With its political ad ban, Twitter will also limit microtargeting for ‘issue’ ads
Twitter says it will place limits on microtargeting for issue-based ads, as part of its wider ban on political advertising, according to The Telegraph. The move could put additional pressure on Facebook to make similar changes. The debate over political ads on digital platforms has heated up in recent months, driven in part by Facebook’s decision to […]
Google to offer personal “smart checking” bank accounts
Google has announced plans to offer “smart checking” accounts to consumers, partnering with banks and credit unions in the US. The move will see Google join other tech giants moving to provide financial services, according to BBC News. Launched through Google Pay, the services will allow the use of Google’s analytics tools for conventional bank accounts. […]
Balderton Capital raises $400 million to invest in European tech startups
London-based venture capital firm Balderton Capital has raised $400 million for its seventh investment fund to back Europe’s tech startups. The fund will focus on early, Series A funding for enterprise software companies, health tech, and “deep-tech” such as artificial intelligence, according to Bloomberg. Earlier Balderton funds concentrated on financial technology and other areas, but the […]
E-scooter startup Voi raises $85 million in Series B funding round
Swedish e-scooter startup Voi has raised $85 million in a Series B funding round, to expand their e-scooter and e-bike network in Europe, according to TechCrunch. First launched in 2018, the company provides services in 38 cities in ten European countries, offering e-scooter and e-bike sharing. They say they have 4 million registered users and […]
EU competition chief says she won’t yet call for breaking up tech giants
European competition chief Margrethe Vestager has said that despite problems with large technology companies, she’s not yet ready to take the step of breaking them up, according to VentureBeat and Business Insider. During an interview at the Web Summit in Lisbon, Portugal on Thursday, Vestager said: “From a competition point of view, you would have to do something […]
Facebook and Google may limit micro-targeting for political ads
Facebook and Google are considering plans to limit micro-targeting for political advertisements, according to The Guardian, following widespread criticism over ad policies and their effect on the democratic process. Micro-targeting allows advertisers to precisely target small segments of users, tailoring ads for each one. In political advertising, critics are concerned that politicians can use micro-targeting to promote […]
Airbnb will now verify all of its listings, in sweeping policy shift
Airbnb will verify every one of its rental listings by the end of 2020, in a reversal of long-standing company policy, according to The Verge. For over a decade, the home-sharing platform has relied on agreements between guests and their hosts. The move follows a fatal mass shooting at one of its rentals this month, as […]
UK startup Medopad raises $25 million in Series B funding, led by Bayer
The UK-based startup Medopad has raised $25 million in a Series B funding round led by the pharmaceutical giant Bayer, to predict and track the development of chronic diseases using big data analysis, according to TechCrunch and VentureBeat. With AI analysis of vast sets of data from wearable and mobile devices, Medopad’s app tracks “biomarkers” in patients that […]
Google is set to acquire FitBit for $2.1 billion
Google is planning to purchase the wearable fitness tracker company FitBit for $2.1 billion, according to BBC News. With the acquisition, Google will now compete directly with Apple and other wearable technology companies, and will gain access to detailed health data from millions of FitBit users. “With Google’s resources and global platform, Fitbit will be able […]
UK agtech startup WeFarm raises $13m in Series A funding round
London based startup WeFarm has raised $13 million in a Series A funding round, to build its network of smallholder farmers, agricultural suppliers, services, and informational resources, according to TechCrunch and EU-startups.com. Globally, there are more than one billion people involved in smallholder farming, making it the world’s largest industry. Together, these farmers grow roughly 70 percent […]