DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ S.Africa's first virtual renewable electricity transfer model to go live next year
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsJOHANNESBURG, Oct 6 (Reuters) - South Africa's first virtual electricity transfer model is likely to go live by end of next year, a top government official said on Friday, a move that could rapidly ramp up renewable power consumption and reduce the burden on ailing state utility Eskom. The utility in August signed an agreement with Vodacom (VODJ.J), the African telecoms arm of Vodafone (VOD.L), to introduce an electricity transfer model known as virtual wheeling, which will allow a consumer to buy renewable power from any producer anywhere in the country. This is expected to make power from large renewable producers available to smaller users such as standalone buildings, housing societies and factories. "What we're trying to resolve really is to ensure that we protect the South African economy from total collapse," Minister of Electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said during a conference. Vodacom's South Africa Chief Executive Sitho Mdlalose told Reuters this would help it to run its 15,000 network sites on renewable power.

Persons: Sun, Siphiwe, Ramokgopa, Onicah Rantwane, Sitho Mdlalose, Nqobile, Promit Mukherjee, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Kendal Power, REUTERS, Rights, Vodacom, Vodafone, Electricity, Eskom, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Kendal, Witbank, Mpumalanga, South Africa, Rights JOHANNESBURG

Oct 3 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms (META.O) is looking to introduce ad-free subscription plans for Instagram and Facebook users in Europe, two people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. The proposal is an attempt by Meta to comply with European Union regulations that threaten to curb its ability to personalize ads for users without their consent and hurt its major revenue source. Offering a choice between a free, ad-supported plan and a paid subscription might lead to users opting for the former, helping Meta comply with regulations without affecting its ad business. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsIn comparison, Netflix (NFLX.O) charges 7.99 euros for a basic subscription plan, while Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) YouTube Premium costs about 12 euros and Spotify's (SPOT.N) Premium service is priced at about 11 euros. Meta was fined 390 million euros earlier this year by Ireland's Data Privacy Commissioner, and told it cannot use the so-called "contract" as a legal basis to send users ads based on their online activity.

Persons: Apple's, Dado Ruvic, Meta, Supantha Mukherjee, Akash Sriram, Jyoti Narayan, Sonia Cheema, Arun Koyyur Organizations: Instagram, Meta, Union, Reuters, REUTERS, Netflix, YouTube, Ireland's, EU, Protection, European, Thomson Locations: Europe, Stockholm, Bengaluru

The French competition authority (FCA) said on Wednesday it conducted the dawn raid a day earlier on a company in the "graphics cards sector", it said. French newspaper Challenges and the Wall Street Journal identified the company as Nvidia (NVDA.O). While GPU prices start from over $1,000, the ones favoured by AI companies can cost well over $10,000. Nvidia has a presence in both sectors, and if any startup is planning to create an AI company, they would need to depend on Nvidia for the chips. Various French authorities have looked at Big Tech companies previously, including issuing a fine to Google in 2021 for infringing EU competition law.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Charlotte Colin, Dubuisson, Colin, Supantha Mukherjee, Dominique Vidalon, Emelia Sithole Organizations: NVIDIA, REUTERS, Rights, Nvidia, Big Tech, Wall Street Journal, Intel, AMD, Tesla, Oracle, Google, Microsoft, Thomson Locations: Rights STOCKHOLM, FRANCE, France, Stockholm, Paris

☆ Cognizant appoints former Wipro finance chief Jatin Dalal as CFO
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 28 (Reuters) - Cognizant Technology Solutions (CTSH.O) on Thursday named former Wipro (WIPR.NS) chief financial officer Jatin Dalal as its CFO, a week after his resignation from the Indian information technology (IT) major. The pace of executive churn has picked up in the Indian tech industry in recent months. Dalal became Wipro's CFO in 2015, and with CEO Thierry Delaporte steered the company through the pandemic as demand for digital services boomed. "We are pleased to welcome Jatin to Cognizant and confident he will help us achieve our goals as we continue to focus on driving revenue growth," Cognizant CEO Ravi Kumar S said in the statement. Cognizant projected third-quarter revenue above estimates in August as more businesses turned to the IT services provider to digitize their operations.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Jatin Dalal, Ravi Kumar S, Dalal, Jan Siegmund, Rajesh Gopinathan, Mohit Joshi, Wipro's, Thierry Delaporte, Jatin, Cognizant, Jaspreet Singh, Hritam Mukherjee, Varun Organizations: REUTERS, Technology Solutions, Wipro, Cognizant, Infosys, Indian, Tata Consultancy Services, Tech Mahindra, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

