Social media technology
Social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn have proved enormously popular, and while they are consumer focused, the principles of collaboration and information sharing that they embody are highly relevant for corporate IT. We analyse the latest trends in social media technology, social networking and explain how they can be applied to enterprise IT strategy.
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Feature
14 Oct 2024
The future of collaboration in virtuality
The internet has introduced a host of applications to enable increasingly sophisticated collaboration across distances. Email catapulted economies into near real-time cooperation of teams, but new technologies promise to unleash immersive collaboration tools Continue Reading
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News
10 Oct 2024
UK and US pledge closer working on children’s online safety
In their first agreement on the subject of children’s online safety, the UK and US governments have said they will create a new working group to boost cooperation Continue Reading
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Opinion
16 Dec 2019
Can Europe legally share data with the US? A court far away is about to decide
The European Court of Justice will deliver an opinion on whether Europe can legally continue to send private data about European citizens to the US Continue Reading
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Opinion
16 Dec 2019
We can’t allow fake news and disinformation to upend our democracy
Fake news, misinformation and cyber attacks are part of our political process – now is the time to act Continue Reading
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News
13 Dec 2019
Alarm bells ring, the IoT is listening
With Christmas bearing down on us, a series of vulnerability disclosures has drawn attention to the parlous state of IoT security, and serves as a timely warning to people planning to buy smart devices as gifts Continue Reading
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Feature
13 Dec 2019
Future fashion: does that dress come in digital?
A visit to a technology-fuelled fashion pop-up paints a picture of a world where retailers and brands sell virtual clothes for usage solely in consumers’ digital lives Continue Reading
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Blog Post
11 Dec 2019
Not 4 sale
The man behind State Snaps, a set of social media pages with over a million followers, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for getting his cousin to try to steal a domain name at gunpoint. In ... Continue Reading
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News
09 Dec 2019
Online fact-checkers warn of misinformation on unprecedented scale in 2019 election
The UK’s elections watchdog, the Electoral Commission, is calling for new powers to regulate online political advertising Continue Reading
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News
06 Dec 2019
Cyber security takes its place alongside UK’s armed services
Head of armed services says cyber security will take its place alongside the army, navy and air force as a key pillar of the UK’s defence strategy Continue Reading
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News
06 Dec 2019
Great Cannon DDoS operation fires on Hong Kong protesters
AT&T’s security unit has evidence that China is pressing its Great Cannon DDoS tool into service once again, specifically to target pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong Continue Reading
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News
05 Dec 2019
Black Hat Europe: Mental health websites are leaking user data
At Black Hat Europe in London, researchers reveal the extent to which confidential data is being leaked to third parties by online mental health websites Continue Reading
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News
26 Nov 2019
Facebook undermined rivals in bid to dominate global messaging
Facebook used buyouts and bullying tactics towards competitors to grow its business empire, documents leaked to Computer Weekly reveal Continue Reading
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E-Zine
26 Nov 2019
Why thousands of IT contractors face ‘life-changing’ tax bills
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we investigate HMRC’s loan charge policy, a retrospective tax grab that has left thousands of IT contractors facing financial ruin. We compare the cloud storage offerings from AWS, Microsoft and Google. And we find out how retailers are turning to tech to deal with a new generation of shoppers. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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25 Nov 2019
How retailers are using social to reach Gen Z and beyond
The younger generation of shoppers are all using social media, so how are retailers using influencers to reach these potential customers and their spending power? Continue Reading
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News
25 Nov 2019
Snap taps Verizon as 5G partner to extend AR, video experiences
US comms giant Verizon teams with Snapchat creator to look at supporting advanced video applications such as augmented reality on its 5G network Continue Reading
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News
25 Nov 2019
Uber app exploit posed safety risk to passengers
A flaw in Uber’s system meant thousands of trips in London were taken with unauthorised drivers at the wheel Continue Reading
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News
22 Nov 2019
Obama at Dreamforce 2019: Leaders orchestrate the conversation
Former US president Barack Obama spoke in a fireside chat with Salesforce co-founder Marc Benioff at Dreamforce 2019. He cautioned on the dangers of the information age and offered some advice for business leaders Continue Reading
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News
21 Nov 2019
Labour pledges review of NCSC in UK security overhaul
The UK's National Cyber Security Centre may get expanded powers under a Labour government Continue Reading
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News
20 Nov 2019
Senators raise questions over Facebook’s monitoring of phone users’ locations
After Facebook publishes a blog post with conflicting statements, two US senators ask for clarification on how the company collects location data from its users Continue Reading
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Blog Post
20 Nov 2019
(What’s the story) morphing Tory?
