Robinhood delays UK launch amid pandemic popularity June 12, 2020 Commission-free stock trading app Robinhood has pushed back its UK launch date after failing to meet its initial timeframe. The tech giant told customers on its UK waitlist today that it will now miss its original goal of a launch in early 2020, but committed to becoming available before the end of this year. “Our [...]
Zoom to allow Beijing to censor individuals June 12, 2020 Video communications platform Zoom has said it is working on technology that will allow the Chinese government to shut out individual users from meetings if Beijing deems them illegal. The revelation comes after the US firm was criticised for shutting down a number of meetings organised by dissidents last week to commemorate the anniversary of [...]
Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospitals to remove controversial statues June 11, 2020 The statues outside Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospitals in London will be removed, it was decided this evening. The statues, which feature Sir Robert Clayton and Sir Thomas Guy, are part of the arts and heritage collection owned by Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity. Clayton, whose statue is outside St Thomas’ Hospital, was a powerful member [...]
Microsoft trumps Amazon in refusal to sell facial recognition software to police June 11, 2020 Microsoft has become the third tech giant to declare a moratorium on selling its facial recognition software to police, as companies weigh in on the global debate surrounding the latter’s use of violence against communities of colour. Though it does not currently sell its technology to police, Microsoft president Brad Smith said that it will [...]
Biden calls on Facebook to rethink fact-checking policy before US election June 11, 2020 Democratic US presidential candidate Joe Biden has called for Facebook to fact check political advertisements on its platform ahead of the November ballot. In an open letter addressed to Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg, Biden said there should be a two-week pre-election period during which all political ads must be fact-checked before they are allowed to [...]
Apple commits $100m to racial justice initiative June 11, 2020 Apple chief executive Tim Cook has today revealed the firm will spend $100m on a company programme dedicated to racial justice. “The unfinished work of racial justice and equality call us all to account,” Cook said in a tweet. “Things must change, and Apple’s committed to being a force for that change.” It follows in [...]
Uber must classify drivers as employees, California rules June 11, 2020 Drivers operating on ride-hailing platforms such as Uber and Lyft will now be considered employees, regulators in California said today. Under the state’s gig economy workers law, which was passed six months ago, such companies must pay employees for overtime, health benefits and workers’ compensation. Today the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the ride-hailing sector’s [...]
EU to levy antitrust charges against Amazon over treatment of third-party sellers June 11, 2020 The European Commission is said to be preparing to file formal charges against Amazon over its treatment of third-party sellers on its platform. The Commission will accuse Amazon of accumulating data from third-party sellers and using it to compete against them, people familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal. The case could appear [...]
Poole to take down statue of Scouts founder Baden-Powell June 11, 2020 A statue of the worldwide founder of the Scouts is to be removed in Poole in the wake of anti-racism protests across the UK. The state of Robert Baden-Powell, who is remembered for establishing the Scouts movement in 1907, will be moved into storage today. Its presence in Poole has long been disputed by critics [...]
Just Eat shares pop on $7.3bn deal for Grubhub June 11, 2020 Shares in European fast food giant Just Eat Takeaway are rising as investors take stock of its latest move to buy US rival Grubhub for $7.3bn (£5.8bn). If completed, the all-stock deal would create the world’s largest food delivery provider outside of China. Just Eat’s share price rose 3.4 per cent before midday today, hitting [...]
