Facebook warned it faces fine of up to 10 percent of its annual turnover in Russia, for failing to remove what officials call 'illegal content'
TECHNOLOGY POWERING BUSINESS
September 2021
US, Europe Reach Agreement On Chip Supplies, China, Tech Rules
Inaugural agreement between US and Europe to deepen co-operation centred around chip supplies, rules governing big tech, and trade with China
Chip Shortage Forces Opel To Close German Factory Until 2022
Real world impact of chip shortage sees 1,300 staff in Germany laid off, as Opel halts production at German factory until 2022
YouTube To Block All Anti-Vaccine Content
Streaming platform will now block all anti-vaccine content, in a major expansion of its ban on misinformation on Coronavirus vaccines
Amazon Settles Lawsuit With Two Fired Staffers
Undisclosed lawsuit settlement reached with two former Amazon employees, who alleged they were fired over their 'workplace activism'
Google Appeals EU’s 2018 Antitrust Fine
Google seeks dismissal of EU's 4.3bn euro antitrust fine, tells court payments to phone makers were needed in Android's fight against Apple
Elon Musk Tells US Government To Back Off Crypto Regulation
Tesla boss Elon Musk pushes back against crackdowns, and says US government should avoid regulating the cryptocurrency market
Texas Police Officers Sue Tesla, Allege Autopilot Is Unsafe
Lawsuit in Texas against Tesla raises Autopilot safety concerns again, after Model X crashed into two police cruisers
CNN Blocks Australian Access To Facebook Pages After Court Ruling
Not unexpected. After Australian court made publishers liable for user comments on their Facebook page, CNN pulls the plug
YouTube ‘Terminates’ RT German Channels, Russia Threatens Retaliation
Russia threatens retaliation after German YouTube channels belonging to Russia's RT were deleted for Covid misinformation breaches
Instagram Kids Development Halted After Backlash
Facebook's Instagram confirms development pause of new app for kids, after report of the harmful effect it has on teenage girls
Amazon Unveils New Devices For The Home, Including Astro The Robot
E-commerce giant Amazon launches a rolling robot called Astro, as well as a slew of new devices for the home including a Blink Doorbell and Echo Show 15
Ofcom Rules To Ease Switching On Different Broadband Networks
New rules to make it simpler to switch broadband supplier in as little as a day, under Ofcom's “One Touch Switch” process
CIA Mulled Killing Julian Assange, After Leak Of Hacking Secrets
Furious CIA officials in 2017 reportedly considered abducting and even assassinating WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, over Vault 7 leak
FCC Opens $2bn Fund For Rural Carriers Replacing Huawei Kit
US communications regulator, the FCC, readies compensation fund for rural US telecom carriers removing Huawei and ZTE kit
Microsoft’s Nadella Says Failed TikTok Deal Was ‘Strange’
Microsoft boss Satya Nadella says failed deal to acquire the US operations of TikTok was 'strangest thing I've worked on'
Ford Touts EVs For The Masses With $11.4bn For New Factories
New 'mega campus' in Tennessee and battery plants Kentucky will bring electric cars to the masses, not just the few, Ford claims
Pegasus Spyware On Phones Of French Cabinet Ministers – Report
Traces of NSO's Pegasus spyware were allegedly found on the mobile phones of at least five current French cabinet ministers
Lithuania Seeks To Ban ‘Untrustworthy’ Smartphones Amidst China Row
Lithuania's Defence Ministry reportedly drafting legislation that could ban public institutions from purchasing Chinese-made smartphones
Huawei Sees £22bn Smartphone Losses From Trade Ban
Huawei is seeing £22bn in lost smartphone handset revenues per year from the US' 'Entity List' trade blacklist, as it seeks to stay afloat
Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou Returns To China After US Deal
Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou reaches deal with Justice Department allowing her to return to China, as US plans further legal action
Intel Breaks Ground On $20bn Arizona Chip Plants
Intel breaks ground on two chip fabrication plants in Arizona as part of IDM 2.0 turnaround strategy to manufacture semiconductors for outside companies
Tesla’s Musk Sees Chip Shortage Ending Next Year
Tesla chief executive Elon Musk sees chip constraints ending next year, as IDC projects 'normalisation' by mid-2022 – but others are less optimistic
Connected Business: The Post-COVID Supply Chain
With supply chains being massively disrupted as the pandemic took hold, what does a post-pandemic supply chain look like? How can businesses transform their partnerships to create new supply chain relationships that use technology to k ...
