Do Not Pay founder launches anti-subscription app in the UK September 17, 2019 An app that automatically cancels subscriptions when the free trial period comes to an end has launched in the UK, with thousands of Brits signing up each day. Free Trial Surfing is not linked to customers’ bank accounts or credit cards but uses Visa cards in partnership with a major bank to stop people getting [...]
Apple tells EU court €13bn Irish tax bill ‘defies reality and common sense’ September 17, 2019 An order by the European Commission for Apple to pay a €13bn (£11.5bn) Irish tax bill “defies reality and common sense”, the tech giant said today as it launched a challenge against the ruling. Apple accused the Commission of using its powers to fight state aid to “retrofit changes to national law” at a hearing [...]
Sky and Channel 4 sign advertising deal as streaming threat looms large September 17, 2019 Channel 4 has signed a deal to use Sky’s advertising technology as the broadcasters strengthen ties amid growing competition from streaming rivals. The two companies today announced a multi-year deal that will see Channel 4 use Sky’s Adsmart platform to deliver targeted ads on its linear channels. Read more: Ofcom clears Channel 4 News over [...]
Phonebooth startup Room launches in UK as it dials in to coworking boom September 17, 2019 Room, the US startup specialising in phonebooths for open plan offices, launched in the UK today as it looks to cash in on the rising popularity of coworking spaces. The New-York based firm, which counts Google, Uber, Amazon and Apple among its clients, is also rolling out in six other European countries amid growing demand [...]
Apple prepares to launch EU legal challenge over €13bn Irish tax bill September 16, 2019 Apple is set to launch a legal challenge tomorrow over an order by the European Commission to pay €13bn (£11.5bn) in Irish back taxes, as the EU seeks to crack down on tax avoidance by multinational companies. What’s the case about? The tech giant was accused of having dodged taxes and received €13bn illegal state [...]
Peering through the Brexit haze: What we know so far September 16, 2019 One of my favourite intellectual exercises that we use in my political risk firm is what we call “seeing through the fog”. When a long-standing geopolitical topic seems to resemble nothing so much as King Minos’ labyrinth, senior staff and I repair to a good wine bar and spend an afternoon not talking about all [...]
Disney boss Bob Iger resigns from Apple board as streaming rivalry heats up September 15, 2019 Disney chief executive Bob Iger has stepped down from the board of Apple as the two companies prepare to go head to head in the escalating streaming wars. Iger stepped down from his role on 10 September, the same day Apple unveiled the price and launch date of its streaming service, according to a one-line [...]
Why Vestager’s legacy is about to catch up with her September 14, 2019 It was a week full of surprises in the world of tech antitrust regulation. On Monday, Google found itself at the centre of a 50-state investigation by the US attorneys general into a range of anti-competitive practices. By the end of the week, publishers had hit out en masse at Google and Facebook for “unscrupulous [...]
EU competition chief Vestager eyes new data rules as she turns up heat on tech giants September 13, 2019 EU competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager has called for new rules to police how companies collect and use data as she dialled up the pressure on tech giants. Vestager, who this week was given expanded powers and a second term as competition chief, said more regulation was needed to protect the “fundamental values of our society”. [...]
Google to pay almost €1bn in wake of French tax probe September 12, 2019 Google is set to stump up almost €1bn (£889m) as part of a major tax settlement following a four-year long fraud investigation into the tech giant. Read more: US states launch antitrust probe into Google The Silicon Valley firm, which is part of Alphabet, has resolved a dispute with French authorities, which were probing its [...]