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.
-
Feature
29 Apr 2025
The top challenges of influencer marketing and their solutions
Brands can partner with influencers to build credibility and connect with their audiences. However, marketers often struggle to find the right influencers and spot fake followers. Continue Reading
-
News
28 Apr 2025
Digital twins critical for digital transformation to fly in aerospace
Technology consortium publishes whitepaper to address the challenges of digital twin adoption in the aerospace and defence industries highlighting requirements for successfully deploying these digital twin-enabling technologies Continue Reading
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
News
31 Dec 2019
Top 10 investigative stories of 2019
Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 investigative stories of 2019 Continue Reading
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
News
17 Dec 2019
No change for tech in Boris Johnson’s new government – yet
Nicky Morgan remains in charge of digital policies as DCMS secretary, despite quitting as an MP before the General Election Continue Reading
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
News
06 Nov 2019
Lawmakers study leaked Facebook documents made public today
Computer Weekly publishes cache of leaked documents disclosed to Congress Continue Reading
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