“You dressed up party lines as a fact-check service. That is dystopian,” Emily Maitlis told Conservative Party chairman James Cleverly on the BBC’s Newsnight after the leadership debate. But like a ... Continue Reading
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News
20 Nov 2019
Conservatives slammed over social media trickery
The Conservative Party has been caught spreading online disinformation during the General Election campaign for a second time Continue Reading
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News
20 Nov 2019
Holy grail of digital banking is, at first glance, a new channel, not a new concept
Details of Google’s plans in the financial services sector have emerged with nothing groundbreaking so far, but the sector is guessing what comes next Continue Reading
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News
19 Nov 2019
Anti-stalkerware coalition calls time on intrusive abusers
New coalition plans to tackle the scourge of stalkerware as a tool of domestic and other forms of abuse Continue Reading
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News
18 Nov 2019
Foreign e-commerce giants threaten Nordic high streets
Surveys show up to 40% of high-street stores in Sweden and Finland could face closure by 2030 as retailers seek to combat e-commerce threat Continue Reading
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Feature
13 Nov 2019
What the EU’s decision on Facebook means for social media
Recent ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union will have global implications for social media companies and any organisations that host online content Continue Reading
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Podcast
12 Nov 2019
Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 36
In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, the team pick talk about General Election tech, HMRC's “war” on IT contractors, diversity in STEM and how organisations can fight back against fake online reviews Continue Reading
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News
07 Nov 2019
Saudis recruited Twitter employees to spy on critics
Court documents reveal how the Saudi Arabian government targeted Twitter employees as part of a coordinated effort to gather information on known dissidents Continue Reading
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News
06 Nov 2019
How Facebook’s ‘Switcheroo’ plan concealed scheme to kill popular apps
Leaked documents reveal how Facebook used and abused app developers, cut off data to competitors, gave privileged access to its friends and used privacy as a cover story Continue Reading
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News
06 Nov 2019
Lawmakers study leaked Facebook documents made public today
Computer Weekly publishes cache of leaked documents disclosed to Congress Continue Reading
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Podcast
05 Nov 2019
Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – episode 35
In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, the team pick over the finale of Channel 4 reality show The Circle, talk General Election tech and find out why enterprises are not prepared to pay a premium for business applications infused with AI Continue Reading
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News
05 Nov 2019
Goldman Sachs lends billions of dollars through Apple partnership
Apple Card issuing bank Goldman Sachs has already given billions of dollars in credit to iPhone users since Apple's credit card was launched Continue Reading
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News
05 Nov 2019
ICO launches data security campaign for UK General Election
Information commissioner Elizabeth Denham launches campaign to remind the public of their rights when personal data is used for political purposes Continue Reading
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News
04 Nov 2019
Brits moving to digital banking channel faster than people in the US
Digital banking services rapidly gain popularity, but digital banks face major challenges to make deeper inroads into traditional banks’ customer bases Continue Reading
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News
31 Oct 2019
Facebook agrees to pay £500,000 fine over Cambridge Analytica data law breaches
Social media giant also promises to change the way its platform is used to protect people’s data Continue Reading
