Tech giants urged to pre-screen content to stop child sexual abuse March 12, 2020 Tech giants should be forced to pre-screen all content uploaded to their platforms in a bid to stem the “explosion” of online child sexual abuse, an inquiry has found. In a damning report published today the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) said tech giants had failed to do everything they could to prevent [...]
The EU’s attempt to regulate artificial intelligence could backfire March 12, 2020 The “Wild West” of artificial intelligence (AI) needs to be reined in, according to EU industry commissioner Thierry Breton. However, regulating AI generally, rather than regulating the technology’s uses specifically, may very well be putting the cart before the horse. Late last month, the European Commission revealed its intention to draft regulation around the use [...]
The Budget has recognised the potential of UK fintech March 12, 2020 All eyes were on the chancellor yesterday, as he delivered his first Budget against a challenging backdrop for the UK’s economy and health system alike. The focus was very much on backing the NHS, supporting small business, and boosting infrastructure spending across the country — and rightfully so, given the circumstances. We’ve also seen vital [...]
Budget 2020: What does the Red Box mean for UK tech firms? March 11, 2020 Chancellor Rishi Sunak today unveiled a raft of new fiscal measures as he vowed to deliver on the government’s promise of “levelling up” the UK. Sunak, who took over at No 11 just a month ago, put the coronavirus front and centre of his new policies as the number of cases continues to rise. But [...]
Kin and Carta loss widens as acquisition costs weigh March 11, 2020 Digital transformation firm Kin and Carta today reported a wider loss as acquisition and restructuring costs weighed on growth. The London-based firm posted a pre-tax loss of £5.9m in the six months to the end of January, compared to a £1.6m loss the year before. Like-for-like revenue also slipped 0.5 per cent to £89.6m over [...]
Gaming’s biggest conference E3 cancelled over coronavirus concerns March 11, 2020 This year’s upcoming E3 conference has been cancelled, as coronavirus continues to spread. Held in Los Angeles, E3 plays home to major gaming updates from Sony and Microsoft every year, and was this year set to feature the 2020 debut of the Playstation 5 and a new iteration of the Xbox. The Entertainment Software Association [...]
Budget 2020: Chancellor introduces digital services tax March 11, 2020 Chancellor Rishi Sunak today confirmed the introduction of a digital services tax as the government looks to ensure tech giants pay their fair share of tax. The new tax, which will come into force from 1 April, will charge two per cent levy on sales for certain digital businesses. The move is set to raise [...]
Budget 2020: Chancellor scraps VAT on digital publications March 11, 2020 Digital publications will no longer be liable to VAT charges under new measures outlined by chancellor Rishi Sunak today. In his inaugural Budget speech, Sunak said the so-called reading tax will be abolished from 1 December. This means that any digital publication, including books, newspapers, magazines and academic journals, will no longer be charged VAT. [...]
Tech giants summoned to Downing Street in coronavirus crackdown March 11, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson has summoned major tech firms to Downing Street tonight as the government cracks down on misinformation about coronavirus. Executives from all big social media companies are set to attend the Tech CEO Round Table, where they will be asked to commit “data, assets and expertise” to the fight against the outbreak. [...]
How mathematical models attempt to predict the spread of disease March 11, 2020 The various pronouncements on coronavirus are a source of puzzlement to many. On the one hand there are lurid predictions of millions of cases and hundreds of thousands of deaths. On the other, while the actual numbers are growing, they seem tiny so far compared to the scale of the predictions. Almost 100 years ago, [...]