UK Appeals Court Finds Artificial Intelligence Not A ‘Person’
Appeals Court of England and Wales rejects case by man who cited 'creativity machine' artificial intelligence as inventor in two patent applications
China Bans All Cryptocurrency Transactions
China's central bank calls all cryptocurrency transactions 'illegal' in strongest statement to date, causing sharp price drops for Bitcoin and Ether
Chip Shortage Blamed For Looming Job Losses At Vauxhall
Hundreds of job losses are on the cards at Vauxhall's home town of Luton, due to knock-on affects of the chip shortage and pandemic
US Commerce Dept Open To Additional Measures Against Huawei – Report
US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo makes clear the Biden administration will take further action against Huawei - if necessary
Bird Attack Forces Google To Suspend Drone Deliveries
Angry birds! Google Wing delivery drones in the Australia capital of Canberra have been grounded after being attacked by ravens
Apple Not Happy, As Europe Insists On Common Charger
A decade late and the end for lightning cables? Apple will be forced to install USB-C ports on all its devices sold in the EC
Google Proposes Settlement In EU Digital Advertising Probe
Google tries to stave off lengthy investigation of its digital advertising business by reportedly seeking settlement with EU
Australian Bank Slams Apple Pay – Report
Head of Australian bank complains to lawmakers about Apple's alleged monopolist control of its NFC-based Apple Pay system
Facebook CTO Announces Departure
Facebook CTO Mike Schroepfer is to step down after 13 years in charge of technology and infrastructure at the social networking giant
Apple Bans Fornite Indefinitely, Amid Ongoing Legal Battle
CEO of Epic Games condemns ‘extraordinary anticompetitive move by Apple’ after it bans Fornite from App Store indefinitely
Tech Giants, Car Makers Set For White House Meeting Over Chip Shortage
Big names within the tech and car industry are to virtually attend a White House meeting to discuss the ongoing chip shortage
Freshworks Valued At $12.2 Billion After Nasdaq IPO
Business software provider Freshworks, which seeks to challenge Salesforce in the CRM space, enjoys successful Nasdaq debut
Facebook Underreporting iOS Ad Results After Apple Privacy Change
Social networking giant Facebook says it is underreporting results of its advertising business on iOS devices after Apple privacy fight
O2 Coverage Advert Banned By ASA
Advert by O2 that claimed it had the best coverage citing an uSwitch survey, has been banned by the Advertising watchdog, after complaint from BT's EE
5 ways to boost your business’ performance with enhanced security and smart connectivity – Juniper
Organisations across all sectors globally are experiencing a time of great change and uncertainty. Amid the disruption, they have made the user experience (UX) a strategic priority, with the aim to increase both clients and employees’ ...
Lithuania Warns Citizens Over 5G Chinese Phones
Lithuania warns its citizens to stop using smartphones from three Chinese firms after finding some “cyber and personal data security risks”
US Treasury Sanctions Cryptocurrency Exchange Suex
Cryptocurrency exchange Suex hit with sanctions by US Treasury Department for alleged role in laundering ransomware payments
Facebook Oversight Board To Examine Free Pass For High-Profile Users
Facebook's Supreme Court, the Oversight Board, is to investigate the 'cross-check' system used for content decisions for high-profile users
EU Set To Unveil Common Phone Charger Proposal
Only a decade late? European Commission on Thursday will reportedly present its proposed legislation for a common phone charger
Google To Purchase NY Office Building For $2.1 Billion
Despite small numbers of office workers due to remote working, Google is to spend billions to acquire New York office building
BT Pledges To Curb Carbon Emissions By 2030
Green pledge. UK telecoms giant BT brings forward its net zero carbon emission target from 2045 to 2030, and sets 2040 date for suppliers
Boris Johnson Talks Tax With Amazon’s Jeff Bezos
Downing Street confirms British Prime Minister discussed the issue of taxation during meeting with Jeff Bezos in New York
Apple iOS 15 Update: What Is New?