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E-Zine
29 Oct 2019
IR35 reforms – the difficult decisions facing IT contractors
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine the difficult choices facing UK IT contractors from the controversial IR35 tax reforms. Social engineering is a major source of cyber security attacks – we look at mitigation strategies. And the IT chief at Mercedes F1 explains what it takes to support a world championship team. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
23 Oct 2019
Take responsibility for cyber security basics, urges NCSC CEO
At the launch of its third annual review, NCSC head Ciaran Martin appealed for individuals and businesses to address the fundamentals of cyber security hygiene to help lighten the load Continue Reading
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News
22 Oct 2019
Over-30s tend to do better at cyber security than younger colleagues
Attitudes to workplace cyber security differ by age group, but not in the way one might imagine, according to a new study by NTT Security Continue Reading
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News
21 Oct 2019
Edge computing, 5G spur mobile mixed reality market
Research identifies 5G networks and edge computing as two key emerging technologies that will accelerate the development of mixed reality from 2020 Continue Reading
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Feature
18 Oct 2019
How retailers are using social to reach Gen Z and beyond
The younger generation of shoppers are all using social media, so how are retailers using influencers to reach these potential customers and their spending power? Continue Reading
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News
17 Oct 2019
BEIS launches multimillion-pound security investment package
Government is making available more than £50m to support a range of new cyber security initiatives and collaborations, including the latest phase of its Digital Security by Design programme Continue Reading
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News
14 Oct 2019
French and German banks end talks on challenger bank sale
After months of negotiations, BPCE's proposed sale of Fidor Bank to OLB has fallen through Continue Reading
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News
11 Oct 2019
Zuckerberg’s mentor condemns Facebook’s business practices
Long-time Silicon Valley investor speaks out against surveillance capitalism and the lack of rules and regulations governing big tech’s behaviour Continue Reading
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Blog Post
09 Oct 2019
Rebekah Vardy’s out of the party
Coleen Rooney has detailed the detective work that went into unmasking Rebekah Vardy as the alleged mole of her private Instagram account. Adopting the standard celebrity statement release protocol ... Continue Reading
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News
09 Oct 2019
HETT 2019: Digital literacy gap will never be fully closed, says panel
The increasing use of digital technology in healthcare means it is important for people to be digitally literate to take part, but the digital literacy gap will always be there, says an expert panel Continue Reading
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News
04 Oct 2019
UK and US call on Facebook to walk back encryption plans
The US, Australian and UK governments have asked Facebook to ditch plans to deploy end-to-end encryption across Facebook Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp Continue Reading
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News
03 Oct 2019
Cyber war as big a threat as nuclear war, says ex-RSA head Coviello
Former RSA chairman Art Coviello has been speaking about the devastating potential of cyber weapons, and warned that humanity must learn from history in order to control them Continue Reading
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Blog Post
02 Oct 2019
Mark Zuckerberg’s existential threat
When we heard that some of Mark Zuckerberg’s Q&A sessions with his Facebook massive had been released by The Verge, we hardly expected to witness a grand reveal of them all kicking off their ... Continue Reading
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Opinion
02 Oct 2019
AI vs AI: How can we win the fake news battle?
