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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News
20 Sep 2023
Parliament passes sweeping Online Safety Bill but tech companies still concerned over encryption
Ofcom will consult on standards to enforce new powers, but tech companies remain concerned about the impact of the bill’s ‘spy clause’, which could require them to scan encrypted messages Continue Reading
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News
19 Sep 2023
Braverman puts pressure on Meta to pause end-to-end encryption plans
The home secretary is calling on Meta to halt its plans to introduce encrypted messaging services on Facebook and Instagram until the company puts measures in place to detect abuse Continue Reading
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News
23 Jun 2020
Advertisers revolt over Facebook’s inaction on hate speech
Several companies plan to pull their adverts from Facebook in protest at its unwillingness to deal with hateful content on its platforms Continue Reading
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News
19 Jun 2020
Online shopping fraud hits £16m during lockdown
A quarter of victims were aged between 18 and 26, says Action Fraud Continue Reading
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News
19 Jun 2020
Facebook allows US users to disable political ads
Users of the social media platform will soon be able to opt out of seeing politically motivated posts Continue Reading
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News
12 Jun 2020
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 Continue Reading
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News
10 Jun 2020
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 Continue Reading
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News
09 Jun 2020
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 Continue Reading
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News
05 Jun 2020
Coronavirus: Digital bank Monzo cuts 120 staff
Digital challenger Monzo has announced 120 job cuts as it navigates the current economic slowdown Continue Reading
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News
05 Jun 2020
London Tech Week to go ahead through Zoom
London Tech week will go ahead next week, with the tech industry attending through Zoom Continue Reading
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News
04 Jun 2020
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 Continue Reading
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News
04 Jun 2020
Black Lives Matter activists targeted by cyber attacks
Civil liberties organisations are being targeted by far-right trolls as protests over the murder of George Floyd spread worldwide Continue Reading
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News
26 May 2020
Max Schrems accuses Ireland of ‘Kafkaesque’ delay in Facebook GDPR investigation
Privacy campaigner Max Schrems has urged the European Commission to intervene after the Irish Data Protection Commission allegedly used ‘Kafkaesque’ tactics to delay investigations into Facebook’s compliance with GDPR Continue Reading
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News
20 May 2020
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 Continue Reading
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News
15 May 2020
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 Continue Reading
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News
14 May 2020
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 Continue Reading
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Feature
13 May 2020
Surveillance capitalism in the age of Covid-19
Could the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic further consolidate surveillance capitalist practices and enterprises? Author Shoshana Zuboff warns Computer Weekly it is possible Continue Reading
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News
13 May 2020
Government tells social media companies they must go further to address disinformation
House of Lords committee hears about government collaboration with social media firms to combat pandemic-related disinformation and online harms Continue Reading
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Feature
12 May 2020
Coronavirus: Retailers reach for tech to keep staff connected in the crisis
From fast-tracking home-working strategy, to conducting training and board meetings virtually, read about how retailers are keeping staff connected during the Covid-19 coronavirus crisis Continue Reading
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News
12 May 2020
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 Continue Reading
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News
07 May 2020
Zoom buys secure messaging service Keybase
Unified comms platform Zoom says the acquisition of Keybase will finally let it bring end-to-end encryption to the table Continue Reading
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News
07 May 2020
Facebook announces oversight board members
New board will rule on freedom of expression issues and make policy recommendations to social media giant. Continue Reading
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News
07 May 2020
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 Continue Reading
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News
07 May 2020
Next round of Zoom updates targets consumer security
Casual consumer users of Zoom will get additional protections in an update to be released over the long weekend Continue Reading
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Feature
05 May 2020
Contact tracing: The privacy vs protection debate
The Covid-19 pandemic has necessitated extreme measures not seen in peacetime for over 100 years. Contact-tracing apps are being developed as a tool for managing the pandemic, but are they a step too far? Continue Reading
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Podcast
05 May 2020
Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 56
In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Caroline Donnelly and Brian McKenna are joined by Sebastian Klovig Skelton to discuss the 20th anniversary of the Love Bug virus, Shoshana Zuboff on surveillance capitalism, the rise of virtual events in the wake of Covid-19 and Amazon’s difficulties with striking warehouse workers, concerning the virus Continue Reading
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News
04 May 2020
Nordic real estate sector becoming increasingly digital
The Nordic real estate and construction industry is modernising through digital technology, with an injection of urgency amid global pandemic Continue Reading
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News
28 Apr 2020
Under the spotlight, video apps rush to strengthen security
Most popular videoconferencing applications now meet Mozilla’s minimum security standards, with fierce competition and public pressure driving rapid improvement Continue Reading
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News
28 Apr 2020
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 Continue Reading
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News
27 Apr 2020
UK tech companies launch online safety body
Online Safety Tech Industry Association unites 14 technology companies to drive conversation and policy around online safeguarding Continue Reading
