22 h. ago FTSE 100 Live 11 December: Index firm despite tech jitters, Drax plans data centre

Tech stocks and Bitcoin were under pressure today after Oracle Corp results soured the mood in the wake of last night’s US interest rate cut.

Politics

32 h. ago Online child sexual abuse surges by 26% in year as police say tech firms must act

Figures for England and Wales show there were 51,672 offences for child sexual exploitation and abuse online in 2024Online child sexual abuse in England and Wales has surged by a quarter within a year, figures show, prompting police to call for social media platforms to do more to protect young people.Becky Riggs, the acting chief constable of Staffordshire police, called for tech companies to use AI tools to automatically prevent indecent pictures from being uploaded and shared on their sites. Continue reading...

Events

32 h. ago Shock rise in online child sexual abuse revealed with half of offenders under 18

Online messaging app Snapchat was used in more than half of all cases recorded by police with six children being targeted every hour in the digital world by offenders often under the age of 18

Events

46 h. ago Scottish firm whose tech promises ‘happier, healthier pets’ gets £2.7 million growth injection

“The opportunity to deploy our diagnostic platform globally through our partner laboratories is taking shape” – Eve Hanks, chief executive and founder

Economics

6 d. ago New global HQ for tech firm opens in glossy Swansea city centre office development

It has moved into the city's flagship new 71/72 Kingsway office scheme

Economics

7 d. ago Ocado set for £262m compensation payout from Kroger after US warehouse closures

The retail tech firm was dealt a blow last month after Kroger said it would shut three warehouses and scrap a planned site in North Carolina.

Economics

1 week ago Sydney police charge four men over alleged ‘international satanic child sex abuse material ring’

Detectives claim to have uncovered Sydney-based network involving online distribution of child sexual abuse material involving ritualistic or satanic themesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastNSW police say they have uncovered an “international satanic child sex abuse material ring” and charged four Australians for their alleged involvement.Detectives from the sex crimes squad said that as part of Strike Force Constantine, an investigation into the online distribution of child sexual abuse material involving ritualistic or satanic themes, they disrupted a Sydney-based network. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago JD Vance might want to run in 2028 – but does he have a Palantir

The VP wouldn’t be where he is today without the patronage of the Palantir co-founder Peter Thiel. But with voters becoming more and more concerned about the firm’s surveillance tech, could that relationship affect his chances? The US is the land of the free and the home of the world’s most expensive, and most excruciatingly drawn-out, elections. In most democracies, the election cycle lasts just a few weeks or months. In most democracies there are strict laws regulating how long politicians can campaign, and how much money political parties can accept. But the US is not most democracies. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Ofcom urges tech firms to tackle toxic online abuse of women

The regulator says the digital world is ‘not serving women and girls the way it should’

Events

2 w. ago Ofcom urges tech firms to step up to protect women and girls online

The watchdog has published new guidance but some organisations have said it must be made mandatory.

Politics

3 w. ago European Commission accused of ‘massive rollback’ of digital protections

Proposed changes to AI Act would make it easier for tech firms to use personal data to train models without consentThe European Commission has been accused of “a massive rollback” of the EU’s digital rules after announcing proposals to delay central parts of the Artificial Intelligence Act and water down its landmark data protection regulation.If agreed, the changes would make it easier for tech firms to use personal data to train AI models without asking for consent, and try to end “cookie banner fatigue” by reducing the number times internet users have to give their permission to being tracked on the internet. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago HP is seeking £1.35billion from Mike Lynch's estate more than a year after the tech tycoon died alongside six others in super yacht sinking

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HP) wants the 10-figure sum from Lynch's estate over their acquisition of his tech firm, Autonomy, lawyers told a High Court on Tuesday.

Economics

3 w. ago HP is seeking £1.5billion from Mike Lynch's estate more than a year after the tech tycoon died alongside six others in super yacht sinking

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HP) wants the 10-figure sum from Lynch's estate over their acquisition of his tech firm, Autonomy, lawyers told a High Court on Tuesday.

Economics

4 w. ago Scottish tech firm’s knowhow will aid motorist safety in UK’s longest road tunnels

“It is a very proud moment to see the system go live and have a positive impact on emergency services and motorists” – Tom Sime, Exchange Communications

Science

last month The EU has let US tech giants run riot. Diluting our data law will only entrench their power | Johnny Ryan and Georg Riekeles

The GDPR is Europe’s defence against digital oligarchy, child harm and foreign political interference. Deregulation plans are misguidedEurope is hurtling toward digital vassalage. Under Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, EU laws to tackle tech giants have been either not applied or delayed, for fear of offending Donald Trump. Now leaked documents reveal that the European Commission plans to gut a central part of Europe’s digital rulebook. This will hurt Europe’s innovators and hand the future of Europe’s tech sovereignty to US firms.Once Europe’s most hyped law, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is now on the chopping block. Powerful forces within the European Commission, supported by the German government, hope that deregulation will boost Europe’s tech sector, particularly AI. This is a grave mistake.Johnny Ryan is director of Enforce, a unit of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties. Georg Riekeles is the associate director of the European Policy ...

Science