Platform Executive

The full version of this article, along with thousands like it, can be found here: Facebook owner Meta will block access to Russia’s RT, Sputnik in EU Meta Platforms Inc, parent company of Facebook, will restrict access to Russian state media outlets RT and Sputnik on its platforms across the European Union, the company's head of global affairs has said. The controversial former Deputy Prime Minister of the UK, Sir Nick Clegg said in a Twitter post that the social media company received requests from a number of governments and the EU to take steps in relation to Russian state-controlled media on its platforms. Clegg said Meta would continue to work closely with governments on the issue. The European Union said on Sunday it would ban Russian state-owned television network RT and news agency Sputnik . Canadian telecoms operators have also stopped offering the RT channel. Russian state-run media's activity on social media platforms has emerged as a contentious issue for big...

The full version of this article, along with thousands like it, can be found here: Netflix will not add state-run channels to Russian service Netflix Inc has said that in the current circumstances it has no plans to add state-run channels to its Russian service, despite a regulation that would require the streaming service to distribute state-backed channels. "Given the current situation, we have no plans to add these channels to our service," said a Netflix spokesman in a statement, referring to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Politico first reported that Netflix, which launched its service in Russia in October 2020, would fall under the new Russian regulations requiring compliance on March the 1st. The regulations, overseen by Russia's communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, require audiovisual services with more than 100,000 subscribers in that country to distribute 20 free-to-air news, sports and entertainment channels. The Netflix spokesman declined to comme...

The full version of this article, along with thousands like it, can be found here: Payments companies Wise, Remitly suspend money transfer businesses in Russia Cross-border payments company Wise and remittance processor Remitly have suspended their money transfer services in Russia, following new sanctions over the weekend against the country in response to its invasion of Ukraine. A spokesperson for London-based Wise said it will continue to monitor the situation and “keep these measures under constant review.” Wise, a financial technology company previously known as TransferWise, holds balances in countries on popular currency routes to sidestep high fees traditionally associated with international money transfers. Last week, Wise limited daily transfers to Russia to 200 British pounds (approximately $268.34). A company spokesperson had said that the limits were put in place at the time “to make sure we can offer our service to as many people as possible.” On Saturday, the Un...

The full version of this article, along with thousands like it, can be found here: Russia tells TikTok not to recommend military content to minors Russia's communications regulator has demanded TikTok stop including military-related content in recommended posts for minors, in an announcement shared in its official Telegram channel. The regulator Roskomnadzor said it had identified content on the video-sharing app related to Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine and that a lot of it was anti-Russian in character. TikTok is popular with younger users and also has a version aimed towards children under 13. It was not clear exactly what was meant in saying TikTok was recommending content specifically to minors. The company has recently said it is testing age-rated content restrictions. The app, which was originally known for lip-syncing videos and viral dance trends, has been widely used to document events and share news in the run-up to and during Russia...

The full version of this article, along with thousands like it, can be found here: Meta says Ukraine’s military, politicians targeted in hacking campaign Meta has said a hacking group used Facebook to target a handful of public figures in Ukraine, including prominent military officials, politicians and a journalist, amid Russia's ongoing invasion of the country. Meta Platforms said in the last 48 hours it had also separately removed a network of about 40 fake accounts, groups and pages across Facebook and Instagram that operated from Russia and Ukraine targeting people in Ukraine, for violating its rules against coordinated inauthentic behaviour. A Twitter spokesperson said it had also suspended more than a dozen accounts and blocked the sharing of several links for violating its rules against platform manipulation and spam. It said its ongoing investigation indicated the accounts originated in Russia and were attempting to disrupt the public conversation around the conflic...

The full version of this article, along with thousands like it, can be found here: Buy now, pay later firm Zip to buy US rival Sezzle in $352 million deal Buy now pay later (BNPL) firm Zip Co Ltd has said it would buy US-based Sezzle Inc in a A$491 million (approximately $352.59 million) deal, as it looks to further expand its reach in the United States and take on rivals such as Afterpay. Sezzle shareholders would receive 0.98 Zip ordinary shares for each Sezzle stock, the Australian payments firm said, adding that it will own about 78% of the combined group. The company also expects the deal to be EBTDA and cash-flow positive during financial year 2024. After seeing a meteoric rise during the COVID-19 pandemic when online shoppers preferred alternate sources of credit for purchases, the BNPL sector has consolidated rapidly, with Jack Dorsey-backed Block Inc's $29 billion buyout of Afterpay in August 2021 being among the sector's biggest deals. Zip also announced on M...

