MPs call for social media regulation to protect children from online ‘wild west’ March 18, 2019 The “lawless landscape” of social media must be regulated to ensure young people are protected from graphic content that could damage their mental health, a group of MPs has said. A report into the impact of social media on young people’s mental health concluded firms such as Facebook and Instagram should face a 0.5 per [...]
Alexa offers energetic assistance in link-up with Octopus Energy March 18, 2019 Octopus Energy has teamed up with Amazon to become the first energy company providing real-time energy pricing using voice automation with Alexa. The energy provider, which has 600,000 customers throughout the UK, is pioneering the drive toward greener and cheaper energy through its Agile Octopus tariff, allowing customers to use electricity when it is cheapest [...]
Oneweb lands $1.25bn in funding as it looks to launch global internet service March 18, 2019 UK communications startup Oneweb has secured $1.25bn (£942m) in funding as it looks to start mass production of satellites for global high-speed internet connections. Oneweb said the fundraising round, which was led by Softbank, Qualcomm and Virgin, will kickstart its plans to deliver a global communications network that will bring high-speed broadband access to everyone on earth [...]
The answer to the UK’s renewable energy future is blowing in the wind March 18, 2019 The UK’s offshore wind sector is booming. Auctions for new capacity held in 2017 resulted in deals at half the price of those signed just two years prior, while we are seeing a steady drumbeat of new records relating to clean power production. Just last month, the world’s largest offshore wind farm began generating power. Anchored [...]
DEBATE: Could France overtake Britain for tech investment? March 18, 2019 Could France overtake Britain for tech investment? Kat Borlongan, director of the French Tech Mission, says YES. There are number of misconceptions around doing business in France. A language barrier and extensive bureaucracy have perhaps deterred investors from funding some of the best tech startups, specialising in everything from artificial intelligence to smart cities. But these [...]
US-based FIS buys Worldpay at $43bn valuation, creating payments giant March 18, 2019 British payment processor Worldpay was snapped up this morning by US-based Fidelity National Information Services (FIS) in a deal which values the firm at $43bn (£32bn). Excluding the target’s debt, the valuation comes to $34.83bn, the companies said. Read more: BT names payment services veteran as its new CEO It creates a company which had [...]
Lyft set to court investors ahead of Wall St float March 17, 2019 Ride-hailing platform Lyft is launch its investor roadshow today, ahead of the company’s upcoming debut on the New York Stock Exchange. The firm is seeking to raise as much as $2bn (£1.5bn) and be valued at more than $20bn, people familiar with the matter told Reuters. Lyft will be meeting with investors across the US [...]
Labour hits back at social media giants over Christchurch attack footage March 17, 2019 Social media firms must be better at reacting quickly to take down live broadcasts, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has said today. A gunman attacked two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand on Friday, killing 50 Muslims. He live-streamed the attack on Facebook for 17 minutes, with footage of the event quickly spreading to other platforms such as [...]
Junk food ads set to be banned on TV and online before 9pm watershed in government crackdown March 17, 2019 Junk food advertisements could be banned from appearing on TV and online before 9pm, as the government today launched a consultation on measures to tackle the UK's growing obesity rate. Currently, ads for foods that are high in fat, salt or sugar are forbidden during broadcasts of TV programmes specifically aimed at children. The consultation by [...]
Google braced for EU fine over advertising competition breach March 15, 2019 The EU’s competition commission is set to hit Google with another fine following an investigation into its advertising business. Commissioner Margrethe Vestager will announce the fine next week following a probe into Google AdSense, the Financial Times reported, citing three people familiar with the case. Read more: Google removed 2.3bn ‘bad ads’ last year Google [...]
