Platform Executive

The full version of the article, along with thousands like it, can be found on the following page: As Google threatens an exit from Australia, Microsoft talks up Bing with PM Software giant Microsoft is confident its search product Bing can fill the gap in Australia if Alphabet pulls its Google search over required payments to media outlets, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said. Australia has introduced laws that would force internet giant Google and social media heavyweight Facebook to negotiate payments to domestic media outlets whose content links drive traffic to their platforms. However, the tech titans have called the laws unworkable and said last month they would withdraw key services from Australia if the regulations went ahead. Those services include Google's search engine, which has 94% of the country's search market, according to industry data. Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella has since spoken with Scott Morrison about the new rules, the tech...

The full version of the article, along with thousands like it, can be found on the following page: GameStop: Wall Street versus the people of Reddit On three hours of sleep and with no time to eat, one New York-based hedge fund manager overseeing billions in assets called last week the most stressful of his life. "Nothing was making sense anymore," he said, as he watched the stock of GameStop Corp soar, while he bet it would fall. Wednesday was the worst. Fuelled by chatter on Reddit and other social media to take on Wall Street, investors used venues like online trading app Robinhood to bid up the brick-and-mortar retailer. GameStop surged 135%, on its way to gaining more than 1,500% in January without any change in its business outlook. Hedge funds scrambled. By this point trading had become so unpredictable across all sectors that the various funds involved were forced to dump their winning stocks to balance out their portfolios. "It's time to cut out,"...

The full version of the article, along with thousands like it, can be found on the following page: Zuck reached out to Aussie lawmakers over new media rules Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg called Australian lawmakers last week to discuss rules that would make internet giants pay news outlets for content but failed to persuade them to change policy, the country's Treasurer has said. Zuckerberg "reached out to talk about the code and the impact on Facebook" and a constructive discussion followed last week between the social media billionaire, Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and communications minister Paul Fletcher. "No, Mark Zuckerberg didn't convince me to back down if that's what you're asking," Josh Frydenberg told the Australian Broadcasting Corp , without giving further details of the meeting. A Facebook spokeswoman in Australia said the company's executives regularly meet with government stakeholders on a range of topics. "We...

The full version of the article, along with thousands like it, can be found on the following page: India proposes law to ban cryptocurrencies, create official digital currency India plans to introduce a law to ban existing cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and create a framework for an official digital currency to be issued by the Reserve Bank, according to a legislative agenda. The law will "create a facilitative framework for creation of the official digital currency to be issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)," said the agenda, published on the lower house website on Friday. The legislation, listed for debate in the current parliamentary session, seeks "to prohibit all private cryptocurrencies in India, however, it allows for certain exceptions to promote the underlying technology of cryptocurrency and its uses," the agenda said. In mid-2019, an Indian government panel recommended banning all private cryptocurrencies, with a jail term of up to 10 years a...

The full version of the article, along with thousands like it, can be found on the following page: EU versus ‘Big Tech’ hearing pushed back by two months EU lawmakers, who are gearing up to curb the power of US tech giants, have told Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google that they are willing to push back a proposed the 1st of February hearing by a couple of months. The European Parliament had earlier this month invited the CEO's of the four big platform businesses to a hearing in Brussels to help them prepare their input into new tough rules proposed by the European Commission. European Union antitrust regulators want the four to end business practices aimed at cementing their dominance and blocking smaller rivals as well as do more to take down illegal and harmful content on their platforms or face hefty fines. Parliament's economic affairs committee, which sent out the invitations, is "willing to consider rescheduling and looking into alternative dates later than the...

The full version of the article, along with thousands like it, can be found on the following page: Xiaomi says legal complaint against US is to protect its interests Xiaomi has stated that its legal complaint against the Department of Defence and the Treasury Department in the US was to protect its interests, in a notice on the Hong Kong stock exchange. Chinese smartphone maker filed a complaint in a Washington district court late last week against the Defence department and Treasury, seeking to remove the China-based smartphone maker from the list of companies deemed to have ties to China's military. Xiaomi Corp said the US decision to include the company as a "communist Chinese military company" was "factually incorrect" and said it had asked the courts to declare the decision illegal. The Defence Department, under the Trump administration in mid-January, added Xiaomi and eight other tech companies to the list, which requires American investors to dives...