The first phase of the construction of the Northvolt Six factory just outside Montreal will begin this year and it is expected to be operational in 2026. Northvolt will invest $3.2 billion of the total with the local and federal government each contributing $1 billion, Northvolt Co-Founder Paolo Cerruti told Reuters. "We looked at 70 different sites at the beginning of this process," Cerruti said. The $369-billion U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) passed last year has prompted companies including Northvolt to look across the Atlantic, attracted by hefty subsidies and cheaper energy. "This size of investment and project can not happen if you don't have an anchor customer," he said.

Persons: Northvolt, Paolo Cerruti, Cerruti, Supantha Mukherjee, Divya Rajagopal, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Reuters, Northvolt, Canada, Ontario, BMW, RIC, Volvo, Thomson Locations: STOCKHOLM, TORONTO, Swedish, Quebec, Canadian, Montreal, Northvolt North America, United States, Canada, Scania, North America, Stockholm, Toronto

☆ South African utility Eskom expects lower power cuts in summer - CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

In May, Eskom had projected an unprecedented level of power cuts during the winter months. Although its most dire predictions did not materialise, the country still experienced 10 hours of power cuts for 39 days in winter and not a single day with uninterrupted supply. The country's central bank said in June that regular power cuts would shave off almost 2% from the country's growth rate. In the base case scenario, the country would see "Stage 4" loadshedding at worst, which translates into up to six hours of power cuts in a 32-hour cycle, he said. Bheki Nxumalo, Eskom's head of generation, said he expected lower daily rolling blackouts as the Kusile power plant would progressively come online from October.

Persons: Siphiwe, Eskom, Calib Cassim, Bheki, Cassim, Promit Mukherjee, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Sasolburg, Free State, South Africa, JOHANNESBURG

☆ French authorities received a software update for Apple's iPhone 12 - ministry source
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Elizabeth Pineau | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, Sept 26 (Reuters) - French authorities have received a software update from Apple (AAPL.O) for its iPhone 12 and are reviewing it, a source at the French digital ministry told Reuters on Tuesday, as the U.S. tech giant sought to avoid any risk of a costly recall. France had threatened a recall if Apple had refused to do a software update. Apple launched the iPhone 15 earlier this month and the iPhone 12 is not available to buy from Apple directly. The iPhone 12 update is set to be similar to any of these regular software fixes. Apple pings iPhones for eligible software updates and users install them.

Persons: Apple, pings, Elizabeth Pineau, Supantha Mukherjee, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Ingrid Melander, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Apple, Reuters, World Health, Thomson Locations: U.S, France, Europe, Belgium

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsBRUSSELS/STOCKHOLM, Sept 21 (Reuters) - European Union lawmaker Brando Benifei, who is leading negotiations on artificial intelligence rules, on Thursday urged EU countries to compromise in key areas in order to reach agreement with the bloc's executive by the end of the year. The thorniest issues are biometric surveillance and copyrighted material used by ChatGPT and other generative AI. Lawmakers want a ban on AI use in biometric surveillance but EU countries led by France want exceptions for national security, defence and military purposes. Lawmakers also want AI legislation to cover copyrighted material used by companies like OpenAI, backed by Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O), while EU countries say the bloc's current copyright rules offer sufficient protection. Copyright should be dealt with in the copyright law," she told Reuters, chiming with EU countries on the second matter.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Brando Benifei, Benifei, Alexandra van Huffelen, Svenja Hahn, Guillaume Couneson, Linklaters, Foo Yun Chee, Martin Coulter, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: REUTERS, Union, European Commission, Microsoft Corp, Reuters, UN, Assembly, Global Tech Sector, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, STOCKHOLM, France, Europe, New York, Spain, London

