10 h. ago Prospective Hearts messiah knows all about Scottish football through army of informants

Brighton owner Tony Bloom is ready to make Hearts a major force in Scottish game, armed with data gathered from every club as he stayed a step ahead of the bookies.

Politics

3 d. ago 'Smash burger' van forced to shut down after council tells owner it's too close to primary school

Co-owners Sam Carroll and Aaron Millar lost their bid for planning permission to house Smokies, their smash burger takeaway trailer, on the car park of Dunkirk Hall pub in Leyland, Lancashire.

Politics

3 d. ago Renault and Citroën owner warn of ‘painful decisions’ if EU does not change rules for small cars

Carmakers say there needs to be more focus on smaller, affordable vehicles in Europe as SUVs gain popularityBusiness live – latest updatesCitroën owner Stellantis and Renault have warned that they may be forced into “painful decisions” over the future of their factories in Europe, as they urged the EU to adopt more favourable rules for small cars.The chief executives of the carmakers said there needs to be more focus on smaller, affordable cars in Europe as SUVs continue to gain popularity. Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago UK’s top universities received £2.8m worth of funding from Meta last year

Campaigners urged universities to be more cautious in their engagement with Facebook’s ownerBritain’s elite universities are continuing to benefit from multimillion-pound funding from Facebook’s owner, Meta, amid criticism over its approach to harmful content, ditching of independent factcheckers and political influence.Members of the Russell Group benefited from a total of £2.8m worth of funding from Meta last year, and £7.7m over the past four years. Imperial College alone has taken £3.6m from Mark Zuckerberg’s companies since 2021. Continue reading...

Economics

1 week ago Wedding business owner 'forced to destroy couples' dreams' after local council refused retrospective planning permission

Katy and Joe Bird won rave reviews for their Cambridgeshire company but had to close it after the local authority raised concerns including the impact on an ancient moat.

Events

1 week ago Meta faces Ghana lawsuits over impact of extreme content on moderators

Workers at contractor in Accra say they have suffered from depression and anxiety as a result of their workMeta is facing a second set of lawsuits in Africa over the psychological distress experienced by content moderators employed to take down disturbing social media content including depictions of murders, extreme violence and child sexual abuse.Lawyers are gearing up for court action against a company contracted by Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, after meeting moderators at a facility in Ghana that is understood to employ about 150 people. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago The EU fined Apple and Meta – but failed to really hold them to account. Was that to appease Trump? | Alexander Hurst

Instead of bazooka-level fines on global turnover, this €700m was no more than a slap on the wrist. It’s a missed opportunityThe European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, had some tough words for big tech this week, but it seems that at the last minute, the EU lost its nerve. Under the Digital Markets Act, companies that the EU has designated as “gatekeepers” – that is, digital platforms that provide core services such as search engines, app stores and messenger services – have special obligations and constraints that are meant to ensure a fair playing field for other companies.Apple, which takes a significant cut of purchases (including subscriptions) made through its App Store, violated the act by preventing developers from directing customers to their own websites to get around the “Apple tax”. In Meta’s case, the company was fined for forcing Facebook and Instagram users to either consent to letting Meta use their personal data, or pay a monthly fee to remove ads.Alex...

Politics

2 w. ago EU fines Apple and Meta for breaching fair competition rules

First penalties under landmark Digital Markets Act are fines of €500m to Apple and €200m to Facebook ownerThe European Commission has fined Apple €500m (£429m) and Meta €200m for breaking rules on fair competition and user choice, in the first penalties issued under one of the EU’s landmark internet laws.The fines under the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA), which is intended to ensure fair business practices by tech companies, are likely to provide another flashpoint with Donald Trump’s administration, which has fiercely attacked Europe’s internet regulation. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Apple and Meta fined a combined £600m for breaching EU competition rules

The European Commission said the tech giants breached the Digital Markets Act.

Economics

3 w. ago Zuckerberg feared monopoly scrutiny and mulled Instagram split, files show

Testimony that Instagram was ‘better’ seems to bolster allegations Meta used ‘buy or bury’ tactic to snap up rivalsMeta’s chief executive Mark Zuckerberg considered spinning off Instagram in 2018 in anticipation of a potential antitrust suit, documents unveiled at a trial in Washington showed on Tuesday. “While most companies resist break-ups, the corporate history is that most companies actually perform better after they’ve been split up,” he wrote in an email at the time. He said there was a “there is a non-trivial chance” his company would be forced to spin Instagram and WhatsApp out anyway. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Meta: Facebook owner could be forced to sell off Instagram and WhatsApp

The trial could mark a ‘new social media world order,’ tech expert says

Technology

3 w. ago Meta faces landmark trial which could break up its tech empire

The social media giant faces a competition trial, beginning on Monday, which could force it to sell Instagram and WhatsApp.

Politics

3 w. ago The trial to decide if Meta has to sell Instagram and WhatsApp begins this week. Here’s everything you need to know

Case from Federal Trade Commission will probe if Meta’s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp allowed it to maintain a social media monopoly, putting billions on the line

Politics