Meta strikes AMD chip deal as AI spend continues to boom Tech Meta has agreed a multiyear deal to buy up to six gigawatts of AI computing power from AMD, in an agreement valued at more than $100bn (£74.5bn) that could see the social media group take a stake of up to 10 per cent in the US chip giant. The companies said on Tuesday that Meta [...]
UK under-16s social media ban could land before year end Tech Sir Keir Starmer is considering banning under-16s from social media within months, as ministers crack down on children’s online activity following a deepfake scandal on Elon Musk’s Grok. The prime minister has insisted that “no platform gets a free pass” on child safety, with a formal consultation on tougher social media protections launching in March. [...]
Meta, Apple, Microsoft, Tesla: Big Tech earnings set to test AI bets Tech This week marks one of the most consequential stretches of tech earnings season, with results due from Meta, Microsoft, Tesla and Apple, four giants that sit at the heart of both the market rally and the debate over whether Big Tech’s vast AI spending will ultimately pay off. It is the second-busiest week of the fourth-quarter earnings season, with 103 [...]
The Debate: Should the UK ban social media for under-16s? January 21, 2026 As the UK launches a consultation into a social media ban for under-16s, we hear the arguments for and against in this week's Debate.
After Grok, should the UK opt for an Australia-style social media ban? January 13, 2026 When, in December, Australia enacted a nationwide ban of social media platforms for under-16s, critics called it heavy-handed, and easy to bypass. This week, as Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok flooded the social media platform, X, with AI-generated explicit photos of women and girls, some even involving minors, that argument begins to lose its legs. [...]
Big Tech braces as Keir Starmer flirts with Australia-style social media ban December 22, 2025 According to reports, Keir Starmer is weighing up an Australia-style ban on social media for under-16s, as ministers reassess how far the UK should go in regulating online platforms for kids. The prime minister has previously said he was “personally” opposed to a blanket ban, arguing that the focus should be on controlling content instead. [...]
Valentino proves AI has no place in advertising December 2, 2025 Italian fashion house Valentino has received mounting backlash after posting a series of AI-generated adverts on Instagram. What was billed as a ‘digital creative project’ instead set off a minor revolt in its comments section, where followers lined up to dub the visuals as “cheap”, “tacky”, “lazy”, and perhaps the most cutting barb for a [...]
Alarming rise of social media use among toddlers December 2, 2025 Almost 800,000 children under the age of five are now likely to be using social media platforms in the UK, intensifying concerns around the country’s ability to protect the younger generation online. The figures, based of Ofcom’s recent research, reveal an alarming rise in very young children using platforms intended for teenagers or adults. It [...]
Facebook cuts 660 UK jobs as revenue nears record November 3, 2025 Facebook cut more than 600 UK jobs as its revenue passed the £3bn mark in 2024, it has been revealed. The London-headquartered arm of the US giant reduced its headcount from 6,338 to 5,679 during its latest financial year. The fall comes after Facebook’s UK headcount had stood at 7,053 at the end of 2022. [...]
Liz Kendall wraps cyberflashing into Online Safety Act September 29, 2025 Social media giants will be forced to crack down on cyberflashing under new duties to be announced by technology secretary Liz Kendall at the Labour Party conference. The move will see unsolicited nude images and videos classified as a “priority offence” under the Online Safety Act, placing strict new obligations on platforms to detect and [...]