Apple releases its latest iteration of the iPhone operating system, iOS 15, with a number of noteworthy changes including cross platform FaceTime
Twitter Offers $800m To Settle Investor Lawsuit
Twitter offers to pay $809.5m to settle class action lawsuit which accused it of allegedly deceiving investors over user engagement
US Sanctions ‘Aim To Cut Off Hackers’ Access’ To Cryptocurrency
US Treasury Department reportedly planning sanctions against cryptocurrency platforms that facilitate ransomware payments in latest anti-hacking move
Ireland Privacy Regulator Quizzes Facebook Over Smart Glasses
Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner asks Facebook to demonstrate that smart glasses' safeguards for unauthorised image recording are 'effective'
‘Intensifying’ Auto Chip Shortage Hits Daimler Truck Production
World's biggest lorry maker Daimler Truck says chip shortage has 'intensified' in past few weeks meaning further slowdown of production
GitLab Files For Initial Public Offering After $6bn Valuation
Software development platform maker GitLab files for public offering on Nasdaq after January secondary share sale that valued it at $6bn
Silicon UK In Focus Podcast: Schneider Electric
In this week’s podcast we focus on the recently published report: Digital Economy and Climate Impact from Scheider Electric. We are also considering how Scheider Electric are innovating in the energy space.
Teamsters Union Targets Amazon Facilities Across Canada
Following unionisation effort in Edmonton, Alberta Teamsters Union reportedly expands organisation drive to at least nine Amazon locations across Canada
OpenSea Employee Resigns Over NFT ‘Insider Trading’ Row
Community members had accused OpenSea employee of using insider information to buy NFTs being promoted by the site, then resell them for a profit
Alphabet X Links Congo Cities With Beams Of Light
Alphabet experiment uses invisible beams of light to create affordable high-speed internet link across Congo River from Brazzaville to Kinshasa
US Mulls Sanctions Use In War Against Hacker Cryptocurrency Payments
White House is reportedly preparing to take a number of actions, including the use of sanctions, against ransomware crypto payments
Google, Apple Pull Alexei Navalny App After Russian Demand
Voting app belonging to poisoned and jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny pulled from both Apple and Google app stores in Russia
Sir Clive Sinclair, Computing Pioneer, Dies At 81
British inventor of the ZX Spectrum, which transformed home computing in the early 1980s for millions, dies at the age of 81
No Drone At Gatwick, Claims Former Drone Executive
There was no drone? Doubt cast on repeated drone sightings that closed Gatwick airport for days during the Christmas period in 2018
Wikipedia Bans Seven Chinese Users Citing ‘Infiltration’
Wikimedia Foundation bans seven users in China for 'infiltration of Wikimedia systems' that has resulted in 'physical harm' of users
Microsoft Looks Beyond Password Protection For Accounts
Future is 'passwordless' says Microsoft, as it gives users option to delete account passwords and login via authenticator app
El Salvador Protests Erupt Amid Bitcoin Crash
Thousands of protesters take to the streets in El Salvador, in protest at the country's adoption of Bitcoin as legal tender
AUKUS Security Alliance Will Include Cybersecurity, AI, Quantum
In addition to the US and UK sharing their nuclear propulsion technology with Australia, cyber security is to be included
First All-Civilian Crew Launch To Orbit On SpaceX Rocket
The door to outer space continues to be nudged wider, as first all-civilian crew circle the Earth aboard SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule
EU Plans European Chips Act To Increase Production
European Commission announces plan to create a state-of-the-art European chip ecosystem, including semiconductor production
South Korea Slaps Google With $177m Fine
