Meta can read your Instagram DMs from today Tech Instagram users are waking up to a major privacy rollback after Meta officially switched off end-to-end encrypted direct messages, giving the tech giant far greater visibility into private conversations shared across the app. From today, users who previously enabled Instagram’s optional encrypted chats will lose access to the feature entirely, with all messages reverting back [...]
Social media ban could stifle Gen Z’s ambitions Opinion Everyone wants to protect young people online, but social media has quietly become one of the best learning platforms for business, says Charlie Terry Let’s be clear. Having protective restrictions in place for under-16s is a good idea. Much of what young people encounter online day to day would have been unthinkable on any mainstream [...]
Lady Mayor: ‘Lawless London’ narrative is risking vital global deals Opinion Misperceptions of London as dangerous and unwelcoming are sending the wrong signals to vital partners like India, writes Susan Langley.
Meta to cut 8,000 jobs as AI spending soars April 24, 2026 Meta Platforms is set to cut around 8,000 jobs next month as it ramps up spending on AI, in what marks one of the company’s largest rounds of layoffs in recent years. The move, as first reported by Bloomberg, will see roughly 10 per cent of Meta’s workforce cut, alongside plans to leave thousands of [...]
Ofcom launches probe into Telegram over child safety failures April 21, 2026 The UK’s communications regulator has launched a probe into Telegram after evidence emerged that child sexual abuse material was being shared on the platform. Ofcom announced on Tuesday that it has also opened investigations into teen chat sites Teen Chat and Chat Avenue, assessing whether the platforms are meeting their legal duties to protect children [...]
Social media bosses not serious about safety, says MP March 28, 2026 Tech bosses have not been “serious” about social media safety, an MP who formerly worked on Meta’s AI ethics team has said. In an interview with the BBC, former minister Josh Simons said a recent court decision finding Meta and Google liable for a woman’s childhood social media addiction should “terrify” tech chiefs. The jury [...]
Apple’s new ID checks dubbed as ‘ransomware’ as UK rollout begins March 26, 2026 Apple is rolling out mandatory age verification checks for iPhone and iPad users in the UK, prompting criticism from privacy campaigners who have likened the move to ‘ransomware’. The changes introduced by the latest iOS update will require users to confirm they are over 18 to access certain apps and services. Those who do not [...]
OpenAI sharpens its focus as Sora falls and funding web tightens March 25, 2026 OpenAI’s decision to shut down its Sora video tool and unwind its Disney partnership in the space of 24 hours is far from an isolated product call. It comes at a moment of rapid growth for the firm, which is handling heavy infrastructure demands alongside increasing scrutiny over how the AI boom it sits at [...]
UK trials teen social media bans ahead of potential crackdown March 25, 2026 Hundreds of teenagers across the UK are set to take part in a government-backed trial of social media restrictions, as ministers weigh whether to introduce a nationwide ban for under-16s. The six-week pilot will see 300 teenagers aged between 13 and 17 split into four groups, testing different levels of access to apps such as [...]
Worried about AI taking your job? Zuckerberg is building one to do his March 23, 2026 While much of the debate around AI has swirled around which jobs it may inevitably replace, Big Tech behemoth Mark Zuckerberg is placing the technology at the helm of his trillion dollar business. The Meta chief executive is developing a personal AI agent designed to assist with his role, retrieving information, and cutting through layers [...]