Online harms laws pose threat to free speech, Lords committee warns July 22, 2021 The government’s plans to crack down on harmful online content pose a threat to freedom of speech and would be ineffective, peers have warned. In a report published today, the House of Lords communications and digital committee slammed plans to address “legal but harmful” material, saying the issue should instead be addressed through tougher law [...]
Fake reviews could be outlawed in consumer protection overhaul July 20, 2021 Paying for someone to write or host fake reviews online could be made illegal under new plans to ramp up protection for consumers. The government has unveiled proposals to crack down on fake reviews as part of a wider package of measures targeting “consumer catfishers” who use dodgy tactics to dupe online shoppers. It has [...]
Ireland holds position against global corporate tax deal July 16, 2021 Ireland said it is pushing to keep its lower tax rates, denying a report that the country would abandon its 12.5 per cent rate for the proposed global rate of 15 per cent. The country’s finance minister, Paschal Donohoe, told RTE yesterday he was “committed” to maintaining his country’s low tax rate as it has [...]
Screenshot: Will a streaming overhaul tidy up the UK’s messy music sector? July 16, 2021 This week: **Media Moment of the Week: ‘Oh fiddlesticks’ **Could a streaming crackdown tidy up Britain’s messy music sector? Media Moment of the Week: ‘Oh fiddlesticks’ In a situation you wouldn’t have thought possible in 2021, the BBC somehow found a man in Nottingham on Monday morning who still didn’t know the result of the [...]
France hits Google with €500m fine in news copyright row July 13, 2021 The French competition watchdog has hit Google with a €500m (£427m) fine for failing to comply fully with temporary orders handed down in a copyright row with news publishers. News outlets including Agence France-Presse (AFP) accused the tech giant of failing to open talks “in good faith” to reach an agreement on remuneration for online [...]
Google boss Sundar Pichai warns that internet freedom is at risk around the world July 12, 2021 Sundar Pichai claims that the free and open internet is under attack in countries around the world. The Google boss said that a lot of countries are restricting information and that the model is often being taken for granted. Pichai argued in a BBC interview that artificial intelligence is more profound than fire, electricity or [...]
Dozens of US states take Google to court over Play Store ‘monopoly’ July 8, 2021 Dozens of U.S. states are suing Google, saying it used unfair practices to maintain a monopoly for its app store on Android phones. Watch the full video report.
Rip-off travel ads ‘rife’ on Google as scammers exploit Brexit confusion July 7, 2021 Rip-off copycat adverts for travel documents are “running rife” on search engines such as Google as unscrupulous sellers look to capitalise on confusion over post-Brexit travel arrangements. An investigation by consumer group Which found scores of copycat ads were appearing for common travel documents such as health cards, visas and international drivers’ licences. These adverts [...]
US tech giants could face $28bn bill from global tax reforms July 5, 2021 US tech giants such as Google and Facebook could face a $28bn (£20bn) bill as part of radical plans to overhaul global corporation tax, new research has revealed. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) last week agreed on a new tax model to ensure companies pay tax in countries where they earn revenue, [...]
Facebook, Google and Twitter threaten to quit Hong Kong over new data laws July 5, 2021 Facebook, Google and Twitter have reportedly threatened to withdraw from Hong Kong if authorities push ahead with planned changes to laws around sharing private information online. The Hong Kong government is considering new rules that could make platforms liable for the malicious sharing of individuals’ information — a practice known as doxing. An industry group [...]