Many internet browsers and social media companies have been forced to take on a new responsibility to combat the dissemination of false information, but can they succeed? Continue Reading
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News
01 Oct 2019
Interview: James Smith, director of digital, Nationwide Building Society
James Smith says heading up the digital unit at Nationwide Building Society is the best job in the business Continue Reading
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News
26 Sep 2019
Instagram and WhatsApp – the new tools of social media propaganda
Facebook and Twitter have been cast as the villains of the piece, but social media disinformation and propaganda are evolving in new and alarming directions, say Oxford University researchers Continue Reading
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News
24 Sep 2019
Google pushes back on scale of YouTube phishing threat
Millions of YouTubers may be at risk after some high-profile influencers reported their accounts were compromised in an apparent phishing attack, but the platform’s owner, Google, is not so sure Continue Reading
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News
18 Sep 2019
Facebook automatically generates pages for Islamic State and Al-Qaeda
Facebook algorithms have auto-generated hundreds of Facebook pages for the Islamic State, Al-Qaeda and Ansar al-Sharia, according to a whistleblower Continue Reading
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News
18 Sep 2019
Emotet phishing botnet returns from summer vacation
The Emotet phishing trojan-turned-botnet is back in action after a three-and-a-half month break, say threat researchers Continue Reading
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News
17 Sep 2019
US lawmakers demand internal Facebook, Google, Apple and Amazon documents in antitrust probe
US lawmakers have given big tech companies a deadline to disclose a wide range of documents as the House Judiciary Committee’s bipartisan investigation into competition gathers pace Continue Reading
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News
13 Sep 2019
Fintech lender increases loan limit as customer demand accelerates
Small business lender Esme Loans has increased its loan limit to quarter of a million pounds as businesses are drawn to its simple and fast digital platform Continue Reading
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Opinion
11 Sep 2019
Regulators globally are shaping up to rein in Facebook
We need to move fast and fix Facebook, before it breaks us Continue Reading
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Feature
11 Sep 2019
The emergence of the shopping centre-as-a-service model
Shopping centres have been morphing into wider entertainment, leisure and hospitality venues for some time, but their role is set to evolve yet further Continue Reading
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News
09 Sep 2019
Social engineering a factor in virtually all cyber attacks, report claims
Almost every single cyber attack will, at some stage, require a human to be tricked into doing something, according to research by Proofpoint Continue Reading
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News
05 Sep 2019
National Rail Enquiries hit by rush hour real-time information outage on mobile app and website
National Rail Enquiries confirms it is waiting on a third-party supplier for an update on when access to real-time train departure and arrival information will be restored on its website and mobile app Continue Reading
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Feature
28 Aug 2019
Building a 5G city: Bristol’s valuable lessons for the UK’s digital future
West of England Combined Authority is taking part in DCMS’s 5G Testbeds and Trials programme, exploring applications for tourism and entertainment. We find out how it is applying its learnings to life in Bristol and Bath Continue Reading
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Podcast
21 Aug 2019
Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 29
In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Brian McKenna, Caroline Donnelly and Clare McDonald take a look back at the last 28 podcasts ahead of the summer podcast pause Continue Reading
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News
21 Aug 2019
Inside Facebook’s engineering culture
An open and transparent culture that encourages developers to take risks and assume the best intent of co-workers has been the defining character of Facebook’s engineering organisation Continue Reading
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Blog Post
07 Aug 2019
8chan history
As we watched a former porn site merchant’s video statement, him sat there in front of a Benjamin Franklin backdrop to the sound of a military bugle call, defending 8chan’s white supremacist ... Continue Reading
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Blog Post
02 Aug 2019
Welcome to Limmy’s Twitch
Amazon-owned live video streaming platform Twitch has lost one of its biggest stars to Microsoft-owned rival site Mixer, but rather than lament the departure of Ninja, one clandestine member of the ... Continue Reading
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News
01 Aug 2019
Facebook asked to explain discrepancies in evidence over Cambridge Analytica
DCMS Committee chairman asks Facebook to clarify what it knew about Cambridge Analytica’s use of its data and when Continue Reading
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Podcast
31 Jul 2019
Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 26
In this special edition of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload, Brian McKenna and Caroline Donnelly are joined by Bill Goodwin and Sebastian Klovig Skelton to dig into the pair's recent run of in-depth investigative articles on Facebook and its privacy practices Continue Reading
