Google pays up as antitrust scrutiny heightens May 13, 2025 Google’s recent settlement of $1.38bn (£1.05bn) with the state of Texas marks a significant moment in the tech titan’s ongoing legal battles over both privacy violations and anti-competitive practices. The settlement, which resolves two major lawsuits filed in 2022, accused Google of secretly collecting biometric data such as facial recognition and local tracking, without user [...]
Elton John, Dua Lipa and Sir Ian McKellen among superstars urging Starmer to stop AI copyright threat May 10, 2025 Leading figures in the UK’s creative industry including Elton John, Dua Lipa, Paul McCartney and Sir Ian McKellen have urged the Prime Minister to strengthen copyright protections in the age of AI. Coldplay, Robbie Williams and Kate Bush are also among the more than 400 signatories of an open letter to Sir Keir Starmer, which [...]
EU targets TikTok in escalating global tech crackdown May 2, 2025 Tiktok has been fined €530m (£451.9m) by Ireland’s data watchdog for illegally transferring European user data to China, and failing to properly inform users. The landmark ruling intensifies the EU’s scrutiny of global tech firms and their data flows to countries with intrusive surveillance regimes. The fine, the third largest ever under the EU’s general [...]
Microsoft shares jump after AI bets pay off May 1, 2025 Microsoft shares surged over six per cent in after hours trading on Wednesday after the tech giant delivered another quarter of better than expected earnings, driven by its booming cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) businesses. The company posted revenue of $70.1bn (£52.5bn) for the quarter ending in March, up 13 per cent year on year, [...]
Meta surges on bold AI spend – but tariff risks loom May 1, 2025 Meta platforms delivered strong first quarter earnings after market close on Wednesday, with revenue and profit surpassing Wall Street expectations thanks to continued growth in advertising and an aggressive push into AI. But the firm’s exposure to global trade tensions and regulatory headwinds in its European market present a complicated picture for investors evaluating the [...]
EU fines Meta and Apple a combined £600m for breaching digital laws April 23, 2025 The European Commission has imposed significant fines on Apple and Meta, marking the first enforcement actions under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which aims to promote fair competition and enhance consumer choice. Apple has been fined €500m (£428.3m) for restricting app developers from directing users to alternative purchasing options outside its App Store. The commission [...]
What’s going on with Trump’s tech tariffs? April 14, 2025 This weekend, investors got a rare gift from the Trump administration, under the form of a tech tariff reprieve. Or so they thought. True to Trump-era form, the relief came wrapped in mixed messages and policy pivots, causing enough confusion to keep Wall Street analysts scratching heads. After rattling markets with sweeping tariffs on Chinese [...]
Will Zuckerberg have to sell WhatsApp and Instagram? April 14, 2025 Meta Platforms heads to trial on Monday in a landmark antitrust case that could force chief executive Mark Zuckerberg to sell Instagram and WhatsApp – two pillars of its $1.3 trillion (£1 trillion) empire. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has alleged that Meta, then Facebook, illegally bought Instagram in 2012, and WhatsApp two years later, [...]
Google slashes headcount in Android, Chrome and Pixel teams April 11, 2025 Google has laid off several employees across its platforms and devices division – which oversees Android, Pixel hardware, and the Chrome browser – as part of a continued effort to streamline operations and reduce costs. The layoffs, first reported on Friday by The Information, follows a wave of voluntary exits offered to employees in January. [...]
Microsoft cuts UK jobs as sales near £10bn and profit surges April 8, 2025 Microsoft shed more than 200 UK jobs in the year its turnover jumped to almost £10bn, it has been revealed. The US tech giant reduced its headcount from 5,540 to 5,337 in the year to 30 June, 2024, new accounts filed with Companies House show. The reduction comes after Microsoft’s headcount grew from 4,955 in [...]