The scale of the tech industry’s spending to influence the European Union’s tech policy agenda has been laid out in a report published today by Corporate Europe Observatory and Lobbycontrol — which found hundreds of companies, groups and business associations shelling out a total of €97 million (~$115M) annually lobbying EU institutions. The level of […]
Lessons from COVID: Flexible funding is a must for alternative lenders
Alternative lending is any lending that occurs outside of a conventional financial institution. These lenders offer different types of loans such as lines of credit, microloans and equipment financing.
Move fast and break Facebook: A bull case for antitrust enforcement
For so long, Mark Zuckerberg has told us all to move fast and break things. It’s time for him to break Facebook.
CryptoPunks blasts past $1 billion in lifetime sales as NFT speculation surges
Hello friends, and welcome back to Week in Review! Last week we dove into Bezos’s Blue Origin suing NASA. This week, I’m writing about the unlikely and triumphant resurgence of the NFT market. If you’re reading this on the TechCrunch site, you can get this in your inbox from the newsletter page, and follow my […]
Facebook will reportedly launch its own advisory group for election policy decisions
Facebook is looking to create a standalone advisory committee for election-related policy decisions, according to a new report from The New York Times. The company has reportedly approached a number of policy experts and academics it is interested in recruiting for the group, which could give the company cover for some of its most consequential […]
To prevent cyberattacks, the government should limit the scope of a software bill of materials
There is no reason to disdain the concept of SBOM outright. Indeed, it’s heartening to see the federal government take cybersecurity so seriously.
Apple lowers commissions on in-app purchases for news publishers who participate in Apple News
Apple today is launching a new program that will allow subscription news organizations that participate in the Apple News app and meet certain requirements to lower their commission rate to 15% on qualifying in-app purchases taking place inside their apps on the App Store. Typically, Apple’s model for subscription-based apps involves a standard 30% commission […]
Big Tech pledges billions to bolster U.S. cybersecurity defenses
Tech giants Apple, Google and Microsoft have pledged billions to bolster U.S. cybersecurity following a meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House on Wednesday. The meeting, which also included attendees from the financial and education sectors, was held following months of high-profile cyberattacks against critical infrastructure and several U.S. government agencies, along with a […]
Point Pickup acquires e-commerce platform GrocerKey for $42M to allow for same-day delivery
The acquisition of GrocerKey, which brings on board the company’s front-end consumer-facing sales engine and predictive analytics, puts the data and brand recognition back in the retailer’s hands.
UK names John Edwards as its choice for next data protection chief as gov’t eyes watering down privacy standards
The UK government has named the person it wants to take over as its chief data protection watchdog, with sitting commissioner Elizabeth Denham overdue to vacate the post: The Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) today said its preferred replacement is New Zealand’s privacy commissioner, John Edwards. Edwards, who has a legal background, […]