Facebook joins $1 trillion club after anti-trust victory

The stock market value of Facebook has topped $1 trillion for the first time after the tech giant won a court victory against US regulators. A federal court dismissed two lawsuits, from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and a coalition of states, sending Facebook shares up 4.2%. It took the value of Facebook above $1tn, […]

Binance: Watchdog clamps down on cryptocurrency exchange

Binance, the world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchange, has been issued a warning by the UK’s financial regulator. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has ruled that the firm cannot conduct any “regulated activity” in the UK. It also advised people to be wary of adverts promising high returns on cryptoasset investments. Binance said the FCA notice would […]

Google tracking cookies ban delayed until 2023

Google has delayed its plan to block third-party cookies from its Chrome internet browser. Cookies track users’ internet activity and allow digital publishers to target advertising. They are already blocked by a number of Google’s rivals, including Apple, Microsoft and Mozilla. But critics say Google’s ban forces ad sellers to go direct to the tech […]

Apple claims ‘sideloading’ apps is ‘serious’ security risk

Apple claims that allowing developers to distribute apps outside its official App Store would “expose users to serious security risks”. A new report from the company argues strongly against allowing so-called sideloading of apps. The report suggests a range of hypothetical problems including ransomware and financial scams. It comes as Apple is under pressure from […]

Google investigated over ‘dominance’ in ad market

The European Commission has opened an investigation into whether Google is dominating the online-advertising market at the expense of its rivals. It will examine Google’s role in collecting data, selling advertising space and acting as an online-advertising intermediary. The commission is concerned the technology giant is making it hard for other online advertisers to compete. […]

German watchdog probes Apple’s market dominance

Apple is under investigation by the German competition watchdog. The Federal Cartel Office (FCO) said the initial investigation will look at whether the company is of “paramount significance across markets”. Apple said it looked forward to “having an open dialogue” with the FCO about any of its concerns. Facebook, Amazon and Google have faced similar […]

Chip shortage addressed by US-EU tech alliance

Manufacturing more computer chips in Europe and the US will be one of the key focuses of a new technology alliance between the two. The Trade and Technology Council (TTC) was unveiled following talks between European commissioner Margrethe Vestager and US President Joe Biden. The group will also seek to set common standards for new […]

ICO watchdog ‘deeply concerned’ over live facial recognition

The UK Information Commissioner has said she is “deeply concerned” live facial recognition (LFR) may be used “inappropriately, excessively or even recklessly”. Elizabeth Denham questioned what would happen if it was combined with social media and other big data. There is a “high bar” for LFR where “we shop, socialise or gather”, she wrote. New […]

Chip shortage addressed by US-EU tech alliance

Manufacturing more computer chips in Europe and the US will be one of the key focuses of a new technology alliance between the two. The Trade and Technology Council (TTC) was unveiled following talks between European commissioner Margrethe Vestager and US President Joe Biden. The group will also seek to set common standards for new […]