☆ Lina Mukherjee: Indonesia jails woman who recited Muslim prayer on TikTok before eating pork
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Lina Lutfiawati, known as Lina Mukherjee on social media, was tried on Tuesday in the Palembang district court on Sumatra island. Speaking to reporters outside court on Tuesday after the trial, Mukherjee expressed shock at the sentence. “I know I was wrong but I really did not expect this punishment,” she said, in comments carried by CNN affiliate, CNN Indonesia. It is possible that she will file an appeal, CNN Indonesia added. Photos and videos taken of Mukherjee throughout the trial and carried by CNN Indonesia often showed her in tears and accompanied by a heavy security presence.

Persons: Lina Lutfiawati, Lina Mukherjee, Mukherjee, ”, Allah, babi, crackling, “, Andreas Harsono Organizations: CNN, TikTok, Indonesian Ulema Council, Watch’s Locations: Bali, Palembang, Sumatra, CNN Indonesia, Indonesia, Watch’s Indonesia, Chinese Indonesian

☆ Ericsson partners with Deutsche Telekom for network APIs
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/2] A logo of Ericsson is seen outside the company's office in Kanata, Ontario, Canada April 17, 2023. REUTERS/Lars Hagberg/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsSTOCKHOLM, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Sweden's Ericsson (ERICb.ST) said on Wednesday it has partnered with Deutsche Telekom (DTEGn.DE) to offer software tools for developers and business customers that will allow telecom operators to get more revenue. Known as network application programming interface (API), the software will use the Vonage platform -- a company Ericsson bought for $6.2 billion in 2022 -- to help developers create new use cases based on a mobile network. Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee in Stockholm, editing by Terje SolsvikOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Lars Hagberg, Sweden's, Supantha Mukherjee, Terje Solsvik Organizations: Ericsson, REUTERS, Rights, Sweden's Ericsson, Deutsche Telekom, Thomson Locations: Kanata , Ontario, Canada, Rights STOCKHOLM, Stockholm

☆ Naspers/Prosus CEO steps down, M&A chief Tu takes the helm
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Tosterling Tannur Anders | Tannur Anders | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

But it coincides with a restructuring in Naspers/Prosus relations, with Prosus no longer holding shares in Naspers. Analysts said he was the most likely candidate to succeed Van Dijk permanently. At 0910 GMT, Prosus shares were trading down 0.9% in Amsterdam, while Naspers' shares were 1.5% lower in Johannesburg. Tencent shares closed down 1.6% in China. Van Dijk oversaw Prosus's 2019 IPO and the company's stock boomed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Persons: Bob van Dijk, Siphiwe, Ervin Tu, Naspers, Prosus, Van Dijk's, Van Dijk, Koos Bekker, Tannur Anders, Promit Mukherjee, Toby Sterling, Radhika Anilkumar, Louise Heavens, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, HK, Vision, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Johannesburg, South Africa, Tencent, JOHANNESBURG, AMSTERDAM, Naspers, Naspers ., Amsterdam, China, Prosus, Bengaluru

☆ Audi exec says lower tax on imported EVs will help test India market
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Hritam Mukherjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron electric sport utility vehicle (SUV) is unveiled during its launch in Mumbai, India, August 18, 2023. Reuters reported last month that the Indian government is working on a new EV policy that would slash import taxes for automakers that commit to some local manufacturing. Audi is trying to catch up with its peers, BMW (BMWG.DE) and Mercedes (MBGn.DE), in the transition to electric. Currently, the company's India arm only makes internal combustion engines locally, which is used in its petrol cars. After four models launched last month, six out of 16 models in Audi India's offerings are electric cars, which are entirely imported and sold in the country priced between $136,000 and $234,000.

