What Facebook’s downfall will mean for the future of fintech April 20, 2018 The year began with headlines predicting the entrance of Facebook and Google into the banking market, following the introduction of new Open Banking rules which forced banks and payment companies to share data with third parties if customers agreed. The changes were meant to boost account switching and improve price comparison, but some speculated that [...]
Outdated recruitment attitudes are blocking the best young digital talent from getting jobs April 19, 2018 The digital skills gap in the UK is well documented, with employers struggling to fill 43 per cent of STEM vacancies, according to the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, and the Federation of Small Businesses reporting that 22 per cent of business owners think a lack of digital skills is holding them back. But [...]
iZettle launches E-commerce platform to help manage online and in-store product together April 19, 2018 Fintech startup iZettle has today launched a platform that will allow merchants to manage their in-store, online and on-the-go business all in one place. The software, called iZettle E-commerce, allows small businesses to create their own webshop to sell across multiple channels online including social media, blogs and websites.co The integrated platform also lets the [...]
Facebook will ask Europeans and Canadians to allow it to use facial recognition technology on them April 18, 2018 Facebook said it will start asking European and Canadian users to let it use facial recognition technology in its latest move to become more transparent regarding users’ privacy. A blog post posted late yesterday by Erin Egan, VP and chief privacy officer, policy, and Ashlie Beringer, VP and deputy general counsel, said: We’ve offered products [...]
Corbyn walks out of anti-Semitism debate as Labour MPs Ruth Smeeth, Luciana Berger and John Mann recall abuse April 17, 2018 Labour MPs received standing ovations from their colleagues today after recalling personal stories of anti-Semitic abuse – but their leader was not in the Chamber to hear much of it. MPs including Ruth Smeeth, Luciana Berger and John Mann told the Commons about abuse including rape threats and warnings they would be deselected by far-left [...]
WPP appoints firm to find Martin Sorrell’s successor April 17, 2018 WPP has hired executive search firm Russell Reynolds Associates to find a permanent replacement for Martin Sorrell. Sorrell dramatically resigned as chief executive of the company that he had led for 32 years on Saturday night following WPP announcing that it was investigating him over allegations of “personal misconduct.” After his departure, WPP confirmed that [...]
The Bootleggers and Baptists are fighting to regulate Facebook April 17, 2018 Are calls for greater government regulation of Facebook likely to succeed? If it does happen, a key factor will be the diverse coalition of interests pushing for greater government oversight, and their success or otherwise in agreeing a desired regulatory framework. From worriers about the use of the platform’s data to influence elections, to fake [...]
DEBATE: Will blocking junk food ads on social media help to tackle childhood obesity? April 16, 2018 Will blocking junk food ads on social media help to tackle childhood obesity? Caroline Cerny, alliance lead at the Obesity Health Alliance, says YES. Advertising works. The food industry wouldn’t spend millions of pounds a year on advertising if it wasn’t effective. When it comes to children, there is clear evidence that shows the food [...]
“More important than life or death”: Sir Martin Sorrell’s resignation statement in full April 15, 2018 Prominent adman Sir Martin Sorrell has resigned from his role as chief executive of WPP, the manufacturer he transformed into an advertising and marketing firm with global reach. While his resignation relates to an investigation into allegations of misconduct involving amounts of money which WPP says are not “material” to the firm, the specific reasons [...]
Forget Facebook – it’s the tech-illiterate politicians we should be worrying about April 13, 2018 Watching Mark Zuckerberg testify in front of senators and members of Congress about Cambridge Analytica and wider concerns around Facebook’s omnipotence was painful viewing at times. Yes, Zuckerberg’s uncomfortable delivery and stilted prose indicated that the portrayal of a charismatic maverick in The Social Network film was perhaps a further cry from reality than first [...]