The full version of this article, along with thousands like it, can be found here: Huawei commits to consumer markets with ‘Smart Office’ launch China's Huawei launched seven new "Smart Office" products, including a top-end laptop and its first printer and e-ink tablet, on Sunday, underlining its commitment to consumers after US trade restrictions severely hit its mobile business. Consumer Business Group CEO Richard Yu, speaking in a video presentation ahead of the Mobile World Congress, said the products were a "bold statement" of its Smart Office concept. President of Huawei's Western Europe Consumer Business Group William Tian said they would appeal to people who were increasingly working from home. "These are not standalone devices," he said in an interview. "We can connect and collaborate much easier with our Super Device concept." Super Device is a technology that allows Huawei's products to connect and share capabilit...

The full version of this article, along with thousands like it, can be found here: Uber revamps driver pay algorithm in large US pilot to attract drivers Uber is testing a new driver earnings algorithm in 24 US cities that allows drivers to see pay and destinations before accepting a trip and raises the incentives for drivers to take short rides in an effort to attract more drivers. The changes, which are currently in pilot programs, mark the most wide-ranging updates to Uber's driver pay algorithm in years and come at a time when the company is still trying to win back drivers who left at the start of the pandemic. Fares paid by consumers are not affected. Drivers have long demanded the ability to see the fare and destination before accepting a trip, but Uber has resisted, saying it could open the door to drivers cherry-picking trips or discriminating against riders in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Uber already has a similar program in California, launched in the wake of a 20...

The full version of this article, along with thousands like it, can be found here: 4 ways to streamline B2B marketing strategies It’s no doubt that marketing is essential for the success of your B2B company. It helps to improve the visibility and awareness of your brand. This enables you to reach more clients, increasing your chances of generating more sales. Without marketing, your business growth may be hindered. Sometimes you can put a lot of effort into your marketing strategies but end up generating little or no returns. This affects your firm’s profitability. The best solution to this is to streamline your B2B marketing strategies. This is a process of simplifying the whole marketing process. Some of the most effective ways to streamline B2B marketing strategies include the following: 1. AUTOMATE YOUR MARKETING PROCESS Automation is the way to go if you want to streamline your marketing strategies. It involves using software and other modern tools to manage your promotion...

The full version of this article, along with thousands like it, can be found here: Jack Dorsey’s Block beats profit estimates Block Inc, the payments company of Twitter Inc founder Jack Dorsey, posted better than expected fourth-quarter profit thanks to a highly volatile bitcoin market and booming online retail, sending its shares soaring. The company, which offers merchant payment services and an app that lets people trade the cryptocurrency, recently took a secondary listing in Australia after buying that country's top payments company, Afterpay. Though the results announcement came after the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange, where Block has its main listing, the company's Australian stock leapt as much as 40%, the biggest gainer in a flat overall market. The move followed months in which companies linked to internet shopping have seen valuations shrink due to expectations of rising interest rates and unwinding government stimulus payments as COVID-19 re...

The full version of this article, along with thousands like it, can be found here: The new US export rules designed to freeze Russian tech The United States has restricted exports to Russia of a broad set of US-made products as well as foreign-produced goods built with US technology, following the invasion of Ukraine. Here is how the rules are expected to affect US tech companies, according to six experts on US trade law. What technology is newly restricted from export to Russia? US companies must now obtain licenses to sell computers, sensors, lasers, navigation tools, and telecommunications, aerospace and marine equipment. The United States will deny almost all requests. "We expected something sweeping, and this was certainly sweeping," said Ama Adams, partner at law firm Ropes & Gray. The new rules also force companies making tech products overseas with US tools to seek a US license before shipping to Russia. A similar restriction was first applied in recent y...

The full version of this article, along with thousands like it, can be found here: Facebook letting users in Ukraine lock their social profiles for security Meta Platforms Inc, which owns Facebook, has set up a special operations centre to monitor the conflict in Ukraine, and it launched a feature so users in the country can lock their social media profiles for security, a company official has said in Twitter posts. On Wednesday, Twitter also posted a series of tips on the social networking site on how users can secure their accounts to guard against hacking, or making sure their tweets are private and only visible to followers. The company tweeted the safety tips in English, Russian and Ukrainian. Meta's actions come as the Russian invasion of Ukraine escalated on Thursday, raising concerns about the spread of disinformation on social media. Twitter on Wednesday said it mistakenly suspended around a dozen accounts that were posting about Russian military movements, saying ...

