EE to bring back Europe roaming charges after Brexit June 24, 2021 EE will reintroduce additional roaming charges for customers who use their phones in Europe from next year, despite promises not to hike fees after Brexit. Users will be charged a new flat fee of £2 a day when roaming across 47 European destinations, which will cover their plan’s data, minutes and texts allowance. The changes [...]
ITV to move all London staff to White City in cost-cutting plan June 24, 2021 ITV today said it will move all its London staff to one headquarters at the BBC’s former White City campus as part of plans to slash costs. The broadcaster currently has three locations in the capital, with staff split between offices in Holborn, Gray’s Inn Road and Westworks in White City. But around 2,000 employees [...]
Advertisers ‘dismayed’ as UK pushes ahead with junk food ad ban June 24, 2021 The UK advertising industry has reacted with fury after the government confirmed it will push ahead with a ban on junk food adverts. Adverts for foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) will be banned on TV before 9pm while tighter restrictions will be placed on online promotions under new rules set to come [...]
Former chancellor George Osborne named British Museum chair June 24, 2021 George Osborne has been named as the new chair of the British Museum, marking the latest high-profile role for the former chancellor. Osborne will join the board in September and take up the role of chair from 4 October. He takes over from former Financial Times editor and CBI director general Sir Richard Lambert, who [...]
Visa snaps up Swedish open banking platform Tink for €1.8bn June 24, 2021 Visa today said it has agreed to buy Swedish open banking platform Tink in a deal worth €1.8bn (£1.5bn). Tink, which was founded in 2012, enables financial institutions and fintech firms to develop financial products and services through access to data. The company is partnered with 3,400 banks and financial institutions, reaching millions of customers [...]
Channel 4 privatisation risks pulling the plug on UK production June 23, 2021 When Thatcher’s government set up Channel 4 back in 1982 as the boisterous youth-focused challenger to the BBC behemoth, it was a radical shake-up of Britain’s fusty broadcasting landscape. Now, almost four decades later, that same landscape is unrecognisable, its skyline dominated by the giants of the internet and streaming age. It’s in this context [...]
David Davis: Online safety bill will be ‘catastrophic’ for freedom of speech June 23, 2021 The government’s plans for new laws cracking down on tech companies will be “catastrophic” for freedom of speech, David Davis said today. The former cabinet minister branded the online safety bill a “censor’s charter”, comparing it to George Orwell’s 1984 and accusing the government of outsourcing the policing of the internet to Silicon Valley. Ministers [...]
Festivals face ‘survival threat’ without insurance scheme, MPs warn June 23, 2021 Music festivals face a serious threat to their survival unless the government underwrites an insurance scheme covering the risk of cancellation, MPs have warned. In a report published today the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) warned that festivals were making “difficult decisions” about whether to risk their survival by going ahead this summer. The MPs added [...]
Hong Kong paper Apple Daily to close after Beijing crackdown June 23, 2021 Hong Kong pro-democracy paper Apple Daily will shut down after 26 years following a fierce crackdown by Beijing. The tabloid, which was known for its criticism of mainland China, will end its print and digital editions on Saturday 26 June. Foreign secretary Dominic Raab has said today that it marks a “chilling blow” to freedom [...]
UK targets Netflix and Channel 4 with new streaming rules June 23, 2021 The government is plotting an overhaul of the UK broadcasting landscape in a move that could place tightened regulations on US streaming giants such as Netflix. Ministers will carry out a review of rules for video on-demand platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney Plus in an effort to protect viewers and boost public [...]