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News
23 Apr 2020
Zoom to roll out fresh cyber security updates
New features include support for advanced AES 256-bit encryption Continue Reading
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News
22 Apr 2020
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 Continue Reading
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News
20 Apr 2020
NCSC launches coronavirus cyber security campaign
The National Cyber Security Centre has launched a reporting service for scam emails as part of a campaign to help people protect themselves from cyber criminals exploiting the pandemic Continue Reading
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News
20 Apr 2020
Zoom and WebEx users targeted by credential stealing attempts
Videoconferencing apps such as Zoom and Cisco’s WebEx are being targeted by cyber criminals trying to steal users’ personal data Continue Reading
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News
17 Apr 2020
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 Continue Reading
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News
15 Apr 2020
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 Continue Reading
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News
15 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: Standard Chartered bans employees from Zoom
Standard Chartered is the first bank to have instructed its staff to refrain from using Zoom Continue Reading
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News
15 Apr 2020
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 Continue Reading
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News
15 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: Researcher finds security vulnerability in Slack
Some common assumptions about the security of cloud-based messaging platform Slack may not be entirely accurate, says an Alien Labs researcher Continue Reading
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News
14 Apr 2020
Apple and Netflix most imitated brands in phishing attacks
A new report highlights the brands which are being most frequently spoofed by cyber criminals in phishing attacks Continue Reading
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News
14 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: Zoom user credentials for sale on dark web
IntSight researchers say they have found a database containing thousands of Zoom usernames and passwords being sold on the dark web Continue Reading
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News
10 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: Warning over surge in Zoom security incidents
Check Point researchers have observed a surge in suspicious Zoom domains as cyber criminals target popular remote working and collaboration tools Continue Reading
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News
09 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: Zoom restricted or banned at multiple organisations
Use of videoconferencing tool has been banned at Google and in parts of the German and US governments Continue Reading
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News
07 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: Criminals using Zoom installer to spread cryptominer
Videoconferencing application targeted to deliver cryptomining malware to unsuspecting victims Continue Reading
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News
07 Apr 2020
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? Continue Reading
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News
06 Apr 2020
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 Continue Reading
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News
05 Apr 2020
Google data shows high interest in security and remote working
An analysis of the most Googled technology terms during the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the scale of the cyber security challenge presented by the crisis Continue Reading
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Opinion
03 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: What does the ‘new normal’ mean for how we work?
Examining the long-term impact of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic on the world of work, security, privacy and networks Continue Reading
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News
02 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: Is Zoom safe and should security teams ban it?
Zoom’s rapid rise to prominence has highlighted a score of security problems with the service. Should CISOs try to steer their organisations away from it, or ban it outright? Continue Reading
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News
01 Apr 2020
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 Continue Reading
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News
01 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: WHO, Rakuten collaborate on anti-disinformation chatbot
The World Health Organisation and Rakuten Viber have built an interactive, multi-language chatbot to try to get on top of the growing problem of disinformation during the coronavirus pandemic Continue Reading
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News
31 Mar 2020
Too late to protect online privacy, say Brits
Most UK consumers are concerned about data privacy, but think it’s too late to do much about it, according to a report Continue Reading
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News
31 Mar 2020
Houseparty denies hack as credential stuffing attacks spread
Social media service denies its service has been hacked, and is offering a million-dollar bounty to anybody who can prove otherwise Continue Reading
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News
30 Mar 2020
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 Continue Reading
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News
30 Mar 2020
Coronavirus: Don’t fall for fake cures, warns UK government
Government urges people to be more vigilant about what they read and share online as it relaunches its Don’t Feed the Beast campaign to counter coronavirus disinformation Continue Reading
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Blog Post
26 Mar 2020
The Disney resort
“There’s nothing more unpleasant than watching grown-ups joining in with TikTok.” The words of Downtime less than two months ago. But as the government furthers its restrictions on UK life, the ... Continue Reading
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News
26 Mar 2020
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 Continue Reading
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News
26 Mar 2020
Coronavirus: Be alert to rogue mobile apps exploiting outbreak
Well-meaning developers are beginning to offer medical apps to monitor coronavirus symptoms and provide information on the pandemic. Opportunists and cyber criminals are not far behind them Continue Reading
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News
25 Mar 2020
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 Continue Reading
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Opinion
24 Mar 2020
Coronavirus and privacy – finding the middle ground
Data collection has a role to play in fighting the deadly Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak, but governments need to be accountable for how it is used Continue Reading