The full version of this article, along with thousands like it, can be found here: Ukraine calls on hacker underground to defend against Russia The government of Ukraine is asking for volunteers from the country's hacker underground to help protect critical infrastructure and conduct cyber spying missions against Russian troops, according two people involved in the project. As Russian forces attacked cities across Ukraine, requests for volunteers began to appear on hacker forums on Thursday morning, as many residents fled the capital Kyiv. "Ukrainian cybercommunity! It's time to get involved in the cyber defence of our country," the post read, asking hackers and cybersecurity experts to submit an application via Google docs, listing their specialties, such as malware development, and professional references. Yegor Aushev, co-founder of a cybersecurity company in Kyiv, told Reuters he wrote the post at the request of a senior Defense Ministry official who contact...

The full version of this article, along with thousands like it, can be found here: Crypto exchange Coinbase’s trading volumes surge on retail interest Leading cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase Global Inc has reported a surge in quarterly trading volumes on a sequential basis as volatility in prices drew in retail traders, but warned that growth would slow in the current quarter. Trading volumes jumped more than 67% to $547 billion in the quarter ended Dec. 31, with retail trading accounting for 32% of volumes and crypto assets contributing 68% to total trading. "The sequential increase in retail Trading Volume was driven primarily by higher levels of volatility as well as strong consumer interest in a wider variety of crypto assets," the company said in a statement. Crypto exchanges have benefited from the digital assets' march to the mainstream, with businesses across the globe investing heavily to ramp up their crypto infrastructure. But prices of bitcoin - the w...

The full version of this article, along with thousands like it, can be found here: EBay forecasts bleak quarter as pandemic-driven online demand wanes EBay Inc has forecast bleak first-quarter results, as the e-commerce platform tackles waning online demand, stiff competition and global supply chain disruptions, sending the company's shares down nearly 9%. E-commerce companies raked in large profits as online shopping boomed last year during the pandemic, but vaccine rollouts could spell trouble as people return to brick-and-mortar shopping. Online retail giant Amazon.com Inc has also forecast first-quarter sales below analysts' estimates. EBay expects first-quarter adjusted profit in the range of $1.01 to $1.05 on revenue of $2.43 billion to $2.48 billion; both estimates came in below Wall Street's expectations. Shares of the company, which originally started as a site where people would auction their collectibles, fell to $50.28 in extended trading on Wednesday. Th...

The full version of this article, along with thousands like it, can be found here: Twitter says it mistakenly took down accounts posting on Russian military Twitter has said it had mistakenly suspended around a dozen accounts that were posting about Russian military movements, and said the action was not due to a coordinated bot campaign or mass reporting of the accounts by other users. "We've been proactively monitoring for emerging narratives that are violative of our policies, and, in this instance, we took enforcement action on a number of accounts in error," a Twitter spokesperson said in a statement. "We're expeditiously reviewing these actions and have already proactively reinstated access to a number of affected accounts." The Twitter spokesperson said the erroneous action had been based on its rules against synthetic and manipulated media. Ukraine declared a state of emergency on Wednesday and told its citizens in Russia to flee, while Moscow...

The full version of this article, along with thousands like it, can be found here: Activision’s mobile gaming unit to see leadership changes ahead of Microsoft deal Video game maker Activision Blizzard Inc's mobile gaming unit, King, said on Wednesday two of its senior executives, including a co-founder, would leave the company before its deal with Microsoft Corp . In January, Microsoft said it was buying the "Call of Duty" maker for $68.7 billion in the biggest gaming industry deal in history as global technology giants stake their claims to a virtual future. Sebastian Knutsson, one of the founders of King, is stepping down from his role as chief creative officer, the "Candy Crush" maker said. President Humam Sakhnini, who worked for six years at King and 12 years at Activision Blizzard, is also stepping down from his role, with Tjodolf Sommestad replacing him. According to the company, Sakhnini is stepping down to return to the United States. This execu...

The full version of this article, along with thousands like it, can be found here: US and Meta spar over the date of antitrust trial US regulators and Meta Platforms Inc are at odds over when to start a high-profile antitrust trial, with the Federal Trade Commission proposing December 2023 and the Facebook parent company asking for more time. According to a joint filing in the US District Court in Washington late on Tuesday, the FTC proposed a December the 11th, 2023, start date to allow time for discovery, including document and data production. Representatives for Meta, which includes Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp , called the proposed schedule "unrealistic as well as unfair to Meta" and said it needed until Feb. 13, 2024, to complete discovery. Last month, a US judge rejected the social media company's bid to dismiss the government's lawsuit and said the FTC had a plausible case that should allow it to proceed. In the lawsuit, the US government accuses M...