The full version of the article, along with thousands like it, can be found on the following page: ‘Greenwashing’ is rampant in online stores, consumer authorities find Many of the "green" claims on companies' websites are exaggerated, false and potentially illegal, according to a study of online shops and traders by the European Union and national consumer protection authorities. As consumers demand more sustainable goods, the number of environmental claims made by companies is rising -- and with it, "greenwashing", where companies exaggerate their environmental credentials to win over shoppers. Looking into "green" claims, mostly by online stores and also some traders' sites in November 2020, the European Commission and federal authorities found the problem was rife. The study assessed 344 "seemingly dubious" sustainability claims made online by companies in sectors including clothing, cosmetics, household equipment and travel ser...

The full version of the article, along with thousands like it, can be found on the following page: Australia now takes on Google advertising dominance An Australian ruler is thinking about letting net users choose what private information companies like Google share with advertisers, as part of the country's efforts to shatter the dominance of tech titans. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) also suggested limiting the net giants' ability to access users' online histories to cross-sell products. The suggestions were part of the ACCC's interim report into electronic marketing in Australia, a A$3.4 billion (approximately $2.6 billion) market the regulator said is marked by an absence of competition, transparency and choice. The ACCC quotes Google's share of Australian electronic advertising revenue at between 50% and 100%, depending upon the service. "Google is the only one that can determine the effectiveness of ads, so really often ...

The full version of the article, along with thousands like it, can be found on the following page: Walmart plans big push to challenge Amazon on advertising Walmart plans to expand its marketing business, including space for advertising at its US stores and sharing its enormous trove of retail data with brands, the world's largest retailer has said. The efforts are key to Walmart's aggressive strategy to grow its advertising business by more than 10 times over the next five years, according to a source familiar with the issue. Journalists had previously reported Walmart's annual advertising revenues were expected to be almost $1 billion in 2020. The Bentonville, Arkansas-based company, with nearly 5,000 stores nationwide, has set a goal to become one of the top 10 marketing platforms in the US over the next five years, a "slightly conservative," goal, the source stated. Walmart has enlarged its marketing business after years of stuttering progress, even as ...

The full version of the article, along with thousands like it, can be found on the following page: European Union tells ‘Big Tech’ to extend fake news watch The European Commission has advised Google, Facebook, Twitter and Microsoft to keep yearly reports on their efforts to handle fake news, particularly on coronavirus, for the next six months. Social media and online platforms have come under fire internationally across the spread of fake news, resulting in calls for regulators to induce them to perform more or confront awkward rules. The companies, together with TikTok and advertisers, have signed the European Union's code of practice to tackle the spread of disinformation on their platforms, and needed to submit reports on their efforts during an early six-month interval. The reports will continue for another six months due to their relevance during the virus pandemic, the European Union executive said. The companies are told to supply more information about how disinfo...

The full version of the article, along with thousands like it, can be found on the following page: UK’s competition watchdog begins probe into Facebook’s Giphy deal UK's competition watchdog has launched its first evaluation of Facebook Inc's completed acquisition of GIF website Giphy, in a time when the social networking network is under international regulatory scrutiny on antitrust concerns. The world's largest social media firm purchased Giphy, a website for sharing and making animated pictures, or GIFs, in May last year to integrate it with its rapidly expanding photo-sharing app, Instagram. But a source told journalists at our partner news agency Reuters in June that Facebook had been restarting the integration of Giphy to Instagram following the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) served an initial enforcement order. Governments around the world are taking a look at strengthening the regulation of technology companies that are becoming more powerful during...

