Amazon's AWS and others face a backlash against the use of AI-powered face identification tools, with privacy groups saying they breach citizens' rights
TECHNOLOGY POWERING BUSINESS
2019
Apple Faces FaceTime Security Questions As It Releases Bug Fix
The US House of Representatives queries Apple over its initial delay in addressing the flaw, which allows users to listen in on other iOS devices' microphones
Facebook To Appeal German Privacy Ruling
The social media giant denies competition officials have standing to pass judgement over it – in spite of a German market share estimated at 95 percent
Companies Found Vulnerable To Common Unpatched Flaws
Penetration tests find most firms vulnerable via multiple vectors, including well-known security bugs and perimeter Wi-Fi weaknesses
Police Seek ‘Balance’ In Use Of AI To Predict Crime
Cash-strapped police chiefs defend their use of AI as campaign group finds 14 forces across the UK are using algorithms to supplement human officers
China Accused In Norwegian Software Company Hack
The breach of corporate software maker Visma comes as Huawei faces increased pressure in the UK and elsewhere
South African Power Firm Eskom Fails To Secure Customer Data
Eskom criticised after failing to respond to researcher about its exposure of customer data
Virgin Media Trials 8Gbps Broadband In Rural Village
Need for speed. Virgin Media trials 8Gbps broadband in Cambridgeshire village
Data Governance and MDM Conference Europe 2019
Labour Party Promises To ‘Break Up’ Tech Giants
An impossible promise? Tom Watson says new regulator would break up American tech giants
Apple Admits To Storing Data In Russia – Report
Some data on Apple users is stored on Russian servers to comply with local laws, iPad maker admits
Angela Merkel Demands Espionage Guarantees From Huawei
Denmark expels two Huawei staff, and Norway's intelligence boss issues warning about the Chinese firm
Alphabet Profits Surge, But Spending Worries Investors
Shares in Google parent slide after heavy Q4 spending, but healthy advertising revenues bolsters financials
Amazon Tax Pay Reignites Digital Tax Row
Tax dodging accusations fly as Amazon allegedly only paid £62m corporation tax over past 20 years
US Appeals Court Hears Net Neutrality Challenge
Legal challenge to overturning of net neutrality laws continues, with decision due in the summer
Bluetooth 5.1 Delivers Pinpoint Location Accuracy
Location services boost as new spec delivers exact location data, to within one centimetre
Collection 2 Data Breach Exposes 2.2 Billion Unique Accounts
Massive new data dump of 2.2 records are being distributed on hacker forums and torrents
Google Plus To Begin Shutdown Within Days
Users will be unable to create new Google+ content from 4 February, with full shutdown set for 2 April
MPs Call For Regulation Of Social Media Firms
Committee of MPs lambast social media firms for facilitating bullying and online grooming
US Urges Allies To Utilise Western Tech Instead Of Huawei
US envoy to EU alleges there is “classified evidence” of security breaches by Chinese networking giant
Microsoft Disappoints As Azure Growth Slows
Stocks take a hit as Azure cloud growth slows, but Redmond still grows and remains profitable
Facebook Grows Profit, Despite Multiple Scandals
No sign that multiple scandals have dented advertisers desire for the social networking platform
Cryptocurrency Crime Losses Surge By 400 Percent
Scams and fraud involving cryptocurrencies rose to £1.3bn last year – in spite of an 80 percent drop in crypto-asset values
Huawei Criminal Charges Cast Pall Over US-China Trade Talks
The US allegations arrive as negotiations begin in Washington to ease the escalating trade war
Apple Rushes To Block iPhone Eavesdropping Bug
The flaw allows FaceTime callers to listen in on recipients' devices, whether the call is accepted or not
Russian Government Scheme Exposes Corporate Data
More than 2,000 MongoDB databases operated by major domestic and foreign companies were left accessible under the government programme
Google Accused Of Using Sensitive Data To Target Online Ads
The technical standards behind real-time bidding routinely disclose sensitive information about users' health, ethnicity, finances and other areas, says a GDPR complaint
Nvidia Issues Revenue Alert As Trade War Continues
Nvidia has joined Apple and Intel on the list of US companies hit by a slowdown in China amidst bitter trade conflict with the US
Gartner: Cloud Fuels Enterprise Software Spending Surge
Brexit and US-China trade tensions pose less of a threat than skills shortages, as businesses buy into the cloud and the Internet of Things
Chinese Chip Giant Fujian Jinhua To Cease Operations After US Ban
The start-up, founded with massive state investment in 2016, has all but run out of imported materials following the US' industrial espionage indictment last year