News

Internet infrastructure

October 22, 2020 22 Oct'20
US Justice Department files antitrust lawsuit against Google

Lawsuit alleges Google used anticompetitive tactics to maintain and extend its monopolies in a number of interconnected digital markets, violating US federal antitrust law
October 15, 2020 15 Oct'20
UK regulators lack the skills and expertise to cope with increasing use of algorithms

MPs told that multiple regulators will be needed to govern the ever-growing use of algorithmic systems in all areas of the economy and public sector
October 14, 2020 14 Oct'20
US Elections: Malicious internet domains spike as campaigns heat up

Internet domains related to the US presidential election are 56% more likely to be malicious than regular ones
October 12, 2020 12 Oct'20
Five Eyes spy group again demands access to private messages

Spooks are once again calling for the tech industry to break end-to-end encryption in messaging platforms

October 09, 2020 09 Oct'20
Facebook critics’ webpage removed over false phishing allegations

Real Facebook Oversight Board alleges Facebook is trying to censor it for speaking out against the social media company’s behaviour
October 07, 2020 07 Oct'20
US lawmakers release big tech antitrust report

House Democrats have published a report on the monopoly power wielded by big tech companies and how to restore competition in digital markets
October 05, 2020 05 Oct'20
Facebook critics launch ‘Real Facebook Oversight Board’

Organisation formed as an ‘emergency response’ to address the ‘immediate risk’ posed by Facebook’s role in the US election
October 05, 2020 05 Oct'20
Regulator wants fintechs to address pandemic financial challenges

UK financial services regulator is supporting fintechs in addressing some of the challenges consumers and small businesses face amid the current pandemic
September 24, 2020 24 Sep'20
‘Not unjust’ to extradite WilkiLeaks founder Julian Assange, court hears

Nigel Blackwood, NHS consultant psychiatrist, told the Old Bailey court that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange had ‘moderate depression’ and autistic traits, but said they did not prevent his extradition
September 23, 2020 23 Sep'20
Major tech firms urged to end targeted ads to under-18s

An open letter to Google, Facebook and others is calling on the tech firms to take responsibility for protecting users of their services by ending behavioural advertising to children

September 23, 2020 23 Sep'20
Video gamers barraged with cyber attacks

From credential stuffing to SQL injection and DDoS, video game producers and players are seeing massive volumes of cyber attacks
September 23, 2020 23 Sep'20
MoD Defence Digital adds Oracle Cloud to MODCloud list of assured providers

Database giant Oracle has been added to the list of providers the Ministry of Defence has endorsed for use by the UK defence community
September 22, 2020 22 Sep'20
Twitter investigates image cropping algorithm for racial bias

The algorithm’s consistent favouring of white faces in image previews has forced the company to investigate it for racial bias
September 21, 2020 21 Sep'20
NBN Co pumps in A$700m to shore up business connectivity

Australia’s national wholesale broadband provider is creating up to 240 business fibre zones across the country to provide businesses with access to its enterprise ethernet service
September 17, 2020 17 Sep'20
Swedish bank cuts branches and jobs, increases IT spend

Swedish bank is increasing investment IT to improve digital banking as it reduces its branch network
September 10, 2020 10 Sep'20
Irish privacy watchdog orders Facebook to stop sending user data to the US

Irish privacy watchdog orders Facebook to suspend transfers of European citizens’ data to the US after Schrems II ruling that Europeans have no effective way to challenge American government surveillance
September 10, 2020 10 Sep'20
Edinburgh council to create smart city operations centre

Edinburgh council extends an outsourcing agreement with CGI as it steps up its smart city programme
September 08, 2020 08 Sep'20
Nordic banks invest and innovate to keep digital rivals at bay

Large traditional banks are accelerating their digital transformations as the regional fintech sector makes its presence felt
September 03, 2020 03 Sep'20
Amazon to recruit 7,000 permanent workers in UK during 2020 hiring spree

The online retail giant’s UK workforce looks set to expand to 40,000 employees by the end of 2020, as its network of fulfilment centres continues to grow
September 01, 2020 01 Sep'20
Vint Cerf: Why everyone has a role in internet safety

The Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated the power of internet connectivity. Vint Cerf talks to Computer Weekly about the challenges the internet now faces
August 28, 2020 28 Aug'20
New Zealand activates security services as DDoS outage enters fourth day

