by Sam Reeves Agence France Presse SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — Uber sold its Southeast Asian business to rival Grab on Monday, ending a bruising battle between the ride-hailing behemoths and marking the US firm’s latest retreat from international markets. Singapore-based Grab is taking over the ride-sharing and food delivery operations of Uber in the region, with the California-headquartered company to receive a 27.5 percent stake in the business in return. The sale is Uber’s […]
Tag: Internet
UK regulators search Cambridge Analytica offices
by Joe Jackson Agence France Presse LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — British regulators on Friday began searching the London offices of Cambridge Analytica (CA), the scandal-hit communications firm at the heart of the Facebook data scandal, shortly after a judge approved a search warrant. Around 18 enforcement agents from the office of Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham entered the company’s London headquarters at around 8:00pm (2000 GMT) to execute the warrant. The High Court granted […]
Facebook crisis prompts Silicon Valley soul-searching
by Glenn Chapman Agence France Presse SAN FRANCISO, United States (AFP) — With Facebook mired in its worst-ever crisis, the rest of Silicon Valley is looking to come to terms with the dark side of its data-driven business model where tech titans have mined fortunes from what people reveal online. There are signs the crisis could spread to other internet firms that have made no secret about using what they glean from digital data […]
Dashcam video shows final seconds before fatal Uber crash
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Dashcam footage of the first fatal self-driving car crash involving a pedestrian shows the Uber vehicle operator appearing to be distracted, then gasping in horror seconds before the impact. The driver can be seen looking down at something for nearly five seconds before finally gazing up the instant before the car hit a woman in Tempe, in the US state of Arizona on Sunday. Police there released the footage […]
EU: new rules will make data breaches ‘very expensive’ for firms
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — EU justice commissioner Vera Jourova warned Wednesday that data protection scandals such as that currently engulfing Facebook would become “very expensive” for companies from May under new EU regulations. “If some company tried this in Europe after May 2018, very likely this drastic sanction will be applied,” said Jourova, who is in charge of consumer and personal data protection, at the end of a visit to Washington. Facebook is […]
Facebook security chief says he is still “fully engaged” with work at FB; changes role to focus on election fraud
SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Facebook’s chief of security said late Monday his role has shifted to focusing on emerging risks and election security at the global social network, which is under fire for letting its platform be used to spread bogus news and manipulate voters. Alex Stamos announced the change in his work role after The New York Times reported he was leaving Facebook in the wake of internal clashes over how to […]
Indonesia battles fake news as elections loom
by Harry Pearl © Agence France-Presse JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — Indonesia is battling a wave of fake news and online hate speech ahead of presidential elections in 2019, as a string of arrests underscore fears it could crack open social and religious fault lines in the world’s largest Muslim-majority country. The pluralist nation’s reputation as a bastion of tolerance has been tested in recent months, as conservative groups exploit social media to spread lies and […]
Facebook announces last major label deal
NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Facebook on Friday announced a licensing deal with Warner Music, the last of the major label groups to sign with the social media behemoth which is promising more personalized music. Facebook’s two billion users will soon be able to post in more creative ways with the catalogue of Warner, whose artist roster includes Ed Sheeran, Coldplay and the late Prince. “Our partnership with Facebook will help expand the universe […]
Imbestigasyon sa mabagal na internet sa PHL, hiniling sa Senado
MANILA, Philippines (Eagle News) — Iminungkahi ni Senadora Grace Poe na magsagawa ng pagdinig sa mabagal na internet sa bansa. Kasunod ito ng inilabas na report ng open signal na kanilang isinagawa noong last quarter ng 2017, kung kailan, nasa ika-85 pwesto ang bansa sa bilis ng 4-G LTE. Sa inihaing resolusyon ni Senador Poe, nais niyang matalakay kung bakit nahuhuli ang bansa pagdating sa bilis ng internet connection sa buong Southeast Asian Region. Nakatakda […]
Snapchat challenging Facebook among US youth: survey
WASHINTON, United States (AFP) — Facebook remains the most popular social network among Americans but faces a growing challenge from Snapchat for young audiences, a survey showed Thursday. The Pew Research Center survey showed Facebook holding the dominant platform with 68 percent of Americans using the world’s biggest social network. While Facebook leads the other social networks in all age groups, the gap has narrowed in the key 18-24 segment, where 78 percent use Snapchat […]
Spotify, controversial king of music streaming
by Gaël Branchereau Agence France-Presse STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AFP) — Spotify may uncontestably be the king of music streaming, but as the Swedish firm prepares for a stock listing, there is still a divide whether its reign is benign or not for artists and the music industry. “We really do believe that we can improve the world, one song at a time,” Spotify’s 35-year-old chief executive and co-founder Daniel Ek said in the documents filed to […]
Space-X lobs Spanish military satellite into orbit
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Elon Musk’s Space-X sent a Spanish military satellite into orbit Thursday in a hitch-less liftoff from California, extending the private space company’s record of successful launches. Space-X, which proved the utility of its massive Falcon Heavy rocket earlier this month, put up the Paz imaging satellite and two of the company’s own test internet communications satellites on a smaller Falcon 9 rocket. “Successful deployment of PAZ satellite to low-Earth orbit […]