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News
24 Mar 2020
Tekya auto-clicker malware exploits kids’ Android apps
Google has removed multiple apps for children that were found to contain Tekya auto-clicker malware Continue Reading
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News
23 Mar 2020
Thousands of Netflix, Disney+ streaming accounts being stolen
Proofpoint has urged users of streaming services to be alert to cyber criminals hijacking their accounts Continue Reading
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News
23 Mar 2020
Coronavirus prompts cross-industry collaboration from datacentre operators to keep UK online
TechUK positioning document reveals datacentre operators are putting their competitive differences aside to share best practice on how to keep staff safe and keep the UK online during the coronavirus outbreak Continue Reading
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News
20 Mar 2020
Coronavirus: Sans Institute issues cyber security advice for parents
With schools now shut across the UK, parents will bear more responsibility for keeping children safe online and educating them about online harms Continue Reading
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News
20 Mar 2020
How an Estonian digital nation emerged from the embers of Soviet rule
Estonia’s minister for foreign trade and IT tells Computer Weekly how the country went from having no governmental infrastructure in the early 1990s to acquiring the label “digital nation” Continue Reading
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News
12 Mar 2020
Cookie-stealing trojans found lurking on Android phones
Kaspersky discovers two new Android malware modifications that could give hackers control of their victims’ social media accounts Continue Reading
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Blog Post
11 Mar 2020
It is time to trade
The Advertising Standards Authority has scorned Spotify for letting an It Chapter Two advert crop up in a classical lullaby playlist. Restful tots kicking back to Erik Satie would have been ... Continue Reading
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News
09 Mar 2020
DCMS to oversee coronavirus disinformation unit
A cross-departmental counter-disinformation unit will seek to protect and secure UK citizens from disinformation, scams and cyber security threats related to the Covid-19 outbreak Continue Reading
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News
06 Mar 2020
London Assembly calls for ban on anonymous social media accounts
The call to ban anonymous social media accounts follows the suicide of TV presenter Caroline Flack, but a number of Assembly Members are opposing the decision on human rights grounds Continue Reading
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Blog Post
05 Mar 2020
The Singer stitch-up
Jack Dorsey faces a battle to remain Twitter CEO, as the ruthless activist fund that just bought a 4% stake in the company continues to push hard to get rid of him. Elliott Management, headed by ... Continue Reading
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Opinion
04 Mar 2020
Our data is making us ‘richer’ – even if it’s the tech companies getting rich
How much do we value our personal data, and how does that compare to the value we think we get from companies like Facebook and Google exploiting that data? Continue Reading
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News
27 Feb 2020
Clearview hack fuels debate over facial recognition
Customers of Clearview AI, a controversial startup that scrapes and sells billions of photos of people from social media to police forces, have found themselves at the centre of a major data breach Continue Reading
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E-Zine
27 Feb 2020
CW Nordics: Swedes lose faith in social media as data security fears increase
Swedish citizens are becoming more concerned about the activities of social media companies and are reducing their online interaction with them as a result. Also read about new mobility-as-a-service projects gaining traction across Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, and why the Finnish government has committed resources to a cyber security project aimed at local authorities. Continue Reading
- 26 Feb 2020
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Opinion
25 Feb 2020
Is the EU better equipped than the US to supervise the use of facial recognition?
Clearview AI can be an indispensable tool to reinforce national security, but there are many risks associated with the use of facial recognition technology that the EU might be better equipped to deal with than the US Continue Reading
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News
21 Feb 2020
Labour condemns Google data plans
Shadow digital minister Chi Onwurah challenges the government to stop Google’s plans to move UK user data out of the EU Continue Reading
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News
21 Feb 2020
F-Secure’s AI reads mean tweets to fight abuse and trolls
Researchers working on F-Secure’s Project Blackfin have developed a model for clustering tweets to help pinpoint abuse and harassment Continue Reading
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News
20 Feb 2020
Google plans to send Brits’ data to US after Brexit
Move puts British user data beyond the reach of the EU’s GDPR, makes it more accessible to UK and US law enforcement agencies, and has prompted anger Continue Reading
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Blog Post
20 Feb 2020
In a world where you can be anything, be kind
Ricky Gervais often compares social media abuse to a “tramp” shouting at you from a bin. The only problem with that is, when you lift the tin lid on that swirling vortex of cyber vitriol, rising ... Continue Reading
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News
12 Feb 2020
Brexit cited as reason for German digital bank’s UK exit
German challenger bank N26 leaves the UK, saying Brexit is the reason behind the decision due to the removal of passporting rights Continue Reading
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News
12 Feb 2020
Communications watchdog Ofcom to gain extra powers as online harms regulator
The government has released its initial response to 2019’s Online Harms White Paper, setting out a number of decisions about how it will regulate harmful content on the internet Continue Reading
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News
07 Feb 2020
Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker is ‘most dangerous’ movie
Ahead of the 2020 Oscars, Kaspersky researchers say they found more than 300 files masquerading as the Joker movie Continue Reading
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Blog Post
05 Feb 2020
Don’t doubt ur vibe
You can’t take your eyes off Elon Musk for a moment. Such is the rate of Downtime content generated by tech’s OG attention seeker, we once attempted to retire from indulging his antics altogether. ... Continue Reading
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News
04 Feb 2020
Swedish rail firm’s digital journey running on time
Swedish rail company tells Computer Weekly about its successful mission to improve customer experience Continue Reading
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Opinion
04 Feb 2020
Could regulation kill Facebook completely?
