MPs and peers launch ‘super committee’ to scrutinise online harms laws July 29, 2021 A joint committee of MPs and lords has been launched today to scrutinise controversial government plans to tackle online harms. The new super committee will be tasked with seeking views on the online safety bill, which was published in draft form in May. The bill is designed to hold tech giants such as Facebook and [...]
eBay bolsters logistics options for sellers as platform surges with SMEs July 26, 2021 eBay UK has bolstered protections and logistics for its sellers after seeing a 237 per cent surge in new businesses joining the online marketplace giant amid the pandemic. The pandemic pushed many employees into furlough, unemployment and a general revaluation of working life and with many looking for extra income, side-hustles on online platforms took [...]
Ofcom targets Musk’s SpaceX and Oneweb with satellite rule revamp July 26, 2021 Ofcom has outlined proposals for tighter rules on the satellite broadband sector in a move that would impact Elon Musk’s SpaceX and British rival Oneweb. Space X and Oneweb are racing to launch constellations of low-orbit satellites that will provide high-speed broadband services to remote rural locations worldwide. While the systems can bring faster speeds [...]
Screenshot: Have Bezos and Branson ushered in a new era of space tourism? July 23, 2021 This week **Media Moment of the Week: Badger, mushroom, snake **Have Bezos and Branson ushered in a space tourism boom? **No more chill for Netflix Media Moment of the Week: Badger, mushroom, snake Want to feel old? The iconic animated badger video (you know the one) is now almost 18 years old. Aside from lamenting [...]
Online harms laws pose threat to free speech, Lords committee warns July 22, 2021 The government’s plans to crack down on harmful online content pose a threat to freedom of speech and would be ineffective, peers have warned. In a report published today, the House of Lords communications and digital committee slammed plans to address “legal but harmful” material, saying the issue should instead be addressed through tougher law [...]
Ministers urged to include online adverts in new safety bill July 20, 2021 The government has been urged to include paid-for online adverts in its new online safety bill amid concerns the pandemic has led to a “devastating” surge in scams. Ministers have outlined plans to hold tech companies liable for harmful material posted to their platforms, with the new laws set to be presented to pre-legislative scrutiny. [...]
BBC Three relaunch faces delay as Ofcom opens competition probe July 20, 2021 The BBC’s plans to relaunch BBC Three as a traditional TV channel have been put in doubt after Ofcom said it would launch a full competition investigation into the proposal. Earlier this year the public service broadcaster said BBC Three would return to screens six years after it was made online-only as part of a [...]
Logistics solutions market takes off as startup byrd lands €16m investment July 6, 2021 Online logistics platform byrd has raised €16m in a Series B funding round, amid the pandemic that has slipped up supply chains and stoked an online shopping frenzy. The rally was led by Santander-backed Mouro Capital, which has invested in companies sold on to PayPal and American Express. This latest round follows byrd’s €5m Series [...]
GB News: Ofcom shuns investigation into Dan Wootton’s lockdown rant July 5, 2021 Media watchdog Ofcom has opted not to investigate anti-lockdown comments made by Dan Wootton on the opening night of GB News, marking a victory for the nascent news channel. A total of 390 complaints were lodged with the regulator after Wootton, former executive editor of the Sun, launched a tirade against the government’s response to [...]
GB News viewer numbers slump after turbulent start June 30, 2021 GB News has suffered a sharp drop in viewing figures since its launch amid a string of difficulties for the upstart news channel. The station has pulled in just over 1m viewers in recent days, less than half the peak of 2.2m recorded on its first full day earlier this month. GB News, which has [...]