Social media ad spend growth plummets amid decline in trust July 2, 2019 Growth in advertising revenue for social media firms declined by roughly a half in the first three months of the year, in a sign of possible cooling in the digital ad market. Social media giants remain dominant in the online advertising sector, with ad spend rising 26 per cent year-on-year to just under $18bn (£14.2bn), [...]
Funding Circle shares dive as it halves revenue growth target July 2, 2019 Funding Circle’s shares collapsed today as it slashed revenue growth predictions in half this year, warning that demand for loans is waning amid an “increasing uncertain economic outlook”. The small business loans firm today warned that 2019 revenue growth will hit 20 per cent, rather than the 40 per cent it originally predicted. The peer-to-peer [...]
We need a Prime Minister who can channel the potential of Digital Britain July 2, 2019 Are we in danger of having a leadership contest about the future of our party, while completely missing the point about the future of our country? The two finalists in the Conservative leadership race are being quizzed endlessly about Brexit, tax and spend, public services, and their private lives. All these have some importance, of [...]
MPs set ultimatum for new laws to tackle online election interference July 2, 2019 MPs have called on the government to introduce new laws targeting electoral interference amid fears online political campaigns could be damaging democracy. The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee has urged the government to roll out new legislation within six months to bring electoral law in line with modern digital campaigning techniques. Read more: Social [...]
Fintech firm Revolut leads list of UK’s top 100 startups of 2019 July 1, 2019 Challenger bank Revolut has claimed first place in a list of the UK’s top 100 startups of 2019, it was revealed today. British fintech startup Revolut topped Startups.co.uk’s Startups 100 list for 2019, as it counts 5m customers around Europe and the UK. Energy startup Igloo placed second, while retail startup Trouva took third place. [...]
Tech startups’ confidence rises despite political uncertainty July 1, 2019 Confidence levels among UK tech startups has ticked up fractionally over the last quarter, despite the impact of the unsettled political landscape. New data from tech firm Studio Graphene revealed 80 per cent of tech startups are either confident or very confident about their growth prospects for the coming year, a one per cent rise [...]
Government plans to combat fake news ‘do not go far enough’ July 1, 2019 Government plans to crack down on fake news will not do enough to restore public trust in social media platforms and shore up digital marketing, according to a new report. The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) warned fake news was leading to a decline in trust in social media posts, which in turn could prompt [...]
Apple’s tax bill slashed by more than half June 30, 2019 Apple’s tax bill for its chain of 38 stores across the UK more than halved last year, despite an EU mandate to pay back taxes and interest amounting to €14bn (£12.5bn). The Californian tech giant’s retail arm paid just £3.8m in tax in the 12 months to the end of September last year, falling from [...]
US lift of Huawei ban is not a general amnesty, warns top White House adviser June 30, 2019 US President Donald Trump’s decision to lift the ban on American firms selling to Chinese tech giant Huawei is not a “general amnesty”, his top economic adviser has warned. National Economic Council chairman Larry Kudlow said the move will only apply to products widely available around the world, with the most sensitive equipment still subject [...]
Apple loses $10bn as iPhone designer Sir Jony Ive steps down June 28, 2019 The British designer behind the iPhone, iPod and iMac is set to leave Apple after nearly three decades, wiping roughly $10bn (£7.9bn) off the company’s value. Chief design officer Sir Jony Ive, who played a key role in turning Apple into the world’s most valuable company, will step down later this year to start an [...]
