the deadline, the UK’s biggest IT supplier has said as it posted a jump in sales. The Windows 10 operating system, which was introduced by Microsoft in July 2015, will no longer be supported from October 14 2025 [...]
Is Perplexity’s $34.5bn bid for Google Chrome strictly a power move? August 17, 2025 Artificial intelligence start-up Perplexity AI has made an unsolicited $34.5bn (£25.4bn) all-cash offer for Google’s Chrome browser, in a move that some analysts say is as much about signalling intent as it is about striking a deal. The San Francisco-based company revealed the bid on Tuesday, reported Reuters, claiming it had secured backing from several [...]
Plusnet cuts jobs as sales and profit slashed August 15, 2025 Plusnet cut more than 100 jobs as its sales and profit were slashed during its latest financial year, it has been revealed. The Sheffield-headquartered broadband provider, which is owned by BT, has posted a turnover of £342.4m for the 12 months to 31 March, 2025, down from the £401.8m it achieved in the year before. Plusnet [...]
Peter Kyle defends UK free speech record after US report attacks Online Safety Act August 14, 2025 Tech secretary Peter Kyle has pushed back against a damning US government report accusing the UK of backsliding on human rights and curbing freedom of expression under Labour. The annual State Department dossier, published on Tuesday, warned that Britain’s human rights record had “worsened during the year” amid “serious restrictions on freedom of expression”, and [...]
Here are five British tech startups to look out for August 14, 2025 A new cohort of Future Fifty tech firms is demonstrating exponential growth and attracting significant investment, reinforcing London’s position as a hub for dynamic scale-ups in this space. These companies are making headlines across diverse sectors, from AI to environmental technology. The talent is emerging from UK universities, but the challenge for these firms is [...]