New Zealand government calls in its national cyber security agencies to help investigate a continuing cyber attack on the country’s financial systems
August 27, 2020 27 Aug'20
Tech and telecoms advisory group set up to help trade negotiations

Department of International Trade launches new Trade Advisory Groups to guide trade negotiations with other countries
August 26, 2020 26 Aug'20
Ministers urge local councils to lead on broadband and mobile

Digital minister Matt Warman and local government minister Simon Clarke want local councils to do their bit to help ensure better access to connectivity during the Covid-19 recovery
August 19, 2020 19 Aug'20
Scotland announces £15m investment to boost connectivity

Funding package aimed at improving internet access for 23,000 low-income households
August 18, 2020 18 Aug'20
UK government needs a joined-up internet policy

Global internet firms want government to ensure its new digital strategy has coherent policy and regulatory goals
August 14, 2020 14 Aug'20
Oracle and Salesforce sued over online ad tracking

Class action lawsuits filed in Amsterdam and London will accuse Oracle and Salesforce of breaching GDPR in their processing and sharing of personal data to sell online advertising
August 12, 2020 12 Aug'20
EU and US start discussions on ‘enhanced’ Privacy Shield data-sharing agreement

Talks begin on a successor to the Privacy Shield EU-US data-sharing agreement declared unlawful in July 2020 – a decision by the European Court of Justice that left thousands of businesses facing legal uncertainty
August 06, 2020 06 Aug'20
TikTok to open first European datacentre in Ireland during early 2022

The CISO of TikTok has confirmed the social video company's plans to open its first European datacentre in early 2022, as its data security processes come under increased scrutiny from the US government
July 31, 2020 31 Jul'20
Parents accuse Amazon of inaction in combatting child abuse material online

Parents protest over Amazon Web Services’ alleged inaction in dealing with child sexual abuse material hosted on its servers
July 31, 2020 31 Jul'20
Amazon reports Q2 profit and revenue surge as Covid-19-induced uptick in online sales continues

Amazon sees profit and revenue surge in the wake of the coronavirus, but growth of its cloud business slows as IT buyers re-prioritise investments because of pandemic
July 31, 2020 31 Jul'20
US lawmakers grill big tech chiefs over market power

Sixth antitrust hearing sees CEOs of major technology companies face combative questioning from members of Congress over their market power and dominance
July 28, 2020 28 Jul'20
UK government aims fintech industry at Africa

UK government is building fintech relationships with developing countries, beginning with a pilot programme in Africa
July 27, 2020 27 Jul'20
MI6 apologises after attempt to interfere with intelligence court

The UK Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, has apologised after attempting to persuade the secretary of Britain’s most secret court to withhold documents from senior judges in a case about crimes by undercover agents
July 24, 2020 24 Jul'20
China doubles up on ‘new infrastructure’ investments

China is shoring up investments in cloud computing, datacentres and the internet of things, among other areas, to ready itself for the post-Covid-19 world
July 21, 2020 21 Jul'20
Why now could be the right time to launch a digital bank

Launching a bank during a global crisis is fraught with risk, but an established customer base, experience, agility and diversification could help Zopa do just that
July 20, 2020 20 Jul'20
Businesses underestimate negative impact of bot traffic

Research from Netacea finds that although awareness of malicious bot activity is high, many are underestimating its true impact
July 16, 2020 16 Jul'20
Room for improvement in Dutch digital skills

The Netherlands has good telecommunications and IT networks that can be used safely and reliably, but there is room for improvement in digital skills among the Dutch
July 15, 2020 15 Jul'20
Video providers slammed by credential stuffing attacks

Attacks on the media sector are spiking as cyber criminals try to gain access to valuable consumer accounts
July 14, 2020 14 Jul'20
Check Point unearths critical SigRed bug in Windows DNS

SigRed vulnerability is highly dangerous, but is being fixed as part of the July 2020 Patch Tuesday update
July 14, 2020 14 Jul'20
Standard Chartered latest bank to explore quantum computing

Standard Chartered is working with researchers to establish use cases for quantum computing in the banking sector
July 10, 2020 10 Jul'20
Facebook iOS SDK flaw linked to onset of Spotify app outage blighting Apple device users