Persons: Francis Mascarenhas, Balbir Singh Dhillon, Dhillon, Piyush Goyal, Hritam Mukherjee, Maju Samuel Organizations: Audi, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, BMW, Mercedes, Thomson Locations: Mumbai, India, Bengaluru

SAP Labs India Managing Director Sindhu Gangadharan hopes the Indian unit will scale up its share of global SAP patents to 50% from 25% currently, she said in an interview on the sidelines of an event in Bengaluru. SAP Labs India, which employs over 15,000 people, aims to embed generative AI across its products to cater better to the changing needs of its clients ranging from Thermax (THMX.NS) to Dabur India (DABU.NS). "Through AI, India can solidify its IT supremacy," Gangadharan had said in the event, earlier in the day. The comments come as SAP looks to "double down" on investments in India, its fastest growing region and home to 40% of its global Research and Development (R&D) activity. Gangadharan, while referring to the regulation of AI, said there should be a "great amount of responsibility barriers with flexibility to the end-user".

Persons: Arnd, Sindhu Gangadharan, Gangadharan, Sam Altman, Hritam Mukherjee, Navamya Ganesh, Dhanya Skariachan, Josie Kao Organizations: SAP, AG, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, SAP Labs India, Research, Microsoft, Thomson Locations: Regensdorf, Switzerland, Bengaluru, India

☆ India's Aeroflex in talks to enter aerospace sector - executive
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Hritam Mukherjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BENGALURU, Sept 13 (Reuters) - India's Aeroflex Industries (AERO.NS), whose metal hoses are used in utilities, refineries and fire fighting equipment, is in talks to enter the aerospace sector, a top company executive said, aiming to capitalise on the country's burgeoning space program. "It is our aim that our products be a part of India's next space mission," Aeroflex Managing Director Asad Daud told Reuters in an interview last week. While HAL and BHEL are existing clients, the ongoing talks are a first for specific space-related projects, he said. Aeroflex expects its total revenue to increase by 35% in the next three to four years, with at least 5% coming from aerospace, Daud said. Aeroflex has three Chinese suppliers that, currently, meet 70%-75% of its needs for their coils.

Persons: Asad Daud, Daud, Aeroflex, Hritam Mukherjee, Dhanya Organizations: Aeroflex Industries, Reuters, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, HAL, Electricals, Indian Space Research Organisation, ISRO, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, India, India's, China, Bengaluru

The maker of Tomb Raider video games, whose shares are traded in Stockholm, is working with Goldman Sachs and Aream & Co to explore a sale, the people said. Embracer is weighing selling the unit, which is known for first-person shooter game Borderlands, after receiving interest from third parties, two of the people said. Officials from Embracer and Goldman Sachs declined to comment. ⁠Embracer shares turned positive and spiked as much as 5% higher following the news. Embracer, majority owned by founder Wingefors, purchased Gearbox in February 2021 in a deal that valued the business at up to $1.4 billion at the time.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Aream, ⁠ Embracer, Embracer, Lars Wingefors, Wingefors, Amy, Jo Crowley, Anousha Sakoui, Jason Neely Organizations: U.S, Entertainment, Reuters, Raider, Aream, Embracer, Thomson Locations: Stockholm

In top consumer China, premiums climbed to as high as $55 an ounce over global spot prices this week, traders said, from $20-$38 last week. The policy-measures to support the economy are expected boost physical gold demand, said Peter Fung, head of dealing at Wing Fung Precious Metals. Official data on Thursday also showed that the People's Bank of China increased its gold holdings to 69.62 million fine troy ounces at end-August. Local gold prices were trading around 59,200 rupees per 10 grams on Friday, up nearly 2% in three weeks. In Japan, where domestic gold rates were trading at record levels this week, dealers charged $0.5 premiums.

Persons: Peter Fung, Bernard Sin, Harshad Ajmera, JJ, Anushree Mukherjee, Swati Verma, Rajendra Jadhav, Maju Samuel Organizations: Chinatown, Metals, People's Bank of China, U.S ., MKS, JJ Gold, Traders, Rajendra, Thomson Locations: China, Japan, India, Greater China, Kolkata, Local, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, Bengaluru, Mumbai

☆ SAP buys software management company LeanIX
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

