CNBC reports that the United Kingdom
made the announcement on March 16.
Cabinet Office Minister Oliver Dowden said it is
"clear that there could be a risk around how sensitive government data is accessed and used by certain platforms.".
Dowden went on to address
how apps collect data on users.
He said that the "data can be sensitive"
on government devices.
He said that the "data can be sensitive"
on government devices.
The security of sensitive government information must come first, so today
we are banning this app on government devices.
The use of other data-extracting
apps will be kept under review, Oliver Dowden, Cabinet Office Minister, via statement.
However, government employees' personal devices will not be required to adhere to the ban at this time.
A TikTok spokesperson issued a statement about the U.K.'s decision.
We believe these bans have been
based on fundamental misconceptions and driven by wider geopolitics, in which TikTok, and our millions of users
in the U.K., play no part.
, TikTok spokesperson, via statement.
We remain committed to working with the government to address any concerns but should be judged on facts and treated equally
to our competitors, TikTok spokesperson, via statement.
The U.K.'s move to ban TikTok on government devices follows similar decisions in the
United States and European Union
Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden says "today should be an embarrassing day for China" after confirming earlier that Chinese state-affiliated actors were responsible for malicious cyber campaigns targeting British institutions in 2021 and 2022. Mr Dowden calls China's actions "malign and hostile". Report by Czubalam. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden has confirmed that Chinese state-affiliated actors were responsible for “two malicious cyber campaigns targeting both our democratic institutions and parliamentarians,” in 2021 and 2022. Mr Dowden told MPs a number of the UK's allies, including the United States, will be issuing similar statements to "expose this activity and to hold China to account for the ongoing patterns of hostile activity targeting our collective democracies". Report by Jonesia. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
President Biden just signed a bill banning TikTok in America (unless it's sold to a U.S.-based company) -- but the current CEO says they're gonna fight like hell.. TMZ.com
Senate Passes $95 Billion , Foreign Aid Package.
On April 23, the U.S. Senate voted
79-18 to approve foreign aid for Ukraine,
Israel and Taiwan, 'The Guardian' reports. .
Today the Senate sends a unified
message to the entire world:
America will always defend
democracy in its hour of need, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, via statement.
Make no mistake, America will deliver
on its promise to act like a leader on the
world stage, to hold the line against
autocratic thugs like Vladimir Putin. , Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, via statement.
The package includes $60.8 billion for Ukraine,
$26.3 billion for Israel and $8.1 billion for Taiwan.
The package includes $60.8 billion for Ukraine,
$26.3 billion for Israel and $8.1 billion for Taiwan.
The package includes $60.8 billion for Ukraine,
$26.3 billion for Israel and $8.1 billion for Taiwan.
A provision to ban TikTok
after the election if ByteDance refuses
to sell the platform is also included.
The legislation will now head to President Biden, who told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on
April 23 that he will "move quickly" to provide aid.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer praised House Speaker Mike Johnson, .
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer praised House Speaker Mike Johnson, .
with whom he worked "hand in hand and shoulder to shoulder to get this bill done.".
A lot of people inside and
outside the Congress wanted this
package to fail. But today those in
Congress who stand on the side of
democracy are winning the day, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, via statement.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell also issued a statement.
Today’s action is overdue, but our work
does not end here. Trust in American
resolve is not rebuilt overnight. Expanding
and restocking the arsenal of democracy
doesn’t just happen by magic, Senate Majority Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, via statement
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
Congress Sends Biden a Bill , That Could Ban TikTok.
Included within Congress' $95 billion national security package is a provision that could
lead to TikTok being banned in America.
Included within Congress' $95 billion national security package is a provision that could
lead to TikTok being banned in America.
However, the ban would take place
after the 2024 election, NBC News reports. .
This means that TikTok could still be used by candidates seeking the nation's highest
office who want to reach younger voters.
This means that TikTok could still be used by candidates seeking the nation's highest
office who want to reach younger voters.
The new bill gives TikTok parent company ByteDance nine months to sell the
platform or be banned in the U.S.
A one-time, 90-day extension can
be granted by the president.
Without an extension, the earliest a ban
could be implemented is January 2025.
Some Democrats say that ByteDance would rather sell TikTok than be banned in America.