Apple device users are reporting usability issues with the Spotify app, which coincides with the onset of a partial outage affecting the Facebook iOS SDK
July 10, 2020 10 Jul'20
Universal Credit still struggles with digital issues, says NAO

The cost of rolling out Universal Credit continues to rise, while only 20% of new claimants attempt to verify their identity online and digital skills remain an issue, according to the National Audit Office
July 03, 2020 03 Jul'20
Bergen’s tech hub seeking to scale after positive start

Norway's second largest city is building a tech ecosystem that is beginning its development with a focus on the city's industrial heritage
July 01, 2020 01 Jul'20
FCA estimates about 2.6 million Brits have bought cryptocurrency

UK financial services regulator says there has been a significant increase in ownership of cryptocurrencies in the UK
June 29, 2020 29 Jun'20
Lawyers learn of fresh US allegations against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange from press reports

The US has filed an updated indictment against Julian Assange alleging that he conspired with hacking groups to obtain information for WikiLeaks. Defence and prosecution lawyers learned about it from press reports
June 29, 2020 29 Jun'20
Out of date security laws leave UK plc at risk during pandemic

The CyberUp coalition has written to Boris Johnson to urge him to reform the UK’s 30 year-old cyber crime laws
June 25, 2020 25 Jun'20
Peer-to-peer lender Zopa gets full banking licence

Peer-to-peer lending pioneer works towards creating the ‘Netflix of banking’
June 25, 2020 25 Jun'20
Ericsson, Nokia to power Singapore’s 5G networks

European telecoms network suppliers Ericsson and Nokia have been selected by Singapore telcos to deploy the country’s two standalone 5G networks
June 24, 2020 24 Jun'20
Google opens Jakarta cloud region amid Indonesia’s booming digital economy

Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai lends weight to online launch event, underscoring cloud supplier’s resolve to carve out a bigger slice of the country’s fast-growing public cloud market
June 23, 2020 23 Jun'20
Twitter contacts business users over data exposure

Issue relates to how web browsers cached confidential data entered in Twitter’s ads and analytics services, but is unlikely to have resulted in compromise
June 18, 2020 18 Jun'20
EU-backed bid to build data preservation cloud for European research community gathers pace

The Archiver project, which aims to create a hybrid cloud-based data preservation environment for scientific researchers across Europe, has named the ICT suppliers in the running to deliver on its vision
June 18, 2020 18 Jun'20
Nordic business is leading open banking charge in Europe

Nordic region has the right ingredients to prove open banking can benefit consumers, businesses and the economy
June 17, 2020 17 Jun'20
Malaysia’s telco industry on edge amid new developments, appointments

Spotlight trained on newly appointed key regulatory personnel that could see a change in Malaysia’s telco policy, including a deferment of 5G roll-out
June 15, 2020 15 Jun'20
New Zealand schools to get Wi-Fi 6 in connectivity boost

More than 2,000 schools across New Zealand will be among the first in the country to enjoy the improved coverage and access speeds of Wi-Fi 6
June 12, 2020 12 Jun'20
Brits get used to life without cash

British people are getting used to life without cash, as the Covid-19 lockdown forces the adoption of digital payments
June 12, 2020 12 Jun'20
How the RHS overcame Covid-19 to create first online-only Chelsea Flower Show in just eight weeks

The technology and digital teams at The Royal Horticultural Society discuss the work that went on behind the scenes to transform the Chelsea Flower Show into a virtual event with just weeks to plan
June 12, 2020 12 Jun'20
UN secretary general calls for global digital cooperation

Antonio Guterres launches roadmap for digital cooperation and calls for world leaders to come together to “connect, respect and protect people in the digital age”
June 12, 2020 12 Jun'20
Twitter kills thousands of misinformation accounts

The accounts were linked to the governments of China, Russia and Turkey, and engaged in systematic operations against pro-democracy activists, political opponents and dissidents
June 10, 2020 10 Jun'20
Berlin breaks the national mould to become a global hub

German capital is attracting tech startups from across the world as it cements its position as a leading European hub
June 09, 2020 09 Jun'20
Netherlands digital sector yearns for government recognition

