Google ‘disappointed’ as Youtube swept into UK social media ban June 29, 2026 Google has said it is “disappointing” that Youtube has been included in the government’s planned ban on social media for under-16s, warning the measures risk cutting children off from one of the internet’s biggest educational resources. The rebuke forms the firm’s strongest response yet to Keir Starmer’s plans to prohibit children under 16 from using [...]
Yoti boss warns social media ban needs tougher age-check standards June 29, 2026 The chief executive of digital identity giant Yoti has urged ministers to introduce minimum standards for age verification, warning the government’s proposed social media ban for under-16s risks falling short without clearer rules on how platforms check users’ ages. The intervention comes after Keir Starmer announced plans to block children under 16 from accessing major [...]
AI data centre race reaches rural Devon as Xlinks eyes £3.6bn campus June 29, 2026 Britain’s race to build the infrastructure underpinning AI is moving beyond its traditional data centre heartlands, with Xlinks unveiling plans for a £3.6bn AI campus in north Devon as developers search for land and grid capacity. The energy developer, whose Morocco-UK power project was shelved by the government earlier this year, wants to build a [...]
UK firms ‘bracing for change’ as Trump revives tariff threat over Big Tech tax June 29, 2026 Donald Trump’s latest threat to impose 100 per cent tariffs on countries with digital services taxes has renewed concerns among British exporters, with business groups warning that a trade dispute over Big Tech could end up costing manufacturers billions. The US president said on Friday that any country imposing a digital services tax on American [...]
Mahmood unveils refugee sponsorship route as asylum bill faces Labour test June 27, 2026 Home secretary Shabana Mahmood has unveiled plans for businesses and universities to sponsor refugees to come to Britain, as she seeks to shore up support for a wider asylum overhaul expected to face resistance from parts of Labour. The Home Office said it would introduce new “capped safe and legal” routes from later this year, [...]
Volkswagen’s China crunch deepens as Europe’s biggest carmaker weighs 100,000 job cuts June 27, 2026 Volkswagen is weighing up to 100,000 job cuts as Europe’s biggest carmaker accelerates a sweeping overhaul after admitting the manufacturing model that underpinned decades of German industrial success can no longer compete in a market reshaped by Chinese rivals. The German automotive giant is reportedly considering almost doubling previously announced workforce reductions while shutting four [...]
Apple eyes blacklisted Chinese supplier to ease chip shortage June 27, 2026 Apple has reportedly lobbied the Trump administration for permission to buy memory chips from a Chinese manufacturer blacklisted by the Pentagon, as the AI boom continues to squeeze global semiconductor supplies. The iPhone maker has approached US officials seeking reassurance over sourcing memory chips from ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), according to the Financial Times, after [...]
Meta’s prediction markets app to prompt scrutiny from British regulators June 26, 2026 Meta’s reported plans to launch a standalone prediction market app could face regulatory hurdles in Britain, where rival US platforms have already struggled to gain access to one of the world’s largest betting markets. The New York Times reported on Wednesday that the Facebook owner is internally developing Arena, a new experimental prediction market product [...]
Tesla casts long shadow over SpaceX’s bumpy market debut June 25, 2026 Tesla’s record-breaking returns for early investors have become something of a benchmark for SpaceX as Elon Musk’s latest company weathers a volatile start to life on the public markets. SpaceX shares have fallen more than 20 per cent from their post-IPO high after briefly pushing the company above a $2 trillion (£1.5 trillion) valuation in [...]
Defence and immigration help Serco weather outsourcing pressure June 25, 2026 Serco said a boost in defence contracts and higher demand for its immigration services across Europe helped offset delays in its North America business, as it reiterated guidance for the year. The FTSE 250 outsourcing group said revenue for the first six months of the year is expected to rise around three per cent to [...]
