That didn't last long. Meta is to close its Facebook Gaming app later this year – two years after it was launched to take on Twitch, YouTube
News Browsers
Plex Breach Exposes Account Data, Including Passwords
Security breach at Plex has compromised account information, including usernames, email addresses, and even hashed passwords
FTC Investigates Amazon Prime, But Firm Hits Out At FTC Staff Conduct
E-commerce giant accuses Federal Trade Commission of harassing Jeff Bezos,and Andy Jassy, in probe of Amazon Prime service
Streaming Impact On Broadcast TV Revealed In Latest Ofcom Study
Young adults now watching two thirds less broadcast TV than in 2012, as scale of streaming challenge to broadcast media is made clear
Alphabet Misses Earnings Forecast, But Pleases With Strong Ad...
Narrow miss on quarterly results gives hope Alphabet is in a decent position to weather the economic slowdown impacting others
Russia Fines Google $34m, After Last Week’s $358m Penalty
But will Google actual bother to pay? Russian watchdog claims Google abuses its dominant position in the video hosting market
Netflix Loses 1 Million Subscribers, But Predicts Q3 Growth
One million subscriber loss is less than 2 million prediction, as streaming giant offsets investor worry with forecast to add 1 million in Q3
Most Brits Concerned About Their Search History Data, ExpressVPN Finds
Ooh matron! Half of Brits would change online behaviour if their search history was made public, ExpressVPN research finds
Microsoft’s Internet Explorer Retires Today, After 27 Years
The day that IE died. Microsoft has today officially retired its veteran web browser Internet Explorer after 27 years of service
Microsoft Slashes Russia Operations, Axes 400 Staff
Software giant Microsoft is “significantly” scaling down its operations in Russia, but will continue to fulfil contractual obligations
Alphabet Profit Slides As YouTube Misses Expectations
Tech giant posts mixed first quarter results, as Alphabet contends with rising inflation, increased YouTube competition, and falling ad spend
Netflix Subscribers Fall For First Time In Ten Years
Streaming giant Netflix reveals loss of subscribers for the first time in ten years, and mulls lower-cost subscription plan with adverts
Google To Invest $9.5 Billion In US Offices, Data Centres In 2022
CEO Sundar Pichai confirms hefty spending plans for Google in 2022 in the United States, which includes new offices and data centres
Russian Users Sue Netflix For Market Withdraw – Report
Disgruntled Netflix users in Russia have launched a class action lawsuit against streaming giant for leaving the Russian market
Microsoft Investigates After Lapsus$ Hack Claim
Lapsus$ strikes again? Redmond investigating claims that Brazilian-based hacking group Lapsus$ leaked 37GB of its source code
Government Introduces Amended Online Safety Bill
Updated proposals will make UK safest place online with a number of stiff penalties and sanctions, the Government claims, but critics not convinced
Netflix To Start Charging For Password Sharing
After two subscription price rises, it emerges that Netflix knows when a person shares their password with others, and will soon start charging
Anonymous Hacks Russian State TV Stations
Hacktivist group Anonymous hacks streaming services and state TV news channels in Russia to broadcast Ukraine war footage
Google Relaxes Vaccine Requirement, As It Readies Office Reopening
Major changes at Google as it eases tough restrictions on vaccines, as it prepares to re-open its offices and campuses in the US
Google To Limit Ad Tracking On Android Apps
More bad news for advertisers? Google announces the Privacy Sandbox will be expanded from web browser and will include Android apps
UK Watchdog Accepts Google’s Revised Browser Cookie Pledge
CMA says it will keep “close eye” on Google after it accepted the firm's revised offer concerning the banning of third-party cookies
Government To Force Age Verification On Porn Websites
Online Safety Bill will include legal duty requiring all porn websites to implement 'robust checks' on the person's age
Alphabet Posts Record Results, Announces 20 for 1 Stock Split
Google parent Alphabet posts a stunning set of quarterly and annual results, and announces a 20 to 1 stock split in the summer
French Court Upholds 100m Euro Fine On Google Over Cookies
Google has been told by French court it has to pay a $112m fine, over forcing use of advertising tracking cookies on people’s devices
Google Drops FloC For Topics In Cookie Replacement Move
New privacy sandbox change. Google swaps system, as part of its efforts to replace cookies used by Chrome browser for online advertising
Apple Working To Patch Safari Data Leak Vulnerability
Oh dear, not so private. Webkit browser engine flaw has been leaking user ID and browser data since iOS 15 went live in September 2021
Windows 11 OS Struggles To Crack 1 Percent – Lansweeper
Bad news Redmond. New data from Lansweeper shows sluggish uptake of the Windows 11 operating system, three months after its initial release
Google Faces French 150m Euro Fine For Cookie Breach
French regulator imposes 150 million euros ($169m) fine on Googe, and 60m euros fine on Meta, over complexity about refusing online cookies
Google CEO Pichai To Be Questioned In $5bn Web Tracking Lawsuit
US federal judge rules CEO of search engine giant Google, Sundar Pichai, can be questioned over a lawsuit about tracking web browsing
DuckDuckGo Search Engine Grows 46 Percent In 2021
Privacy focused search engine DuckDuckGo enjoys record growth in 2021, reflecting people's ongoing preference for privacy