TikTok ain’t going away. There is
no more capitalistic entity than
an organization controlled by
the Chinese Communist Party.
They’re going to sell it, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., a member of the
Armed Services Committee, via NBC News.
Young people will go on their
TikTok tomorrow and they’ll still
have it. And then the day after
that, they’ll still have it. And the
day after that, they’ll still have it.
If you like it, you’re going to keep it, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., a member of the
Armed Services Committee, via NBC News.
Donald Trump issued a statement seeking to
exploit the development for his own political gain.
Just so everyone knows, especially the
young people, Crooked Joe Biden is
responsible for banning TikTok. He is the one
pushing it to close … Young people, and lots of others, must remember this on November 5th, ELECTION DAY, when they vote!, Donald Trump, via Truth Social
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
Netflix Exceeds Earnings Estimates , As Subscribers Increase.
Netflix Exceeds Earnings Estimates , As Subscribers Increase.
Netflix released a Q1 earnings report on April 18, indicating that its number of subscribers jumped 16% year-over-year to reach 269.6 million.
Analysts only expected the streamer to have about 264.2 million subscribers, CNBC reports. .
The company also brought in $9.37 billion in revenue versus analysts' expectations of $9.28 billion. .
However, Netflix said that its membership numbers are no longer the main factor contributing to the company's growth.
As a result, the company will stop providing "quarterly membership numbers or average revenue per user" beginning in 2025, CNBC reports. .
Instead, it will divulge "major subscriber milestones as we cross them.".
Price hikes, terminating password sharing
and offering an ad-supported tier are all tactics that have boosted revenue.
Netflix is also seeking to gain traction within the video game space and recently partnered with TKO Group Holdings to offer WWE on the platform.
We’re in the very early days of
developing our live programming and
I would look at this as an expansion of
the types of content we offer, the way
we expanded to film and unscripted and
animation and most recently games, Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix, via earnings call.
We believe that these kind of event cultural
moments like the Jake Paul and Mike Tyson
fight are just that kind of television, and we
want to be part of winning over those
moments with our members as well, so that
for me is the excitement part of this, Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix, via earnings call.
As of the morning of April 18,
Netflix's stock was up 27%
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
Google Fires Employees , for Protesting Israel Contract.
28 Google workers have been fired for protesting
a $1.2 billion contract that the company has with
the Israeli government and military to provide
cloud and AI services, NBC News reports. .
The firings follow an April 16 sit-in at
Google's offices in California, New York and Seattle in which nine workers were arrested.
The group that coordinated the demonstration
is known as No Tech for Apartheid. .
Google issued a statement about the recent firings.
A small number of employee
protesters entered and disrupted
a few of our locations. , Google spokesperson, via statement.
Physically impeding other employees’
work and preventing them from
accessing our facilities is a clear
violation of our policies, and
completely unacceptable behavior. , Google spokesperson, via statement.
We have so far concluded
individual investigations that
resulted in the termination of
employment for 28 employees,
and will continue to investigate
and take action as needed, Google spokesperson, via statement.
No Tech for Apartheid claims that the
workers were fired "indiscriminately.".
This excuse to avoid confronting
us and our concerns directly,
and attempt to justify its illegal,
retaliatory firings, is a lie, No Tech for Apartheid, via statement.
Meanwhile, many of Google's workers have
reportedly quit after experiencing "mental health consequences of working at a company that is using their labor to enable a genocide," No Tech for Apartheid said.
On a personal level, I am opposed
to Google taking any military
contracts — no matter which
government they’re with or what
exactly the contract is about. , Cheyne Anderson, a Google Cloud software engineer based
in Washington who was arrested during a sit-in, to CNBC
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
Amazon Cuts Hundreds , of Cloud Computing Jobs.
An Amazon Web Services (AWS)
spokesperson issued a statement about
the job cuts on April 3, CNBC reports. .
We’ve identified a few targeted areas of
the organization we need to streamline
in order to continue focusing our efforts
on the key strategic areas that we
believe will deliver maximum impact, AWS spokesperson, via statement.
We didn’t make these decisions
lightly, and we’re committed
to supporting the employees
throughout their transition to new
roles in and outside of Amazon, AWS spokesperson, via statement.