The full version of the article, along with thousands like it, can be found on the following page: Facebook oversight board overrules company on most cases in first test Deciding its first-ever cases, Facebook's supervision board has ruled that the societal networking firm was wrong to remove four pieces of articles the board reviewed, including articles Facebook took down to violating guidelines on hate speech and misinformation. The initial rulings will be inspected to determine how independent the plank appears in the world's largest social media platform and how it could rule later on, especially ahead of its high profile conclusion on whether Facebook was appropriate to suspend prior US President Trump. Facebook blocked Trump's accessibility to his Facebook and Instagram reports over concerns of additional violent unrest following the January the 6th storming of the US Capitol building by revolutionaries. The committee said that the Trump case could be opened fo...

The full version of the article, along with thousands like it, can be found on the following page: German cartel office extends probe of ties between Facebook and Oculus Germany's antitrust regulator said on Thursday that it was expanding the scope of its abuse proceedings against Facebook related to the links between its Oculus virtual reality merchandise and the social media system. The move comes after legislation took effect earlier this month which sets new rules for "undertakings of paramount significance for competition across markets", the Federal Cartel Office said in a statement. "An ecosystem which extends across various markets -- an almost unchallengeable position of economic power -- is particularly characteristic in this respect," cartel office leader Andreas Mundt said in a statement. This is the first case in which we are putting the new provisions to use," he added. Although antitrust supervision in the European Union lies chiefly f...

The full version of the article, along with thousands like it, can be found on the following page: Cutting the fat and finding success Whether you’re starting your first business or are an experienced entrepreneur, you should understand how important it is to keep costs and overhead as low as possible while still being able to provide the service you need. However, companies still struggle with this. They find it impossible to change specific approaches and operations. If neglected for too long, though, there’s a risk that your company goes under before it ever gets the chance to get over. EMBRACE AUTOMATION Automation is a hot topic within many industries and has been for some time. While many people associate automation with the convenience of production line conveyors , it can apply to as many departments as you can think of. Companies that have embraced automation successfully have also used this software for marketing efforts, as well as enhancing the efficiency of the payr...

The full version of the article, along with thousands like it, can be found on the following page: Joe Biden to reopen online health insurance marketplaces President Biden will reopen the nation's online health insurance market for people who cannot obtain coverage through their companies, the White House has said. Biden, who took office last week, will re-establish access to healthcare.gov having an executive order Thursday afternoon, the latest in a blizzard of moves from the Democratic president to rapidly undo the policies of his GOP predecessor Donald Trump. The order will allow people to register for insurance through the authorities market from February the 15th to May the 15th, the White House said in a policy fact sheet. The program is normally accessible for only six weeks a year. The activity was anticipated. Biden has vowed to shore up the healthcare.gov and other programs created under former President Barack Obama's sweeping 2010 Affordable Care Act. He...

The full version of the article, along with thousands like it, can be found on the following page: The 120 most annoying business phrases and buzzwords of 2021 When I started this list of buzzwords, I had every intention of making this a semi-serious look into the vague and often annoying world of office speak. However, after about 20 minutes of writing this article, it became impossible to keep the desired tone. As a result, below is merely an attempt at understanding the corporate worlds most useless and/or overused terms. For the convenience of the reader, I have arranged the terms alphabetically and added notes when and where I think they will be required. ACTIONABLE ANALYTICS: Relevant data, with the correct context. Marketing teams have a terrible understanding of this. Finance teams are far better ACTIONEER: Meant to signify a person taking action ADVERTAINMENT: Daily Mail AGILE: This should equate to the agile principles, but rarely does ALIGNS and ALIGNMENT: ...

The full version of the article, along with thousands like it, can be found on the following page: Apple sees accelerating revenue growth after setting iPhone sales record Apple has reported holiday quarter sales and profits that beat Wall Street expectations, as brand new 5G iPhones helped push handset earnings to a new record and sparked a 57 percent increase in China sales. Apple shipped its iPhone 12 line-up several weeks later than usual, but an enlarged number of models and new appearance tapped pent up demand for updates, especially in China. The business also posted strong sales of its Mac laptops and iPads in the past, driven by consumers working, learning and playing from home throughout the pandemic. Apple's earnings for the quarter ended on the 26th of December climbed 21% to $111.44 billion. Earnings per share climbed to $1.68 from $1.25, beating Wall Street targets, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. Revenue of iPhones were $65.60 billion and also beat a reco...