Masterchef maker eyes ITV takeover April 28, 2025 French media group Banijay is in early stage talks over a potential takeover for British broadcaster ITV or its studio division. Banijay, the producer behind shows including Masterchef, Peaky Blinders and Big Brother, has explored several options, first reported by the Financial Times. These include a full acquisition of ITV, or a more contained bid [...]
Dolls, brands and biases: How businesses are using AI image generation April 26, 2025 In recent weeks, a viral trend has emerged, where people use AI to create their own personalised barbie-like dolls, using platforms like ChatGPT. What started as a fun, self-expression experiment soon gained popularity, giving rise to a phenomenon now dubbed “barbification”. The trend allowed users to transform themselves into digital dolls, creating hyper-realised versions of [...]
Labour to fine tech firms £70k over knife crime content April 25, 2025 Tech firms that fail to swiftly remove knife-crime related content from their platforms could be hit with fines of up to £70,000 under new powers unveiled by the UK government this week. As part of Labour’s upcoming crime and policing bill, platforms and search engines will be legally obliged to take down illegal content- including [...]
London faces connectivity crunch as 3G retires and 5G stalls April 25, 2025 As Virgin Media O2 prepares to begin its nationwide 3G shutdown this summer, serious questions are emerging about the state of the UK’s mobile infrastructure. While the move is part of a broader strategy to transition users to faster 4G and 5G networks, industry experts warn that the country’s digital resilience is far from guaranteed. [...]
Google maintains search dominance thanks to ads, AI and cloud April 25, 2025 Google’s parent company, Alphabet, reported a blockbuster earnings report on Thursday evening, driven by surging profits and rapid advancements in AI and cloud computing. The Magnificent Seven tech behemoth posted revenue of $90.2bn, a 12 per cent increase year over year. Meanwhile, net income surged 46 per cent to $34.5bn, far exceeding Wall Street expectations. [...]
WPP bets big on AI after a slow start to 2025 April 25, 2025 WPP‘s revenue edged lower in the first quarter of 2024, as macroeconomic uncertainty and cautious client spending, as well as competitive pressure, weighed on advertising budgets globally. Yet, the firm is leaning heavily into AI, data and integration to fuel long-term growth, securing new business wins and pressing ahead with its transformation strategy. The advertising [...]
Meta platforms at the heart of Oasis ticket scams, Lloyds reveals April 24, 2025 Meta-owned platforms, particularly Facebook, have become the primary breeding ground for last year’s surge in Oasis ticket scams, according to recent data from Lloyds Banking Group. The bank’s research highlighted that over 90 per cent of reported scams targeting Oasis fans originated on social media, with a staggering 56 per cent of all reported concert [...]
Nokia faces global tariff turbulence, but UK arm holds firm April 24, 2025 Nokia is bracing for disruption from renewed US trade tensions, with its new chief executive signalling a possible expansion of American manufacturing to soften the blow of potential tariffs. But while the Finnish firm’s global profits have taken a hit, its UK business has quietly bucked the trend – posting steady growth and highlighting the [...]
Rules to keep children safe online finalised by Ofcom April 24, 2025 Ofcom has issued the final safety codes requiring online platforms to implement over 40 protective measures for users under the age of 18 by July. These include tools to verify user age, block underage access to adult content, and remove harmful material linked to self harm, suicide, and eating disorders. Platforms that fail to comply [...]
UK agri-tech bags Kiwi investment boost April 24, 2025 The UK government has welcomed a strategic investment push from New Zealand into Britain’s agri-tech sector. AgriZero NZ, a public-private fund backed by the Kiwi government and major agri-businesses, joins Innovate UK’s investor partnership programme. The scheme helps scale cutting-edge British agri-tech startups linking them with global investors. Science minister Patrick Vallance told CityAM: “New [...]