Cuts are being made to the store technology division “as a result of a broader strategic shift in the use of some applications in Amazon’s owned as well as in third-party stores,” the spokesperson said.
The layoffs come after Amazon announced that it was ending its Just Walk Out technology in Fresh stores.
The cashierless technology is overseen
by teams within the AWS unit. .
Beginning in 2022, Amazon started
its largest layoffs in history by letting
go of 27,000 roles company-wide. .
So far in 2024, the retail behemoth has cut jobs at Audible, Buy with Prime, Prime Video, MGM Studios and Twitch, CNBC reports. .
This latest round of cuts will
allow U.S. employees to collect pay
and benefits for a minimum of 60 days.
They will also be offered a severance package.
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
UPS to Become US Postal Service’s , Main Air Cargo Provider.
On April 1, United Parcel Service announced
that it will replace FedEx as the primary air
cargo provider for the USPS, CNBC reports. .
On April 1, United Parcel Service announced
that it will replace FedEx as the primary air
cargo provider for the USPS, CNBC reports. .
FedEx is walking away from a
22-year partnership after failing to
secure a better contract with the agency. .
FedEx is walking away from a
22-year partnership after failing to
secure a better contract with the agency. .
In fiscal year 2023, USPS paid FedEx $1.73 billion
for its services, down from the $2.4 billion
FedEx received in fiscal year 2020.
The decrease in payments was partially due
to the postal service using more economical
trucks in place of planes, CNBC reports. .
The parties were unable to reach
agreement on mutually beneficial
terms to extend the contract, FedEx, via securities filing.
Since FedEx will lose nearly $2 billion in annual
business from letting go of the contract, .
hundreds of pilots will likely
lose their jobs, CNBC reports .
Following the announcement, UPS shares
increased 1.4% while FedEx stock dropped 1.6%.
FedEx's current contract is
set to expire on Sept. 29
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
Krispy Kreme to Be Sold , at McDonald’s Nationwide.
Krispy Kreme to Be Sold , at McDonald’s Nationwide.
Both food chains made the announcement
on March 26, CNBC reports. .
The rollout will start later this year but will take until the end of 2026 to reach McDonald's nationwide. .
That's because Krispy Kreme will have
to "more than double its distribution"
to meet demand, CNBC reports. .
We think we can service about
6,000 restaurants with our existing
infrastructure, mostly doughnut
shops, which have excess capacity, Krispy Kreme CEO Josh Charlesworth, to CNBC.
Shares of Krispy Kreme jumped 22%
following the announcement.
Krispy Kreme is also expanding distribution
to grocery and convenience stores.
That means that the overall efficiency
and productivity of our distribution network will significantly improve over time, not just
because of all those local deliveries. , Krispy Kreme CEO Josh Charlesworth, to CNBC.
Currently, Krispy Kreme typically makes more doughnuts than it can sell, so churning out even more product will take few additional costs. .
Currently, Krispy Kreme typically makes more doughnuts than it can sell, so churning out even more product will take few additional costs. .
Overall, therefore, it makes our system
more profitable to grow the deliver
fresh daily channel, and McDonald’s
is an accelerator of that, Krispy Kreme CEO Josh Charlesworth, to CNBC.
Overall, therefore, it makes our system
more profitable to grow the deliver
fresh daily channel, and McDonald’s
is an accelerator of that, Krispy Kreme CEO Josh Charlesworth, to CNBC
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
Just hours after Macron's Europe speech, the head of the French far-right party Jordan Bardella called for a last-minute press conference on Thursday in Paris, unveiling his campaign for the European elections… but refused to answer questions.
Credit: euronews (in English) Duration: 02:22Published
The European Commission has launched a probe to examine how China favours its domestic companies in tenders for medical devices and weigh possible tit-for-tat measures.
Credit: euronews (in English) Duration: 01:49Published
New Zealand to Ban TikTok , on Government Devices.
'The Guardian' reports that New Zealand's parliament members were made aware
of the development on March 17.
They were informed via email..
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
Recently the US banned the use of TikTok on the devices of government personnel, with the Biden administration threatening to ban it nationally if Chinese owners don’t divest in the company. All..