Facebook-backed cryptocurrency association to issue digital versions of single currencies, stepping back from controversial synthetic coin scheme
TECHNOLOGY POWERING BUSINESS
News regulation
Regulator Gives Green Light To Amazon’s Deliveroo Stake
Competition and Markets Authority gives provisional approval to £460m investment round after warning Deliveroo likely to collapse without new funds
ZTE Targeted By New US Corruption Probe
Two years after export ban that nearly destroyed ZTE, US Justice Department now reportedly involved in a new probe into bribery and corruption
Government’s Huawei Decision Faces Parliamentary Inquiry
Commons defence committee now plans to review government's decision to allow Huawei a 5G role, as Conservative rebels seek a complete ban
Drone Industry Up In Arms Over ‘Remote ID’ Regulations
US regulator proposes 'digital licence plate' for drones, but critics say regulations would be expensive and complex to implement
US State Sues Google For ‘Illegally Gathering Data On Children’
Federal lawsuit by US state of New Mexico accuses Google of illegally gathering students' data via G Suite for Education products and Chromebooks
Zuckerberg Urges Closer Regulation Of Social Media
Social media companies should be regulated as something between a newspaper and a telecommunications firm, Facebook chief tells conference
Government To Put Ofcom In Charge Of Regulating Internet Content
More powers on the way for British communications watchdog Ofcom, after Government decides Internet firms cannot regulate themselves
MEPs Back Single Charger For Smartphones
Resolution calls for introduction of single charging method, in spite of Apple's warning that new regulations would stifle innovation
ICO Children’s Data Rules Meet With Divided Response
Upcoming regulations hailed as a pioneering step to protect children's data online, but some fear they could favour big tech companies
Petition Claims Tesla Vehicles To Blame for ‘Sudden Acceleration’ Crashes
US authorities reviewing claims that some Tesla electric vehicles are prone to suddenly accelerate and cause crashes, amidst company's denials
Huawei Strikes Deal With TomTom For Smartphone Mapping Services
Arrangement with Dutch navigation devices and services provider comes as Huawei looks for ways around US trade ban imposed last year
Alphabet’s Pichai Urges ‘Proportionate’ AI Regulation
Chief executive of Google parent urges regulators to refrain from a heavy-handed approach to new AI rules as EU readies proposals
Austria ‘Working With EU Partners’ On Huawei 5G Decision
Country does not rule out deploying Chinese-made equipment in its 5G networks amidst heavy US lobbying of UK and other allies
EU Proposes Five-Year Ban On Facial Recognition Technology
European Commission could temporarily bar facial recognition in public places as new rules to protect individuals' privacy are worked out
CES 2020: Rules To Govern AI Proposed By White House
US administration also wants European nations to adhere to rules over the development and use of artificial intelligence (AI)
Wi-Fi Alliance Looks To Next Generation With ‘Wi-Fi 6E’
Industry group is pushing governments to open up 6 GHz spectrum, which it says would ease Wi-Fi network congestion in dense urban environments
Amazon Hit By Regulatory Probe Over Deliveroo Stake
UK regulators say Amazon's propoposed purchase of a minority stake in Deliveroo could harm competition in food and grocery deliveries
Swiss President Says Facebook’s Libra Has ‘Failed’ In Current Form
Facebook's Libra cryptocurrency cannot be approved without changes, says president of Switzerland, where Libra Association has headquarters
Reporters Use Leaked Location Data To Track President Trump
New York Times follows Donald Trump's movements in real time as part of exposé into lack of regulation around smartphone tracking industry
Airbnb Wins Top EU Court Ruling Over Regulatory Status
European Court of Justice decides Airbnb is an 'information society service' and not a real estate agent, defeating challenge by Paris city authorities
Nokia Halts Legal Action Against Daimler To Boost Mediation Efforts
Nokia changes tactics as it seeks to negotiate with car makers over technology royalties while avoiding a European Commission competition probe
EU Queries News Publishers On Google Data Practices
European Commission asks news publishers for details on how Google collects user data from their sites as it launches online ad competition probe
Ericsson To Pay $1bn To Settle US Corruption Charges
Ericsson promises to improve ethics after admitting to carrying out corrupt activities over more than a decade, including bribes of goverment officials
Internet Activists Call For Halt To .Org Sale
Internet campaign groups say the sale of the .org registry to a private equity group could mean 'significant harm' for non-profits
European Commission Launches New Google Data Probe
Commission taking a new look into Google's collection and use of data in wake of multiple antitrust decisions and 8 billion euros in fines
China Law Requires Face Scans For Mobile Services
New law requires biometric identification for SIM card purchases, but detractors call the move 'dystopian' and say it could aid scammers
Uber Loses Licence To Operate In London
Company calls Transport for London decision 'extraordinary and wrong' as TfL identifies 'pattern of failures' that put passenger safety at risk
Microsoft Updates Cloud Agreements Following EU Probe
New cloud contract terms to roll out worldwide after European regulators found 'serious concerns' over the way Microsoft was handling citizens' data
Gartner Sees Rise In IT Spending Next Year
IT spending in Europe and worldwide seen coming out of slump in 2020 as currency pressure eases – and firms rush to buy into the cloud