The sector building and supporting the Netherlands’ digital infrastructure wants to be valued as highly as Schiphol airport and the port of Rotterdam are for the Dutch economy
June 05, 2020 05 Jun'20
Coronavirus: Digital bank Monzo cuts 120 staff

Digital challenger Monzo has announced 120 job cuts as it navigates the current economic slowdown
June 05, 2020 05 Jun'20
London Tech Week to go ahead through Zoom

London Tech week will go ahead next week, with the tech industry attending through Zoom
June 04, 2020 04 Jun'20
Government evades being pinned to a date for online harms legislation

MPs challenge government on online harms bill timetable, but have to settle for “clear assurances” that it will brought to parliament before the end of the session
May 27, 2020 27 May'20
Revealed: Surveillance camera network that covered Dominic Cummings’ lockdown travel

A network of automatic number plate recognition and local authority traffic cameras could help police track Downing Street chief of staff Dominic Cummings’ journeys to Durham and Barnard Castle during the Covid-19 lockdown
May 22, 2020 22 May'20
Coronavirus: How MyIX is keeping Malaysians connected

Malaysia’s MyIX internet exchange has been classed as critical national infrastructure, with member telcos adding more capacity to meet the surge in demand for internet services
May 20, 2020 20 May'20
Coronavirus: Pandemic spurs QR code app upgrade at PayPal

PayPal introduces QR code payment functionality to its mobile app to support social distancing
May 20, 2020 20 May'20
Coronavirus: Bahrain sees fintech take-up surge amid Covid-19 crisis

Covid-19 has spurred the use of financial technology in Bahrain, which could boost the industry in the country and wider Gulf region
May 15, 2020 15 May'20
Coronavirus: Digital bank’s valuation falls as it seeks funds to ride Covid-19 storm

Monzo is seeking new investment to help it through the coronavirus pandemic
May 14, 2020 14 May'20
Coronavirus: Nearly £2bn of UK fintech investment lost so far

Investment into UK fintechs falls dramatically during Covid-19 pandemic as venture capitalists hold back
May 12, 2020 12 May'20
MPs take part in first live test of remote voting during Covid-19 debate

MPs will use phones and computers to vote from their homes in a House of Commons debate today in the biggest change in parliamentary procedure for 150 years
May 12, 2020 12 May'20
Opportunity in times of crisis for Nordic tech startups

Nordic tech startups face some major challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic, but this could be the making of some of them
May 07, 2020 07 May'20
FBI search warrants reveal Trump aide’s messages to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange

FBI search warrants reveal Trump campaigner Roger Stone sent private messages to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange after the site published thousands of documents that damaged Hillary Clinton’s election campaign
May 05, 2020 05 May'20
GoDaddy owns up to October 2019 data breach

Web hosting services provider has suffered yet another security incident, confirming that an unauthorised individual accessed hosting accounts
May 04, 2020 04 May'20
Assange extradition hearing to take place in September following coronavirus lockdown

An extradition hearing against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been delayed by four months, after defence and prosecution lawyers said the Covid-19 lockdown would make it impractical to hold a fair hearing in May
April 28, 2020 28 Apr'20
Covid-19 will decimate fintechs, but those that survive will prosper

The coronavirus will wipe out some fintechs, but those that get through it will share in the next growth phase of the industry's development
April 27, 2020 27 Apr'20
UK tech companies launch online safety body

Online Safety Tech Industry Association unites 14 technology companies to drive conversation and policy around online safeguarding
April 24, 2020 24 Apr'20
Coronavirus: UK schools will get tech support from Google and Microsoft

Government hires tech giants to provide remote working resources to children while schools are closed
April 23, 2020 23 Apr'20
Datacentre M&A closed deal values exceed last year’s total just three months into 2020

Latest market tracker data shows rebound in datacentre M&A deal values as enterprises look to outsource more of their IT and move to the cloud
April 22, 2020 22 Apr'20
Coronavirus: Swedish college implements digital plans early

Work done by a Swedish medical school over the past few years to prepare digital education options is paying off as lockdown forces it to close physical classrooms
April 22, 2020 22 Apr'20
Traditional banks need to do more than gloss over back-end systems with fintech paint

Banks need to work with fintechs if they are to prosper in the new world, but first they must update their back-end systems
April 22, 2020 22 Apr'20
Coronavirus: Cyber criminals may be changing tactics