Antitrust regulator in South Korea has fined Google $177m for blocking customised versions of the Android operating system
Apple iPhone 13 Launch: iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max
Part 2: The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max are Apple's premium handsets, geared towards the high-end customer segment
Apple iPhone 13 Launch: iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Mini
Part 1 details arrival of Apple iPhone and iPhone Mini; Part 2 will cover the arrival of the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max
Apple iPhone 13 Launch: Apple Watch Series 7
Brand new look for Apple Watch thanks to a 20 percent larger screen area, coupled with faster charging, new colours, and watchOS 8
Apple iPhone 13 Launch: Apple iPad (9th Gen), iPad Mini (2021)
Apple updates its entry-level iPad portfolio with faster processors, Centre Stage for video calls, and some notable changes for the iPad mini
UK Government Holds Stakes In 158 Start-ups
British Business Bank which runs the Government's 'Future Fund' has provided funding of $1.1 billion and holds stakes in 158 start-ups
Russia To Tax Foreign ‘Digital Services’
Plan published in Russia to impose taxes on foreign-owned digital services, as part of ongoing effort to bolster domestic tech sector
Google Hands Over Data To Hong Kong Authorities – Report
Despite pledging to halt data transfers due to a repressive security law in Hong Kong, Google reportedly has handed over some data
Amazon Antitrust Lawsuit Widened By Washington DC AG
Doubling down. Washington DC’s Attorney General Karl Racine has broadened the existing antitrust lawsuit against e-commerce giant Amazon
Apple Issues Urgent Security Update For iPhones, iPads and Macs
Discovery of 'zero-click' spyware allegedly from NSO Group, sees Apple issuing emergency update to iPhone, iPad and Mac users
How to Build a Better Workplace
The workplace has changed. Post-pandemic, what will work look like? As enterprises look past the pandemic to reshape their workforces, Will hybrid working become the norm?
Facebook Allows Some High-Profile Users To Break Rules
Social networking giant Facebook uses a 'whitelist' of high-profile users, who are reportedly allowed to break platform's online rules
US Financial Regulator ‘Carrying Out Massive SolarWinds Probe’
Many US companies are reportedly concerned they could be exposed to liability after Securities and Exchange Commission requests breach data
Data Protection Regulator Queries Facebook On Smart Glasses
Italian data protection regulator asks for Facebook to provide more information on privacy and data protections in new Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses
Judge Orders Apple To Change App Store Payment Rules
California judge orders Apple to allow app developers to include links to outside forms of payment in major shake-up, but Epic Games says it will 'fight on'
PayPal Raises Business Fees Between UK And Europe
Fees for business payments between companies in UK and European Economic Area to rise to 1.2 percent as interchange costs rise and EU limits end
Amazon Offers Free College Education To Frontline Staff
Amazon offers to pre-pay full college tuition and fees for more than 750,000 frontline staff as it seeks to lure employees amidst shortage
Texas Law Bans Social Media ‘De-Platforming’
US state of Texas passes law that prohibits social media companies from removing users based on their views, following Donald Trump ban controversy
Twitter Introduces Labels For ‘Good’ Bots
Twitter to allow accounts to add label indicating if they are automated, in effort to give users more context – but feature remains optional for now
Apple Rejects Epic Games Fortnite Request In South Korea
Not having it. Despite South Korea ban on payment commission charges, Apple has refused to reinstate Epic Games account in that country
Facebook Developing Machine Learning Chip – Report
Engineers at Facebook are reportedly developing a machine learning chip, as part of its internal chip development program