A logo on the SAP exhibition space at the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France June 15, 2022. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSTOCKHOLM, Sept 7 (Reuters) - German business software maker SAP (SAPG.DE) on Thursday said it has bought software management company LeanIX from investors to boost its business transformation portfolio. LeanIX investors include Insight Partners, Deutsche Telekom Capital Partners, Capnamic Ventures, Iris Capital, Goldman Sachs and Dawn CapitalThe transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee in Stockholm, editing by Terje SolsvikOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Benoit Tessier, Iris Capital, Goldman Sachs, Supantha Mukherjee, Terje Solsvik Organizations: Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, Rights, SAP, Insight Partners, Deutsche Telekom Capital Partners, Capnamic Ventures, Iris, Dawn, Thomson Locations: Porte, Paris, France, Rights STOCKHOLM, Stockholm

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration//File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSTOCKHOLM, Sept 7 (Reuters) - UNESCO on Thursday published its first guidance on use of Generative AI (GenAI) for education, urging governmental agencies to regulate the use of the technology, including protection of data privacy and putting an age limit for users. Students have also taken a liking for GenAI, which can generate anything from essays to mathematical calculations with just a few line of prompts. Among a series of guidelines in a 64-page report, UNESCO stressed on the need for government-sanctioned AI curricula for school education, in technical and vocational education and training. While China has formulated rules on GenAI, the European Union's AI Act is likely to be approved later this year. The Paris-based agency also sought to protect the rights of teachers and researchers and the value of their practices when using GenAI.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, OpenAI, GenAI, ChatGPT, Bard, Stefania Giannini, Supantha Mukherjee, Aurora Ellis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, UNESCO, Microsoft, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Rights STOCKHOLM, China, Paris, Stockholm

[1/2] AI (Artificial Intelligence) letters are placed on computer motherboard in this illustration taken June 23, 2023. Some have expressed concern that students might similarly rely on AI to produce work and effectively cheat - especially as AI content gets better with time. Passing off GenAI as original work could also raise copyright issues, prompting questions over whether AI should be banned in academia. It has provided that tool free to more than 10,000 education institutions globally, although it plans to charge a fee from January. So far, the AI detection tool has found that only 3% of students used AI for more than 80% of their submissions and that 78% did not use AI at all, Turnitin data shows.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, OpenAI, ChatGPT, Bard, Leif Kari, Rachel Forsyth, Sophie Constant, Stefania Giannini, Kirsten Rulf, Deepa Babington Organizations: REUTERS, Lund, University of Western, University of Hong, Microsoft, Royal Institute of Technology, United Nations Educational, Cultural Organization, UNESCO, Strategic, Lund University, England's University of Oxford, Reuters, European Union, EU, Boston Consulting Group, Thomson Locations: STOCKHOLM, University of Western Australia, Perth, University of Hong Kong, Stockholm, Sweden, Britain, Singapore

STOCKHOLM, Sept 6 (Reuters) - The EU Commission on Wednesday designated 22 services of six major tech companies as "gatekeepers" of online services providing messaging to video sharing in its latest crackdown on Big Tech. Alphabet's Google had the highest number of services, including Android operating system, Maps and Search, which would face tougher rules. "It's D-Day for #DMA!," EU industry chief Thierry Breton said on X, formerly known as Twitter. "The most impactful online companies will now have to play by our EU rules." A Microsoft spokesperson said it accepts its gatekeeper designation, while Meta, Google and Amazon spokespersons said they were reviewing the designations.

Persons: WhatsApp, Thierry Breton, TikTok, Stavroula Vryna, Clifford Chance, Supantha Mukherjee, Foo Yun Chee, Martin Coulter, Jason Neely, David Evans Organizations: EU, Big Tech, Apple, Microsoft, ByteDance, Google, Android, Facebook, Justice, Digital Services, Meta, Gmail, Edge, Thomson Locations: STOCKHOLM, Luxembourg, iMessage, Stockholm, Brussels, London

LONDON (AP) — Books about the perilous state of our world, our food and our relationship with technology are in the running for Britain’s leading nonfiction book award, the Baillie Gifford Prize. Best-selling American author David Grann is nominated for the stirring seafaring yarn “The Wager,” while physician-writer Siddhartha Mukherjee is in the running with “The Song of the Cell.”British journalist Hannah Barnes is on the list for “Time to Think,” which charts the demise of Britain’s controversial Tavistock gender clinic for children. Founded in 1999, the prize recognizes English-language books from any country in current affairs, history, politics, science, sport, travel, biography, autobiography and the arts. It has been credited with bringing an eclectic slate of fact-based books to a wider audience. Last year’s winner was Katherine Rundell’s poet biography “Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne.”