Cyber criminals “may soon shift to heavier exploitation of footholds established through phishing and other scams”, warns Cyber Threat Coalition
April 21, 2020 21 Apr'20
Revealed: The man behind the first major computer virus pandemic

After 20 years of silence, Onel de Guzman has admitted unleashing the “Love Bug”, the computer virus that caused havoc by infecting 45 million machines around the world
April 17, 2020 17 Apr'20
Coronavirus: How Nominet fights back against malicious domains

Domain name registry has thwarted hundreds of attempts to register malicious .uk domain names during the coronavirus pandemic
April 16, 2020 16 Apr'20
Coronavirus shines spotlight on mobile connectivity

Mobile operators in Asia-Pacific are playing their part in the fight against Covid-19, even as some of them are facing roadblocks in rolling out 5G networks
April 15, 2020 15 Apr'20
Government urged to delay digital services tax amid coronavirus outbreak

Delaying liabilities for a year could help technology companies already stretched thin by the outbreak of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, according to TechUK
April 15, 2020 15 Apr'20
Coronavirus: Lloyds Bank to give thousands of tablet devices to over-70s

Banking group is giving away tablets and basic digital training to help vulnerable customers stay connected during the UK’s Covid-19 lockdown
April 14, 2020 14 Apr'20
UK altnets increase full-fibre coverage by 50%

Independent network providers notch up notable year in 2019 as fibre access for all becomes political hot potato
April 08, 2020 08 Apr'20
Coronavirus: McAfee unearths dark web blood bank

Cyber criminals are selling fake goods and running scams on online marketplaces during the Covid-19 pandemic. Don’t be taken in
April 07, 2020 07 Apr'20
Coronavirus: Microsoft Azure suffers datacentre capacity shortages in Europe

Microsoft is working to “expedite” additional datacentre capacity after reports of users struggling to access resources due to coronavirus demand surge. But how easy will that be amid a global pandemic?
April 06, 2020 06 Apr'20
Coronavirus: Nordic tech startups face job cuts amid falling sales and a lack of funding

Tech startups based in the Nordic region face difficult decisions as the Covid-19 pandemic leads to falling sales and investment
April 02, 2020 02 Apr'20
Jack Schofield, tech journalist and Computer Weekly contributor, dies

In his Computer Weekly articles, Schofield discussed the early success of the web, why the BlackBerry should be waterproof, and how Microsoft overtook IBM
April 01, 2020 01 Apr'20
Coronavirus: Use of fintech apps in Europe accelerates

Fintech apps are being increasingly used by consumers as restrictions on their movements are put in place
April 01, 2020 01 Apr'20
CDN and cloud suppliers join routing security initiative

Akamai and Amazon Web Services are among a group of cloud and content delivery network providers to participate in a global initiative to address the security threats to internet routing systems
March 31, 2020 31 Mar'20
Hackathon launched to help fight coronavirus pandemic

Virtual hackathon seeks to develop a suite of applications to help people during the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak through ethically built technology
March 30, 2020 30 Mar'20
Coronavirus: Viability of half of London’s tech startups threatened

Technology startups in London are fighting for their existence, with business plans for the next three months geared towards survival
March 26, 2020 26 Mar'20
Nordic fintechs urge financial literacy to be taken seriously before it’s too late

Fintechs in the Nordic region hope to prevent more adults getting into financial difficulty through apps that educate people about managing their finances at an early age
March 25, 2020 25 Mar'20
AWS hits out at narrow scope of DoD’s planned re-evaluation of JEDI cloud contract

Details of Amazon’s response to the US Department of Defense’s planned re-evaluation of the controversial 10-year, $10bn JEDI cloud contract have emerged
March 25, 2020 25 Mar'20
Coronavirus: Chatbot to help Estonians cope during pandemic

Estonian government is using a chatbot developed by local startups to answer the many questions its citizens have about Covid-19
March 24, 2020 24 Mar'20
Norwegian banking app gives access to other banks’ accounts

Banking customers can access and make payments from their other bank accounts using the DNB Mobile Bank app
March 23, 2020 23 Mar'20
Thousands of Netflix, Disney+ streaming accounts being stolen

Proofpoint has urged users of streaming services to be alert to cyber criminals hijacking their accounts