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. [...]
Bloomsbury profit surges on lockdown reading boom October 27, 2020 Bloomsbury has reported its highest first-half profit in 12 years after the coronavirus lockdown sparked a steep rise in online book sales. The publishing house said pre-tax profit excluding the cost of acquisitions jumped 60 per cent to £4m in the six months to the end of August. This was ahead of the board’s expectations [...]
Coronavirus: Antibody levels drop by a quarter as second wave hits October 27, 2020 The proportion of people in England with Covid-19 antibodies has dropped by more than a quarter since the first wave of the pandemic, official figures have revealed. The findings of a major study into Covid-19 antibodies, published today, showed the number of people who tested positive for antibodies has fallen from six per cent to [...]
Former prime minister David Cameron backs black internship initiative October 26, 2020 Former Prime Minister David Cameron is among high-profile figures who have thrown their weight behind a new initiative aimed at increasing the number of internships available to black candidates. The 10,000 Black Interns initiative, set to launch tomorrow, is designed to boost the number of paid work experience positions for young black people in major [...]
Eurostar launches direct Amsterdam to London service – but was anybody onboard it? October 26, 2020 Eurostar’s eagerly-awaited direct Amsterdam to London service started today but Covid disruption meant there were plenty of empty seats.
Hasbro shares slide despite lockdown board game boost October 26, 2020 Shares in toy maker Hasbro dropped 10 per cent today as declining revenue from its film and TV operations offset a bumper performance by its board games business. Hasbro reported net revenue of $1.8bn (£1.4bn) in the third quarter, down four per cent on the same period last year. The figure came in ahead of [...]
Tech firms demand legal safeguards over content moderation October 26, 2020 Tech giants including Google and Facebook have called on the EU to introduce a “legal safeguard” to limit their liability when proactively tackling harmful content. Brussels is currently drafting rules under its upcoming Digital Services Act that would increase companies’ responsibility for removing illegal material posted to their platform. But in a report released today, [...]