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Blog Post
26 Jul 2019
Apologising with Nick Clegg
Nick Clegg – Sir Nick to you – continues to flourish as Facebook’s hired appeaser, most recently resurfacing from his Atherton mansion with a sound bite about how his employer was “rocked to its ... Continue Reading
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News
25 Jul 2019
Surge in UK businesses switching bank account providers
The UK system that makes it easy to change bank account has seen a surge in businesses taking up the service Continue Reading
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News
25 Jul 2019
Facebook shrugs off $5bn fine, reports strong quarter
Investors responded positively after social networking firm reported better-than-expected second-quarter results after budgeting for FTC fine, but the company faces a further antitrust investigation Continue Reading
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News
24 Jul 2019
Zuckerberg responsible for Facebook privacy compliance after $5bn FTC fine
Facebook pays record fine after breaching users’ privacy, following settlements with Federal Trade Commission and Securities and Exchange Commission Continue Reading
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News
24 Jul 2019
US Department of Justice launches antitrust probe into dominance of online platform providers
The US Department of Justice has called for an antitrust investigation into how “market-leading” online platform operators in the search, social media and retail space operate Continue Reading
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E-Zine
16 Jul 2019
Computer Weekly – 16 July 2019: Reaping the benefits of digital transformation at Defra
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we check out the digital transformation at Defra, and see how the government department is preparing for Brexit. The new technology chief for the NHS explains how he’s going to bring the health service into the digital age. And we examine how to make a success of enterprise social media platforms. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
11 Jul 2019
Let us troll
This month saw the Church of England release its own Digital charter, intended to improve the online community’s “common sense, kindness and sound judgement”. Now, you can sit there and have a go ... Continue Reading
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Podcast
09 Jul 2019
Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 23
In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Ryan Priest rejoins the show to help this week’s co-hosts, Caroline Donnelly and Clare McDonald, take a light-hearted look at the past week in tech Continue Reading
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News
05 Jul 2019
Challenger bank shuts up shop in UK amid uncertainty
Digital bank Fidor is ending its time in the UK, blaming uncertainties in the market Continue Reading
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Opinion
04 Jul 2019
Why Facebook’s Libra digital currency could run rings round the regulators
Facebook’s cryptocurrency isn’t really a cryptocurrency, nor is it really a money transfer network, but it’s been formulated in such a way that regulators might not be able to do anything to stop it Continue Reading
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News
04 Jul 2019
Over half a million homes now using full-fibre as access improves
Ofcom’s latest Communications Market Report examines key trends in the UK’s broadband and mobile market, and finds that access to faster broadband is expanding rapidly across all delivery mechanisms Continue Reading
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News
04 Jul 2019
Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp outage resolved, but questions remain over what caused it
Facebook confirms that technical difficulties blighted its applications and services for several hours on 3 July 2019 Continue Reading
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News
03 Jul 2019
Why PSD2 adoption in the Netherlands is lagging behind
The Netherlands appears to be falling behind in open banking, even though the Dutch are digitally proficient and are often early adopters of new technology. What is going on? Continue Reading
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Feature
01 Jul 2019
Facebook’s privacy game – how Zuckerberg backtracked on promises to protect personal data
Facebook promised its users privacy then quietly abandoned its promises in pursuit of profits. Now it faces antitrust regulation Continue Reading
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Feature
01 Jul 2019
Rise of the machines: How AI is changing unified communications
Artificial intelligence is now moving into live UC environments at scale. We look at the impact it will have and what lies ahead Continue Reading
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Feature
01 Jul 2019
The changing face of enterprise collaboration
Enterprises are turning to social platforms to optimise communication among their workforces. Computer Weekly looks at some examples Continue Reading
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News
28 Jun 2019
Almost half of shoppers still prefer brands with stores
Despite an increasing amount of people shopping online, factors such as product pricing and whether a brand has a physical store still come into play Continue Reading
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Feature
27 Jun 2019
How privacy could breathe new life into personalisation
As much of the advertising technology used by marketers to deliver personalised content online is deemed unlawful, there are signs regulation could actually be a win-win for both consumers and business – as long as the industry embraces change Continue Reading
