New tech regulation mustn’t be allowed to stifle innovation June 3, 2021 There is scarcely any market that could not be described as digital in 2021. In ten years time, the phrase ‘digital market’ will be, effectively, redundant. We should be concerned, then, by the creation of a powerful new regulator with a remit to cover all ‘digital markets’. Read more: UK says any global tax deal [...]
Facebook and Google lobby UK to block Paul Dacre as Ofcom chair May 25, 2021 Facebook and Google are said to have ramped up their lobbying of the UK government amid fears Paul Dacre could be appointed as the next chair of Ofcom. Dacre, the former editor of Daily Mail, has been tipped as the frontrunner to lead the UK’s media watchdog. He is one of four final candidates set [...]
EU to demand tougher pledges from tech giants over fake news May 19, 2021 Tech giants such as Facebook and Google will be forced to make firmer pledges to crack down on misinformation on their platforms on new rules being prepared by the EU. The European Commission is planning to hold social media firms more responsible for curbing the money they make through advertising placed next to false information. [...]
Queen’s speech: Anger over social media safety laws as online scams excluded May 11, 2021 Campaigners have hit out at the government’s decision not to include scams in new legislation aimed at stamping out online harms. Plans to hold tech firms liable for harmful material posted to their platforms moved forward today after the Online Safety Bill was confirmed in the Queen’s Speech. The draft laws will force companies such [...]
City A.M. TV: Daily Market Snapshot (video) April 26, 2021 Since early April, US equity markets have been in a persistent uptrend. That’s been is aided and abetted by (i) notable US dollar weakness; (ii) lower bond yields (resulting in tech outperformance); and (iii) a strong Q1 earnings season, with most US companies surprising markets to the upside. In that respect, and while US equity indices [...]
Screenshot: Is the Super League the biggest PR disaster of all time? April 23, 2021 This week **Media Moment of the Week: Radio loses a legend **Is the Super League the biggest PR disaster of all time? **Is Netflix’s pandemic party finally over? Media Moment of the Week: Radio loses a legend For many Brits, radio has been a much-needed source of entertainment (and company) during the pandemic. But long [...]
UK to force tech firms to disclose device security plans amid cyber fears April 21, 2021 Tech firms could be forced to tell customers how long their products will be guaranteed to receive security updates under draft new laws outlined today. Manufacturers including Apple, Samsung and Google would have to make upfront disclosures for smart devices such as phones, speakers, fridges and doorbells. The plans form part of efforts to beef [...]
Daily Mail files competition lawsuit against Google over royal coverage April 20, 2021 The Daily Mail has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google over allegations the tech giant unfairly manipulated its rankings in search results. In the suit filed in Manhattan federal court, the newspaper’s parent company accused Google of punishing publishers’ search rankings if they do not sell enough advertising space through Google’s marketplace. The Daily Mail’s [...]
UK must make tech firms pay for news, says competition watchdog April 13, 2021 The UK must introduce a new code to ensure news publishers are fairly compensated for the use of their stories on tech platforms, the competition watchdog has said. Daniel Gordon, senior director of markets at the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), said his organisation agreed with the principles behind a new Australian law requiring tech [...]
Google accused of insider trading over secret digital ads programme April 12, 2021 Google has been accused of insider trading in the digital advertising market through its use of a secret programme that allegedly gave it an unfair advantage over rivals. Court documents filed in a Texas lawsuit state the scheme, dubbed Project Bernanke, used access to data about past bids in Google’s advertising exchange to give it [...]