Microsoft Indefinitely Postpones Office Return
Software giant is the latest tech giant to respond to ongoing infections, saying it will indefinitely postpone staff return to US offices
Facebook Reveals First Gen Smart Glasses
Social network Facebook teams up with luxury sunglasses maker for first generation of smart glasses called 'Ray-Ban Stories'
Aussie Court Rules Publishers Liable For Comments On Facebook Pages
Court in Australia shifts responsibility for harmful online content found on the Facebook pages of local publishers or media companies
Government To Open Lampposts, Bus Shelters For 5G Expansion
Two year Government project to make it easier for operators to install 5G kit on street furniture such as lampposts and bus shelters
WhatsApp Moderators Can Read Messages – Report
Concern raised again about how secure messages are on WhatsApp, after it emerges moderators can access messages if a complaint is filed
Three UK Reinstates European Roaming Charges
Disappointing decision. Three UK becomes the latest British mobile operator to controversially rejoin the European roaming charge bandwagon
Broadband Speeds Rise 20 Percent Since Start Of Covid-19
But 134,000 properties in the United Kingdom are still unable to get a decent broadband connectivity, Ofcom's latest research shows
Microsoft, Amazon Win Project Maven Contracts – Report
Analysis shows Amazon and Microsoft win Pentagon drone contracts, after Google exited Project Maven in 2018 amid staff protests
Facebook Questions UK’s CMA Authority On Giphy Purchase
In strongly worded letter, Facebook says the CMA's suggested divestiture of Giphy “is grossly unreasonable and disproportionate”
New Zealand Banks, Post Offices Downed By DDoS Attack
Websites belonging to the national postal service and banks in New Zealand, have been knocked offline on Wednesday in an apparent DDoS cyberattack
Problems Blight First Day, As El Salvador Adopts Bitcoin
Tech glitches, protests and a plummet in value of Bitcoin greets El Salvador's first day of using digital currency as legal tender
BT Takeover Speculation Rises After Deutsche Telekom Comments
Comments made by the CEO of Deutsche Telekom, prompts renewed speculation of German telecoms giant intentions towards the UK's BT
Apple Car Chief Departs And Joins Ford
More trouble for Apple's Project Titan? Executive in charge of secret car project at Apple jumps ship, and is hired by Ford Motor Co
Integrate with SAP: A guide to unified data and a cohesive UX across all business apps
Whether you’re a hungry consumer ordering a pizza for delivery or an under-pressure supplier trying to track orders for parts, you want SPEED, SIMPLICITY, and SEAMLESS EXPERIENCES. Delays mean frustration. And for business leaders and ...
Intel May Invest 80 Billion Euros For Two Chip Fabs
CEO Pat Gelsinger says Intel could invest as much as 80 billion euros ($95bn or £69bn) in Europe to expand chip production
Government Orders National Security Review Of Perpetuus Purchase
British Business Secretary orders national security review of potential acquisition of Welsh graphene maker Perpetuus Group
Samsung Offered Large Tax Breaks To Build Chip Factory In Texas
City of Taylor in Texas offers Samsung huge tax breaks in order to convince it to build a $17 billion Samsung chip factory there
El Salvador Today Adopts Bitcoin As Legal Tender
Despite warnings from world institutions and central banks, and the disapproval of its own citizens, El Salvador adopts Bitcoin as a legal tender today
ICO To Urge G7 Action On Annoying Cookie Consent Pop-ups
Information Commissioner is urging G7 data protection authorities to tackle the scourge of modern day browsing....cookie pop-ups
Silicon UK In Focus Podcast: Mind The Trust Gap
In this week’s podcast, we focus on the recently published report from Thomas International: ‘Mind the trust gap.' The majority (85%) of UK businesses need to critically improve the quality of their recruitment processes; with 77% sayi ...