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Blog Post
26 Jun 2019
Scepticism and the challenges beyond for Facebook’s Libra
Facebook faces major hurdles to make Libra a success even if it overcomes the rampant scepitisim Continue Reading
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News
20 Jun 2019
Facebook officially unveils cryptocurrency plans
Facebook has released details about its Libra cryptocurrency, but questions still remain over how, and if, it will work Continue Reading
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News
20 Jun 2019
HCL delivers digital services to Cricket Australia
Cricket governing body chooses Indian IT supplier to expand the boundaries of its customer engagement platforms Continue Reading
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News
19 Jun 2019
How AirAsia streamlined its customer service
Integrating multiple customer touch points with Salesforce has enabled Asia’s leading low-cost carrier to shorten waiting time and improve customer service Continue Reading
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Blog Post
19 Jun 2019
Puss in briefs
A Pakistani politician has played down the embarrassment of one of his briefings being streamed live to Facebook with the cat filter on. “The cat filter was turned on by mistake,” said Shaukat ... Continue Reading
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News
18 Jun 2019
Facebook announces global digital currency Libra
Facebook is launching digital coin to open up affordable financial services to the world Continue Reading
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News
13 Jun 2019
Facebook London hiring spree focuses on tackling online harms
Facebook is hiring for 500 tech jobs in the capital in the next six months, with a particular focus on seeking out and clamping down on malicious content and fake accounts, and curbing other harmful behaviour on its platforms Continue Reading
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Blog Post
13 Jun 2019
Some reflections on Black Mirror
The fifth series of Charlie Brooker’s anthology series Black Mirror landed on Netflix this month, and we were surprised to find it’s moved away from making terrifying technology predictions to ... Continue Reading
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News
12 Jun 2019
Austrian Supreme Court green-lights GDPR case against Facebook
A potential landmark case against Facebook for violating General Data Protection Regulation rights has been given the go-ahead by the Austrian Supreme Court Continue Reading
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Blog Post
11 Jun 2019
John Suffolk's grilling by MPs exposes the tech industry's troubling amorality
In an astonishing and frankly unprecedented turn of events before the Science and Technology Select Committee this week, Huawei chief security officer John Suffolk was branded a "moral vacuum" by ... Continue Reading
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Feature
05 Jun 2019
Big tech chiefs boycott parliamentarians investigating citizens’ privacy
An International Grand Committee on Big Data, Privacy and Democracy considers whether failure to protect citizens’ privacy constitutes grounds for anti-trust regulation against Facebook and other big tech companies Continue Reading
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Feature
04 Jun 2019
How retail store technology is filling the ‘imagination gap’
Retailers are using in-store technology to reduce the time between shoppers’ consideration phase and purchase, but how is it engaging them and triggering conversions? Continue Reading
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Feature
04 Jun 2019
Cutting employees some Slack: The rise of messaging apps in retail
Slack’s 2019 stock market debut raises the profile of enterprise collaboration software, but what options do retailers have in this space and how are they using the technology? Continue Reading
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News
31 May 2019
Facebook loses bid to halt European court decision on EU-US data sharing
Irish Supreme Court dismisses attempt by Facebook to prevent the European Court of Justice considering the validity of US-EU data transfers, after Austrian lawyer Max Schrems argued that they put the privacy of EU citizens at risk Continue Reading
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News
30 May 2019
Microsoft embarks on renewable-powered datacentre push in Sweden
Microsoft is doubling down on its efforts to have more of its datacentres powered by renewable energy, with commitment to make its facilities in Sweden the most sustainable yet Continue Reading
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News
30 May 2019
Hyperscale datacentre operators report first drop in capex growth for seven quarters
Datacentre investments of cloud and internet giants dropped in the first quarter of 2019 after seven consecutive quarters of growth, but market watcher claims it is just a blip Continue Reading
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News
28 May 2019
NHS Digital sets out Internet First policy
NHS Digital is soliciting input to its Internet First policy, a set of standards and guidelines to help health and social care organisations make digital services accessible over the internet Continue Reading
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News
23 May 2019
Paul Smith looks to tailor its back-end systems with Cegid software
British tailor Paul Smith has been working with Cegid since 2015, but it is now considering upgrading to the provider's latest software to reduce costs and increase efficiency Continue Reading