Google to pay UK publishers for news as global pressure mounts February 10, 2021 Google has inked a licensing deal with more than 120 UK publications as pressure mounts on tech giants to pay publishers for news. The launch of Google News Showcase, part of the company’s pledge to invest $1bn (£750m) in news worldwide, means publishers will be paid for excerpts that appear in its search results. The [...]
Screenshot: How Amazon set up shop on cloud nine February 5, 2021 This week **Media Moment of the Week: Parish the thought **How Amazon set up shop on cloud nine **Will BT look to the stars? Media Moment of the Week: Parish the thought Anyone who thinks local politics is boring has clearly never attended a meeting of the Handforth Parish Council Planning and Environment Committee. Or [...]
Google owner Alphabet beats revenue estimates as cloud losses grow February 2, 2021 Google parent company Alphabet beat revenue expectations for the fourth quarter, but revealed hefty losses in its cloud computing division. The tech giant posted revenue of $56.9bn (£41.7bn) in the final three months of the year, up from $46bn in the same period last year. Alphabet said the figures were driven by strong performance from [...]
It’s game over for Alphabet’s Loon balloon broadband adventure January 22, 2021 Alphabet, the parent company of Google, said last night it will shut down its high-altitude broadband connectivity venture Loon. The announcement is at odds with its recent successful endeavours. Loon raised $125m from a SoftBank unit in 2019, and in April 2020 it launched the first balloons to provide commercial connectivity service to Kenyans following [...]
Biden mulls creation of competition tsar amid tech probes January 20, 2021 The administration of incoming US President Joe Biden is said to be mulling the creation of a new White House role focused on competition issues amid a string of probes into tech giants. The Biden administration is still weighing up the role, which could be based in the White House or focus on coordinating actions [...]
Screenshot: Is social media heading for a new era of privacy? January 15, 2021 A weekly column from City A.M. bringing you all the biggest stories and trends in technology, media and telecoms This week **Media Moment of the Week: CNN’s crowbar correction **Whatsapp’s privacy exodus **Music touring: A victim of Brexit? Media Moment of the Week Given the extent of the carnage at the Capitol last week, reporters [...]
Google completes $2.1bn Fitbit takeover after antitrust probe January 14, 2021 Google today said it has completed its $2.1bn (£1.5bn) takeover of Fitbit, more than a year after the deal was announced. The tie-up was subjected to a lengthy investigation by regulators amid concerns about Google’s market power and the use of people’s health data in targeted advertising. But the European Commission last month cleared the [...]
Technology companies dominate list of best places to work in the UK January 13, 2021 Here's the list of best places to work in the UK, and these tech firms dominate
CMA to investigate Google over anti-competitive ‘Sandbox’ behaviour January 8, 2021 The competition watchdog has launched an investigation into alleged anti-competitive behaviour following proposed changes to its so-called ‘Privacy Sandbox’. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) probe was launched following a string of complaints, including from the Marketers for an Open Web group, which argue Google is abusing its market power. “Google’s Privacy Sandbox proposals will [...]
Google workers to form union after string of protests January 4, 2021 Hundreds of Google employees in the US have formed a union, marking a rare example of organisation in Silicon Valley. More than 200 staff members have signed up to the Alphabet Workers Union (AWU), which also represents other companies owned by Google’s parent group. The union, which is supported by the Communications Workers of America, [...]