UK plans to ban social media for under-16s face criticism from Meta, YouTube, and Snapchat, who argue it will push teens to less safe platforms. Keir Starmer announced the ban, aiming to protect children's mental health and safety, despite tech companies' concerns.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced plans to ban children under 16 from using social media apps such as TikTok and Snapchat, aiming to protect them from harmful content and excessive screen time. The ban, expected early next year, aligns the UK with a global trend of increasing online child safety measures.
SpaceX made a historic Nasdaq debut, with shares surging 19% to surpass $2 trillion in valuation, making founder Elon Musk the world's first trillionaire. The company raised $75 billion, exceeding previous IPO records, as investor demand was fueled by Musk's ambitious plans for space exploration and AI.
UK Business Secretary Peter Kyle stated he would have intervened to block the sale of ARM Holdings if he had been in government in 2016. He regrets the loss of UK tech 'crown jewels' like ARM and Deep Mind, emphasizing the need to retain wealth-creating companies.
TechCrunch is bringing Startup Battlefield back to Sydney on August 19, 2026, in partnership with Stripe. Ten selected companies will pitch for a chance to compete in San Francisco, with past winners raising over $85 million.
Xia Baolong, Beijing's top official for Hong Kong and Macau, visited the Hengqin cooperation zone to promote alignment with China's 15th five-year plan. The visit aimed to deepen integration into the Greater Bay Area and support Hong Kong and Macau in serving national development.
The US government has introduced a voluntary framework for vetting powerful new AI systems, allowing up to 30 days for review before public release. The executive order emphasizes collaboration with trusted partners for secure innovation and cybersecurity.
China's yuan-denominated stock indexes are set to increase the representation of technology companies, a move expected to attract more investment and enhance the sector's appeal. Leading AI chipmakers and new-economy stocks will be added to key gauges.
Former health secretary Wes Streeting has called for social media companies to be regulated like the tobacco industry, advocating for a ban on under-16s accessing certain platforms. The UK government is consulting on age limits and other measures to protect young people online.
Former health secretary Wes Streeting has called for social media companies to be regulated like the tobacco industry, advocating for a ban on under-16s accessing certain platforms. The UK government is consulting on age limits and other measures to protect children online.
The US Department of Commerce will invest approximately $2 billion in nine American quantum technology firms under the CHIPS Act. This initiative aims to bolster national security and technological leadership in the quantum sector.
BT CEO Allison Kirkby warns the AI boom is driving demand for semiconductor chips, potentially leading to shortages and price hikes for smartphones and other electronics. Tech firms are buying large quantities of memory chips for AI data centers, impacting supply chains.
Ken Paxton accuses streamer of designing addictive platform and falsely representing data collection practicesTexas sued Netflix on Monday, accusing the streaming company of spying on children and designing its platform to be addictive.Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general, said Netflix has for years falsely represented to consumers that it did not collect or share user data, when it actually tracked and sold viewers’ habits and preferences to commercial data brokers and advertising technology companies, making billions of dollars a year. Continue reading...
Netflix was sued on Monday by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who accused the streaming company of spying on children and other consumers by collecting their data without consent and designing its platform to be addictive. The lawsuit says that for years, Netflix has falsely represented to consumers that it did not collect or share user data, when it actually tracked and sold viewers’ habits and preferences to commercial data brokers and advertising technology companies, making billions of...
Netflix was sued on Monday by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who accused the streaming company of spying on children and other consumers by collecting their data without consent and designing its platform to be addictive. The lawsuit says that for years, Netflix has falsely represented to consumers that it did not collect or share user data, when it actually tracked and sold viewers’ habits and preferences to commercial data brokers and advertising technology companies, making billions of...
Chinese technology companies and researchers turned out in force at a leading global artificial intelligence conference, despite mounting questions over whether they might avoid the event as a consequence of tense relations between Beijing and Washington. Papers with contributors from mainland China and Hong Kong accounted for over 51 per cent of accepted submissions, compared with just under 32 per cent from the United States, according to statistics compiled from the listed affiliations for...
In China, computing facilities have emerged as a new form of infrastructure over the past two years, sparking an arms race among cities and technology companies to build 10,000-card computing clusters. These clusters – which link 10,000 or more artificial intelligence accelerator chips – enable faster iteration of AI capabilities and significantly reduce model training times. Domestic champions, from tech giants such as Huawei Technologies and Alibaba Group Holding to graphics processing unit...
US technology companies should stay in China, despite persistent political pressure for their exit, to capitalise on revenue potential and stifle local competition while monitoring consumer trends, according to a Washington-based policy think tank. Sales generated by American firms within China can be reinvested in research and development back in the United States, thereby helping “sustain US innovation leadership”, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) said in a new...
Eight major technology companies including Google, Nvidia, SpaceX, OpenAI, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Oracle and AI start-up Reflection have signed agreements with the Pentagon to deploy their AI technology on classified networks for military use. The deals aim to establish the US military as an AI-first fighting force. However, some tech workers have raised concerns about AI applications for autonomous weapons and mass surveillance. Anthropic clashed with the Pentagon earlier this year over safeguards, leading to a legal battle after the Trump administration banned federal use of its tools.
The valuation gap between mainland China A shares and Hong Kong H shares has narrowed significantly, with the Hang Seng AH Premium Index falling from 157.89 in February 2024 to below 120. Technology leaders including CATL, Montage Technology and GigaDevice Semiconductor have seen their A-H premium reverse to an H-A surcharge, reflecting a structural shift in how global and domestic investors price Chinese assets. Analysts attribute this to Beijing's A+H policy encouraging high-quality mainland companies to list in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) has proposed halving the minimum valuation for Weighted Voting Rights (WVR) companies to HK$20 billion (US$2.6 billion) as part of its latest listing reforms, aiming to attract more innovative firms and overseas issuers.
