Jeremy Wright says social media firms could face criminal sanctions over harmful online content February 17, 2019 Culture secretary Jeremy Wright has said social media firms face criminal sanctions if they fail to protect users from harmful content, ahead of a visit to the US on the issue of internet safety. Next week Wright will head to the US with digital minister Margot James, where he expects to meet "senior people" at the [...]
Facebook faces paying billions of dollars in data breach penalty February 15, 2019 Facebook faces a record multi-billion dollar fine from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for privacy violations, according to reports. The penalty would surpass the $22.5m (£17.5m) fine the FTC issued to Google for failing to protect user data as the largest ever financial punishment imposed by the US government's privacy and security watchdog. Read more: [...]
Data regulator pushes for a wider remit in tech giant audits February 14, 2019 Future regulation on the world’s biggest tech companies must include the UK’s data watchdog, information commissioner Elizabeth Denham said today. Speaking at the Institute for Government, Denham described MPs’ calls for regulation of tech giants as a “knee-jerk reaction” that, if excessive, could impinge on freedom of expression. Her comments came as platforms such as [...]
EU agrees draft copyright reform amid clash between publishers and tech giants February 14, 2019 EU negotiators have reached a deal to reform copyright rules in a move that could overhaul intellectual property rights in the digital age and strike a blow against tech giants. The EU Commission late last night secured a draft agreement to force online platforms to take down user-generated content that breaches intellectual property rights. Read [...]
It’s time to take back control – of our data February 14, 2019 Cambridge Analytica. Mark Zuckerberg in front of the US Congress. The first data breach of 2019 occurring less than 24 hours into New Year’s Day. The use and abuse of data is no longer something that we can afford to ignore. Consumers are coming to understand that their data is an economic asset for media companies, [...]
Twitter boss Jack Dorsey admits ‘huge fail’ in not preventing online abuse February 13, 2019 Twitter chief executive Jack Dorsey has said that tech firms such as his own have not done enough to protect victims of online abuse. In a conversation with Recode, Dorsey awarded Twitter a 'C' grade for its past efforts, and labelled the current climate a "huge fail" on the part of Silicon Valley. Myself? C. We’ve made [...]
How data will power the cities of tomorrow February 12, 2019 By 2050, it is estimated that 68 per cent of the global population will live in cities – an influx of over 2.5bn. With that many people living in urban areas, it is clear that making cities work better is key to creating a safer, more sustainable world. Local issues are now global issues, and cities [...]
CMA must investigate the online advertising market, government report states February 11, 2019 The online advertising market must face a probe by the competition watchdog amid concerns tech giants are putting the future of quality journalism at risk, a major government report has found. In its findings published today, the Cairncross Review called on the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to investigate the online advertising market to ensure [...]
Twitter shareholders spooked by 2019 outlook despite strong full-year results February 7, 2019 Twitter shares were down eight per cent this afternoon as it announced mixed full year results peppered with strong financials for 2018 but weak forecasts for the year ahead. The social media giant was under pressure to beat analyst expectations after strong report cards from Facebook and Snap. But despite succeeding for the year ending [...]
Fine social media sites that fail to protect children, Labour says February 6, 2019 Social media companies could face hefty fines if they fail to protect children and young people on their platforms under strict new rules proposed by Labour. The party’s deputy leader, Tom Watson, will today give a speech saying the digital market has been “distorted” and outlining plans to ensure sites have a legal duty of [...]