Fashion giant Zara holds a mirror up to retail disruption Retail Zara is on a mission to be more digital. From AI generated models, to reduced production timelines, to a new AI-powered virtual try-on feature, the moves point to a wider shift within the sector. The Spanish retail giant has spent the last few weeks modernising its strategy, fully embracing AI adoption to cut costs and [...]
UK orders Apple to give access to encrypted iCloud backups Tech The UK government has ordered Apple to give law enforcement access to encrypted iCloud backups of British users, escalating a long-running dispute over data privacy and surveillance powers. The move, first reported by the Financial Times, follows a failed attempt earlier this year to demand global access, which triggered a sharp backlash from Washington. In [...]
Should we be worried about Instagram’s map feature? Tech Instagram’s new location-sharing feature, dubbed ‘Instagram Map’, has been rolled out to 170m users, but a journey through the platform reveals a perplexing reality: it’s a digital ghost town. While Instagram’s parent, Meta, has billed the feature as a “new, light way to connect”, many users are finding themselves alone on the map, prompting a [...]
Government’s privacy dispute with Apple ‘really strange’, expert says April 14, 2025 The government’s position in its privacy and encryption row with Apple is “really strange” and “doesn’t make sense”, an expert has said. Earlier this year, it was reported that the government had issued a notice under the Investigatory Powers Act 2016, asking Apple for the ability to access data from Apple users. This was said [...]
Apple axes data protection tool after government security row February 21, 2025 Apple has removed its advanced data protection (ADP) feature from the UK, following a dispute with the UK government over encryption and access to user data. This comes after the Home Office requested access to encrypted iCloud data under the investigatory powers act (IPA), a law that requires leading tech firms to provide information to [...]
Proposed snooping powers are an incursion into our most basic rights May 2, 2024 Slippery slopes are so named for a reason. One step might feel okay; a second, trouble-free. But suddenly momentum builds, and there’s no stopping you. The metaphor could not be more appropriate for the snooping powers that government is soon to take for itself – powers that represent a most aggressive incursion into basic privacy [...]