Duolingo files for US IPO as lockdown learners lean into languages June 29, 2021 Duolingo has filed for a US initial public offering after bumper demand for its language-learning app during coronavirus lockdowns translated into higher revenue. The Pittsburgh-based company, which was valued at $2.4bn (£1.7bn) following a funding round in November, last night unveiled plans to list on the Nasdaq exchange. It comes after Duolingo’s revenue soared almost [...]
Facebook’s value tops $1 trillion after judge throws out US lawsuits June 29, 2021 Facebook last night joined an exclusive club of companies worth more than $1 trillion after a US judge dismissed two antitrust lawsuits brought against the social media company. A federal judge ruled that the legal challenges, which were brought by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and a coalition of states, were “legally insufficient” and did [...]
Weekend Read: Fostering a company culture in a hybrid world June 26, 2021 After three lockdowns, more than a year of home working and an unprecedented vaccine rollout, firms of all sizes are slowly, cautiously, reopening and welcoming staff back to the office. But this mass return to the traditional workplace will be tough for managers and leaders on a number of levels. Motivation levels may be low, [...]
Amazon and Google hit with competition probe over fake reviews June 25, 2021 Amazon and Google have been hit with a competition probe in the UK over concerns they have not done enough to tackle fake reviews on their sites. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) today opened a formal investigation into the tech platforms to examine whether they have broken consumer laws by taking insufficient action to [...]
Banks need to stand up for human rights abuses in Hong Kong and hit China where it hurts – their wallet June 24, 2021 Since the introduction of the National Security Law last year, Hong Kong has seen a shift in its population. Specifically, that its citizens are leaving. Hong Kongers in their droves are taking stock of this new draconian normal and choosing to say no to further human rights abuses. More than 34,000 have fled to the [...]
Older workers planning to work from home permanently are selfishly risking the development of young people June 23, 2021 My Twitter timeline has been overrun with people arguing about whether they are for or against a return to the office. The ones shouting the loudest is normally to be the anti-office group. They are typically older, more well-established in their careers and keen to share how pleased they are to have finally ditched the [...]
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 [...]
EU opens competition probe into Google’s online advertising June 22, 2021 The EU has opened a formal antitrust investigation into Google over concerns the tech giant favours its own online advertising services. The probe will examine whether Google is harming competition by restricting third-party access to user data for use in advertising while reserving this data for its own use. “Online advertising services are at the [...]
Audioboom hikes revenue forecasts as podcast ads boom June 22, 2021 Audioboom has hiked its revenue forecasts for the full year after cashing in on strong advertising sales across its podcasting platform. The London-listed company said signed advertising bookings had already hit 99 per cent of its overall expectations for the whole of 2021. As a result, the firm expects revenue to be “significantly” ahead of [...]