US election: Where do Trump and Biden stand on tech issues? October 28, 2020 The bosses of Facebook, Twitter and Google are this afternoon appearing in front of a US Senate committee to face questions over key issues of tech regulation. With tech titans facing increased scrutiny in their home country, the topic is likely to be a key policy issue in the run-up to the presidential election. So [...]
Apple steps up search engine efforts amid Google antitrust probe October 28, 2020 Apple is reportedly ramping up efforts to develop its own search engine technology as US antitrust authorities put Google’s market dominance under the spotlight. In iOS 14, the company’s latest iPhone software, Apple now shows its own results when users type queries into the search bar on the home page. The changes, which are likely [...]
Tech resale site Music Magpie plots London stock market float October 28, 2020 Resale site Music Magpie is plotting an initial public offering in London after enjoying a bump in revenue during the coronavirus lockdown. The company has tapped investment banks Peel Hunt and Shore Capital to lead the float, which is expected to take place next year. Music Magpie allows customers to exchange their old electronic devices, [...]
Post-furlough job losses hit young and minority workers hardest, study shows October 27, 2020 One in five young people and more than one in five black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) workers who were furloughed during lockdown have since lost their jobs, according to a new report. A survey of more than 6,000 Brits by the Resolution Foundation think tank showed that while the furlough scheme curbed unemployment levels [...]
Microsoft beats revenue forecasts on cloud computing growth October 27, 2020 Microsoft posted a rise in revenue for the first quarter as the ongoing shift to home working helped drive up demand for its cloud computing services. Microsoft reported revenue of $37.2bn (£28.5bn) for the three months to the end of September, up 12 per cent on the same period last year and ahead of analysts’ [...]
Carlsberg raises full-year outlook as beer sales recover October 27, 2020 Carlsberg today lifted its expectations for the full year after posting a better-than-expected beer sales in the third quarter. The Danish brewer said it now expected operating profit to decline by a mid-single-digit percentage, compared to previous guidance of a high-single-digit percentage. It came after the company posted a 2.4 per cent rise in total [...]
Tech bosses to defend key internet law in front of US Senate October 27, 2020 The bosses of the world’s biggest tech giants will tomorrow launch an impassioned defence of a key law, arguing that it is crucial to maintaining freedom of expression online. During an appearance in front of the Senate commerce committee, the chief executives of Facebook and Twitter will defend Section 230, a provision of the 1996 [...]
Music scouting platform Instrumental secures Tencent backing October 27, 2020 A British music scouting firm that uses algorithms to discover new artists is said to have secured fresh investment from Chinese tech giant Tencent. Instrumental is set to announce the strategic partnership, which will see Tencent take a minority stake in the company, as early as tomorrow, Sky News reported. The deal will come as [...]
Tiktok moves into ecommerce with Shopify advertising deal October 27, 2020 Tiktok has made its first major move into social ecommerce after signing a deal with Shopify to allow brands to sell their wares through the viral video app. The tie-up means Shopify merchants will be able to run video ads on the platform, allowing Tiktok users to click through and purchase a product. The feature [...]
Experian clashes with watchdog over personal data use October 27, 2020 Experian has clashed with the UK data watchdog over an order requiring the credit reference agency to make fundamental changes to the way it handles customer data. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) today published the findings of a two-year investigation into Experian, Equifax and Transunion over how they use personal data for direct marketing purposes. [...]