Social media companies are under financial pressure, as costs increase faster than revenues due to growing concerns about the price of regulatory intervention Continue Reading
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Blog Post
23 Jan 2020
Mr Shithole
Facebook has extended its apologies to China’s president Xi Jinping for erroneously translating his name to “Mr Shithole”. With Slick Nick busy defending his employer’s decision to keep letting ... Continue Reading
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News
22 Jan 2020
ICO code sets out digital privacy standards for children
The Information Commissioner’s Office has published its Age Appropriate Design Code, a set of 15 standards that online platforms must meet to protect the privacy of younger users Continue Reading
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News
16 Jan 2020
A quarter of users will fall for basic phishing attacks
Phishing emails that appear to be security alerts are the most effective method of compromise, says KnowBe4 Continue Reading
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News
15 Jan 2020
LGBTQ+ social app Grindr accused of breaching GDPR
Norwegian Consumer Council files complaints about LGBTQ+ social networking app, alleging it is in breach of the General Data Protection Regulation Continue Reading
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News
09 Jan 2020
Automation could help resolve store shortfalls, says Capgemini
As consumers become more receptive to in-store technology, introducing automation to improve the retail experience could increase footfall, says Capgemini Continue Reading
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News
09 Jan 2020
Swedish venture capitalist giants anticipate increased global interest in local startup scene
Local venture capitalists in Sweden do not fear the arrival of international players Continue Reading
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News
09 Jan 2020
Can fintech succeed where schools and parents have failed?
Young people in Britain are unprepared to manage their finances when they leave home and, as a result, many run into serious problems Continue Reading
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Opinion
08 Jan 2020
Why the banking industry needs an IT makeover
UK banks face huge challenges keeping their service availability levels at 99.99% Continue Reading
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News
08 Jan 2020
TikTok video-sharing app left user data exposed
Check Point uncovered serious vulnerabilities in the TikTok video-sharing app that left users exposed Continue Reading
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News
07 Jan 2020
Facebook to ban deepfake videos
New policy closes some loopholes around misinformation, but seems to leave others wide open Continue Reading
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News
07 Jan 2020
Swede’s war on cancer moves to a digital battlefield
One man’s blog in Sweden turned into a healthcare app to support cancer sufferers and is now expanding globally Continue Reading
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News
06 Jan 2020
Personal transport as a service drives across Nordics
New mobility-as-a-service projects are gaining traction in major cities across Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden Continue Reading
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News
03 Jan 2020
Survey about Swedish people’s attitude to the internet reveals growing distrust of social media
Swedish citizens are becoming more concerned about the activities of social media companies and are reducing their online interaction with them as a result Continue Reading
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News
31 Dec 2019
Top 10 investigative stories of 2019
Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 investigative stories of 2019 Continue Reading
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Opinion
20 Dec 2019
How can we tell if regulating Google and Facebook is the right thing to do?
There are different economic approaches to dealing with monopolies and market dominance, but the nature of Google and Facebook defies easy answers Continue Reading
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News
19 Dec 2019
EU court opinion finds EU-US data transfers lawful but raises questions over Privacy Shield
The Advocate General of the European Court says standard contractual clauses are lawful, but raises questions over the impact of US surveillance on the legality of Privacy Shield Continue Reading
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News
18 Dec 2019
Facebook: Legality of EU-US data sharing to be decided by Court of Justice
The Advocate General of the European Court of Justice will give an opinion on the legality of EU-US data transfers that could have major implications for big tech companies and US government mass surveillance practices Continue Reading
