Nscale and ElevenLabs power £41bn AI boom as Britain cements unicorn crown July 1, 2026 Britain’s AI sector has more than tripled in value in just a year, with fast-growing firms including Nscale and ElevenLabs now worth a combined £41bn as the UK strengthens its position as Europe’s leading startup hub. New research from the Hurun UK Unicorn Index shows the country’s nine AI unicorns have surged to a combined [...]
City launches new Digital ID framework against AI fraud June 30, 2026 The City of London Corporation has unveiled plans for a new digital identity framework it claims could unlock more than £5bn for the UK economy, as policymakers and the financial sector race to tackle increasingly sophisticated AI-enabled fraud. A blueprint published on Tuesday proposes a “Digital Verification Orchestrator”, or DVO – a system set to [...]
Apple claims CMA app store shake-up could ‘open the door to scams’ June 30, 2026 Apple has claimed that proposed UK competition reforms to its App Store risk “opening the door to scams”, as the CMA prepares to push ahead with plans to loosen the grip Apple and Google hold over in-app payments. The watchdog on Tuesday launched a consultation on new conduct requirements under Britain’s Digital Markets, Competition and [...]
Uber slams £340m London cabbie case as ‘completely unfounded’ June 30, 2026 Uber slammed a court case brought against it by thousands of black cab drivers as “completely unfounded” on Monday as the £340m lawsuit headed to trial. The preliminary hearing, which took place at the High Court, marks the first major test in one of the UK’s biggest competition and damages claims, brought by the 13,000 [...]
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 [...]
