New Online Safety Bill sparks privacy and national security concerns among public July 4, 2023 The draft Online Safety Bill (OSB) has sparked security and online privacy concerns according to a new survey – although Ofcom has brushed off the scrutiny. Under the new OSB, which is in its final stages of passing through parliament, authorities could force communication providers like WhatsApp to scan online messages sent in the UK [...]
‘Be a better neighbour’: BBC warned its digital expansion will ‘wreak untold damage’ for local news outlets July 4, 2023 Local news outlets are pleading for government intervention in the BBC’s plans to digitally expand, saying it will decimate an already struggling industry. Independent publishers such as News Media Association, Bristol Post, and The Northern Echo have said the nation’s license fee-funded broadcaster needs to ‘be a better neighbour’ and rethink its plans to grow [...]
Twitter explainer: What are rate limits and why are they causing advertising headaches July 4, 2023 Twitter advertising troubles may have gone from bad to worse after Elon Musk has put his foot in it again – this time by restricting users’ viewing limits over data concerns. On Saturday, the billionaire ex-CEO of Twitter imposed a temporary ‘rate limit’ on all users, effectively capping the number of Tweets that accounts can [...]
Sadiq Khan unveils renovated London studio as part of £6m boost to the capital’s film and TV industry July 3, 2023 London mayor Sadiq Khan has visited the newly renovated 3 Mills Studios in east London, revealing the completed £6m development that is set to boost the capital’s film and television industry on a global stage. The project, funded with £3m from City Hall, includes upgrades to several historic buildings, the creation of over 10,000 sq [...]
Apple halves Vision Pro headset production plans as virtual reality given a reality check July 3, 2023 Apple has slashed production forecasts for its $3,499-a-piece Vision Pro headset as the company experiences teething problems in its foray into virtual reality, according to reports. The tech giant has had to halve 2024 shipments for its mixed-reality headsets with predictions down from 900,000 to 400,000 in the first year, according to a Financial Times [...]
CMA probe throws £16bn Adobe and Figma tie-up into doubt June 30, 2023 The UK’s competition watchdog has said it may move to block Adobe’s acquisition of design platform Figma unless they can resolve anti-trust concerns. In a summary of the decision, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said the merger of the two companies gives rise to “a realistic prospect of a substantial lessening of competition”. Leading [...]
Tuffnells saved from administration by logistics firm Shift with new depots and jobs saved June 30, 2023 Logistics tech company Shift has brought Tuffnells back from the brink of closure by announcing a re-launch of the delivery giant in July. Shift said it is securing the future of the delivery giant by opening 25 depots, nine of which were previously operated by Tuffnells. It comes as Tuffnells collapsed into administration earlier this [...]
John Lewis submits £500m London planning bid for 800 homes – but questions remain about affordability June 30, 2023 John Lewis is pressing on with its shift away from the high street and into residential property by submitting initial planning applications for new ‘build to rent’ homes in the capital The hard-hit retailer submitted proposals for nearly 800 rental homes on London sites in West Ealing and Bromley, with plans for a site in [...]
WH Smith has no plans to grow ‘healthy’ high street presence as it eyes airports instead June 30, 2023 WH Smith boss said the retailer has no plans to open any additional high street stores but is focusing on growing its transport hub and international presence. “We’ve got a very healthy High Street business in the UK”, Carl Cowling told the BBC, “but we’ve got no ambitions to grow that”. “When you look at [...]
Salesforce £3.2bn investment a ‘ringing endorsement’ in UK economy, says Sunak June 29, 2023 Salesforce has announced a major investment of $4bn (£3.2bn) in its UK business over the next five years. The software company will use the cash injection to improve AI innovation and customer growth in the UK as companies become increasingly eager to transform digitally and capitalise on AI within their business operations. Prime Minister, Rishi [...]