O2 Subject Of Bribery Investigation By SFO – Report
Serious Fraud Office is investigating UK mobile operator O2 over “possible violations of anti-bribery laws and regulations”
FAA Grounds Virgin Galactic Pending Flight Deviation Report
US Federal Aviation Administration grounds Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo amidst probe into shallower-than-expected flight path of July rocket trip into space
US Regulator ‘Investigating’ Crypto Exchange Developer Uniswap Labs
US Securities and Exchange Commission reportedly launches probe into Uniswap Labs, developer of world's biggest decentralised finance platform
Didi ‘May Fall Under State Control’ Under City Proposal
Ride-hailing giant Didi Global could be brought under the control of state-operated firms under reported proposal by Beijing municipal government
Amazon Seeks ‘More Active’ Role In Removing Banned Cloud Content
Amazon reportedly looking to take more active role in removing cloud content that violates terms after Islamic State propaganda found hosted on AWS
China Chip Maker SMIC Plans £6.4bn Plant In Shanghai
China's largest chipmaker SMIC plans £6.4bn plant in Shanghai Free Trade Zone to focus on mature-technology semiconductors amidst worldwide chip shortage
Apple Delays Plans To Scan iPhone Images
Apple delays plans to roll out image-scanning technology on iPhones to search for child-abuse images before material is uploaded to iCloud
US States Set To Roll Out Apple’s Digital ID System
Eight US states set to offer and accept digital IDs via Wallet app on Apple iPhones, as civil liberties advocates express privacy concerns
Apple Eases App Store Rules For Spotify, Netflix etc
Fresh concession from Apple for “reader” apps, but Netflix says it doesn't go far enough and Spotify CEO says Apple is just trying to 'divide and conquer'
US Agency Investigates Two Complaints From Apple Staff
Two Apple staff members in the US file separate complaints that are now being reviewed by officials at a US national labour agency
Majority Of El Salvadorans Reject Bitcoin Law – Poll
Not a good sign. 70 percent of the population of El Salvador oppose Bitcoin law, as 7 September implementation draws near
WhatsApp Slapped With $267m GDPR Fine For Sharing Data
Ouch. Irish Data Protection Commission hits WhatsApp with an increased fine of 225m euros, due to its handling and processing of user data
Twitter Targets Trolls And Abuse With ‘Safety Mode’
Making Twitter a little bit less toxic? Micro blogging platform unveils 'Safety Mode' designed to crack down on abuse and trolling
TeleGeography’s Updated Subsea Cable Map Shows Tech Influence
Updated map of world's undersea cables by TeleGeography shows growing engineering infrastructure capabilities of tech firms
Home Addresses Of Gun Owners Leaked By Activist
Animal rights activist effectively publishes a map that reportedly shows the home addresses of thousands of UK gun owners
Apple Faces Antitrust Complaint In India Over In-App Payments
Non-profit group in India files antitrust complaint against Apple, over the 30 percent commission charge for in-app purchases
Climate Change: Is There a Tech Solution?
As COP26 in Glasgow approaches, how can technology help in the fight to reverse or at least reduce the long-term impact of climate change? Clean tech and environment tech companies have a myriad of approaches. Can your business impact ...
Age Appropriate Design Code Arrives To Protect Kids
Rules to protect youngsters come into effect in the UK today, governing how apps and online services should treat children’s data
Amazon To Hire 55,000 People For Corporate, Tech Roles
Another global hiring spree at Amazon, mostly for technology and corporate roles at the e-commerce and cloud giant
Complex Design Causes Apple Watch 7 Production Delay – Report
Complicated design, Coronavirus disruptions and performance problems have delayed initial manufacturing of Apple's Watch 7
HPE Wins NSA Cloud Contract Worth $2bn
Hewlett Packard Enterprise wins $2 billion cloud services contract with America's top secret intelligence agency, the NSA
Google Appeals $591m Copyright Fine From French Watchdog
'Disproportionate fine' says Google, as it files appeal against 500 million euros penalty imposed by France’s competition regulator
Vauxhall Boss Says Chip Shortage To Last Months
Head of Vauxhall Motors warns problems for the car industry caused by ongoing chip shortage is not likely to improve this year
Google Delays Office Return Until 10 January 2022
Search engine giant Google, joins Amazon, Facebook and Apple in delaying staff return to offices and campuses, citing Coronavirus 'uncertainity'