Rude Baguette
Facial recognition cameras will be deployed throughout London, according to police
London’s Metropolitan Police have announced plans to deploy live facial recognition cameras across the city, according to The Guardian, to detect individuals on watchlists “for serious and violent offences.” The Met says the technology will go into use next month, and will be deployed in popular locations for shopping and tourism. While facial recognition has been met […]
Apple is fighting calls from EU lawmakers to eliminate its Lightning charger
Apple is challenging proposals by members of the European Parliament to force the company to adopt a standard, universal charger for mobile devices to replace its proprietary Lightning cable, according to Business Insider. Lawmakers argue that forcing consumers to rely on the Apple-exclusive Lightning cable generates a massive amount of electronic waste, by rendering other cables obsolete. […]
New funding round from Ophelia Brown’s Blossom Capital draws $185m for Europe’s startups
The UK’s Blossom Capital has announced its second funding round, totaling $185 million, for early-stage funding of Europe’s tech startups, according to EU-startups.com. Co-founded by Ophelia Brown, formerly of Index Ventures and LocalGlobe VC, Blosson Capital is aiming to become the lead investor for Series A and seed funding rounds in Europe’s startup scene, with a […]
Despite threats of US retaliation, the UK will tax tech giants, with support from Europe’s digital policy chief
The UK will move forward with its plan to tax multinational digital firms, despite retaliatory threats from US officials, chancellor Sajid Javid said at the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this week, according to The Guardian. “We plan to go ahead with our digital services tax in April,” he said. “It is a proportionate tax, and […]
German startup Grover secures €250 million for its tech subscription service
The Berlin-based startup Grover has drawn €250 million in funding, to expand its tech subscription service in Germany and into the rest of Europe, according to Tech.eu. Founded in 2015, Grover offers a subscription service allowing users access to over 2,000 tech devices such as laptops, smartphones, virtual reality equipment, micromobility vehicles, and wearable tech. In […]
Google acquires Pointy, an Irish startup with tools to help local retailers list products online
Google has announced plans to acquire the Dublin-based startup Pointy, which offers digital solutions to help local, brick-and-mortar retailers list their products online to compete with Amazon, according to Venture Beat. The two companies did not disclose the sale price, but Yahoo Finance reported that it’s a $163 million deal. The acquisition is expected to go […]
UK startup Jolt raises another €12.7m for its streamlined alternative to business school
The UK education startup Jolt has raised an additional €12.7 million for its accessible, flexible approach to business classes, according to EU-startups.com. The new funding round, led by Balderton Capital, brings Jolt’s total funding raised to €20.9 million. The company was founded in 2015, launched a marketplace for live business class videos in 2016, and opened […]
Most requests for cookie consent don’t comply with EU rules, new research suggests
Most consent requests for digital cookies to track users’ web activity do not comply with Europe’s data collection regulations, according to new research, detailed in a report from TechCrunch. The findings echo another study published in August, which also suggested that consent notices routinely fail to offer the meaningful choice required by EU law—which states that […]
Facebook says it will “expand transparency,” but won’t limit political ads
Facebook has reaffirmed that it has no plans to limit political ads or microtargeting on its platform, despite public criticism that has led its rivals to take action, according to AP News. The platform has been widely criticized since it announced in October that ads and other content from politicians and candidates would be exempt from fact-checking. Facebook […]
Facebook and eBay take steps to combat fake product reviews, after warning from UK competition authority
Facebook and eBay have agreed to combat fake reviews on their platforms in response to pressure from the UK’s Competition and Market Authority (CMA), according to TechCrunch. In June, the CMA said it had found evidence of a “thriving marketplace for fake and misleading online reviews” on the platforms. It found over 100 eBay listings […]