France to force tech giants to remove harmful content within the hour May 13, 2020 Social media companies will be forced to remove the most harmful content from their platforms within an hour or face hefty fines under new French laws passed today. Firms such as Facebook, Google and Twitter could be fined up to four per cent of their global revenue if they fail to comply with the new [...]
Facebook and Instagram launch digital gift cards for small businesses May 11, 2020 Facebook and Instagram users will now be able to support local businesses during the Covid-19 crisis by purchasing digital gift cards on the social media platforms. From today businesses will be able to promote gift cards on their Facebook pages and in news feed posts, as well as in Instagram stories and on their profiles. [...]
How the O2-Virgin Media merger will reshape the telecoms sector May 7, 2020 O2 and Virgin Media this morning confirmed they will join forces in a mammoth merger that will create a new £31bn telecoms powerhouse. The deal — reports of which first emerged last week — came as little surprise to industry watchers, though the timing of the deal in the middle of a global pandemic has [...]
Facebook earnings: Shares leap despite lowest growth since 2012 April 30, 2020 Facebook’s shares jumped almost 10 per cent in after hours trading following a surprisingly upbeat set of first quarter results from the tech giant. Following Alphabet’s figures earlier this week, all eyes were on Facebook to see how the Covid-19 crisis has hit social media. Here are three key takeaways from the numbers: 1. The [...]
Facebook poaches top social media regulator from Ofcom April 29, 2020 Facebook has ramped up its defence against upcoming social media regulation by poaching a top executive from media watchdog Ofcom. Tony Close, Ofcom’s director of content standards, has been closely involved in drawing up rules to regulate tech giants such as Google and Facebook amid rising concern about online harms. The government is set to [...]
John Lewis could permanently close some stores when coronavirus lockdown ends April 27, 2020 John Lewis is reportedly considering permanently closing some department stores after the UK’s coronavirus lockdown restrictions are lifted. All John Lewis department stores closed last month after the government ordered all non-essential retailers to shut during the coronavirus lockdown. However, some of the less viable John Lewis stores could remain shut after the lockdown restrictions [...]
Delays to UK’s full-fibre broadband rollout ‘could cost £30bn’ April 27, 2020 Delays to the government’s plan to roll out superfast broadband across the country could see the UK lose almost £30bn in economic benefits, according to research published today. Telecoms analysts warned a 12-month delay to the 2025 target would mean the UK misses out on a £9.7bn boost to the economy, while a two-year setback [...]
UK tech sector launches industry body to tackle online harms April 27, 2020 The UK tech sector has teamed up with government agencies to launch a new trade association aimed at cracking down on harmful material posted online. The Online Safety Tech Industry Association (OSTIA), launched today, will bring together more than a dozen tech firms that focus on online safety, as well as organisations such as the [...]
Ofcom sanctions London Live over David Icke coronavirus conspiracy interview April 20, 2020 Ofcom has sanctioned London Live after the TV channel aired an interview with conspiracy theorist David Icke that contained “potentially harmful” views about the coronavirus outbreak. The regulator received 48 complaints about the 80-minute programme, in which Icke made a raft of unsubstantiated claims, including that official health advice was designed to further the ambitions [...]
Ofcom probes This Morning over Eamonn Holmes’ coronavirus 5G conspiracy comments April 14, 2020 Media watchdog Ofcom is assessing This Morning after presenter Eamonn Holmes questioned why the mainstream media had slapped down a conspiracy theory linking the spread of the coronavirus to 5G masts. On Monday Holmes, a host on the ITV show, said that the media did not know if the conspiracy theory was true or not. [...]