‘Self-regulation ship has sailed’: UK data watchdog targets Facebook after Cambridge Analytica scandal November 6, 2018 Facebook showed a “disturbing level of disrespect” for users whose data was stolen in the Cambridge Analytica scandal, according to the head of the UK’s data watchdog. Information commissioner Elizabeth Denham also called for the tech giant to be regulated, saying she was “astounded” at the sheer amount of personal data held by the social [...]
Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg invited again to appear before MPs investigating fake news October 31, 2018 Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg has been summoned to a special meeting of UK and Canadian MPs to give evidence about ‘fake news’. Conservative MP Damian Collins, chair of parliament’s digital, culture, media and sport committee, has joined forces with his Canadian equivalent, Bob Zimmer, to propose a one-off hearing on 27 November. The social media billionaire [...]
Facebook hit by user drop as European growth falls for a second quarter October 30, 2018 Social media giant Facebook failed to live up to estimates for monthly user growth in its third quarter, as growth remained flat in North America but fell across Europe for the second consecutive quarter in the wake of massive data breaches and tightened regulations. Despite this, its profits outperformed expectations, the firm said tonight. Shares [...]
Apple chief Tim Cook calls for GDPR-style privacy in the US October 24, 2018 Apple chief executive Tim Cook praised EU privacy laws in a rare speech in Brussels today, and demanded that the US follow its lead. Appearing at an international data protection conference, Cook said it was "time for the rest of the world" to get up to speed on data privacy with the EU's General Data Protection [...]
DEBATE: With Nick Clegg joining Facebook, can we expect a new revolving door between politics and Silicon Valley? October 23, 2018 With Nick Clegg joining Facebook, can we expect a new revolving door between politics and Silicon Valley? YES, says Leon Emirali, an entrepreneur and investor. Stifling regulation, immense political upheaval, and very deep pockets have created the perfect environment for a politics/tech merry-go-round. For the Silicon Valley giants, it makes perfect sense to use their [...]
What the Clegg? Facebook taps former Lib Dem leader as its next head of global affairs October 19, 2018 Facebook has hired former Liberal Democrats leader Nick Clegg to be its next head of global affairs and communications, with the ex-politician set to move to Silicon Valley in January. Clegg will take over from the role's former occupant Elliot Schrage, who personally led the search for his replacement after announcing he would be leaving Facebook following [...]
Facebook shareholders call on Zuckerberg to step down as chairman October 17, 2018 Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg is facing pressure to resign his post as chairman following a series of scandals. Several US public funds who own shares in the company have called for Zuckerberg to step down from the role after the social media giant “mishandled” a series of controversies. Facebook was at the centre of [...]
It’s Google versus Facebook in the fight for video dominance October 15, 2018 There’s a battle brewing online. In search of more views, users, and lucrative ad money, Facebook wants to take on Google and steal YouTube’s crown as the dominant video platform. The social media giant is fighting on two fronts. It launched its first assault last year with Facebook Watch, a platform effectively identical to [...]
Facebook hack: 50m accounts affected by data breach September 29, 2018 Social media giant Facebook yesterday confirmed it had been hit by a hack affecting millions of its users' accounts. Attackers were able to exploit a vulnerability in its "view as" feature, leaving around 50m accounts exposed to hackers. The breach was discovered on Tuesday and the police have been informed. Facebook vice president of product management [...]
War of the words: Facebook elite hit back at Whatsapp co-founder September 27, 2018 Whatsapp co-founder Brian Acton has found himself at the centre of a public dispute with former and current Facebook executives, after his criticisms against Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg’s leadership style caused discomfort among the social app’s top brass. Facebook deputy David Marcus labelled Acton’s comments, in which the Whatsapp founder claimed Facebook and Zuckerberg pushed [...]