Persons: Britain’s, Baillie Gifford, longlist, John Vaillant’s, Chris van, Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, David Grann, ”, Siddhartha Mukherjee, Hannah Barnes, Tania Branigan’s, Katja Hoyer’s, Katherine Rundell’s, “, John Donne Organizations: Prosperity, “ Locations: British, Tavistock, East Germany

☆ 'Jawan': Shah Rukh Khan fans pack India cinemas for latest movie release
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Jubilant movie fans thronged Indian cinemas before the crack of dawn on Thursday, bursting fire crackers and dancing on the street to welcome the latest release by one of the country’s biggest stars. Some screenings began at 5 a.m. as die-hard fans of Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan packed into theaters to see the nationwide premiere of “Jawan,” his latest Hindi-language action thriller. In a social media post, Khan thanked his fans and said he stayed up late to watch the commotion unfold. Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan in Mumbai, on January 30, 2023. “I was never trying to be a movie star, I became one by chance.”Jubilant Shah Rukh Khan fans wait for his latest movie, "Jawan," to open in Mumbai on September 7, 2023.

Persons: Shah Rukh Khan, “, ”, Khan, ” Khan, Khan’s, Gauri Khan, Atlee, Khan ”, Indranil Aditya, Indranil Mukherjee, ” –, Raj, Simran, Le, “ Pathaan Organizations: CNN, Getty, Office Mojo Locations: India, Mumbai, Delhi

☆ Apple says it remains worried about risks of EU Digital Markets Act
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Apple Inc. logo is seen in the lobby of New York City's flagship Apple store January 18, 2011. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSTOCKHOLM, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Apple (AAPL.O) on Wednesday said it remained concerned about privacy and security risks it sees in the new EU Digital Markets Act (DMA), after the European Commission had designated it and five other major tech companies as "gatekeepers" of online services. "Our focus will be on how we mitigate these impacts and continue to deliver the very best products and services to our European customers," Apple said in a statement. Businesses labeled gatekeepers under the DMA will be required to make their messaging apps interoperate with rivals and let users decide which apps to pre-install on their devices. Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee, writing by Bart Meijer; Editing by Benoit Van OverstraetenOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mike Segar, Apple, Supantha Mukherjee, Bart Meijer, Benoit Van Overstraeten Organizations: Apple Inc, Apple, REUTERS, Rights, EU Digital Markets, European Commission, Microsoft, Bing, Edge, Facebook, Meta, Thomson Locations: New York, Rights STOCKHOLM

☆ TikTok hires Britain's NCC for auditing data security
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies NCC Group PLC FollowSTOCKHOLM, Sept 5 (Reuters) - TikTok has hired British cybersecurity firm NCC (NCCG.L) to audit its data controls and protections, and provide independent verification, as part of the social media company's data security regime, nicknamed "Project Clover". As part of the regime, TikTok is opening three data centres - two in Ireland and one in Norway to store user data in Europe. The first Irish datacenter is already online and TikTok has started to migrate data. In the coming months, TikTok and NCC said they will engage with policymakers across Europe to explain how the system will work in practice. TikTok announced Project Clover in March amid growing pressure from lawmakers on both sides of the Atlantic over data security.

Persons: Mike Blake, TikTok, Elaine Fox, Clover, Supantha Mukherjee, Ed Osmond Organizations: REUTERS, NCC, Thomson Locations: U.S, Culver City , California, STOCKHOLM, British, Ireland, Norway, Europe, Stockholm

The January-June operating loss at the privately held (BNPL) fintech, which last made a full-year profit in 2018, was 2.01 billion crowns ($185 million) against a year-earlier loss of 6.17 billion. "We feel very confident that we'll be posting a profitable quarter very soon and then eventually also a full profitable year." Klarna Bank is a unit of Klarna Holdings, which has attracted investment from the likes of Sequoia, Permira and Silver Lake. Siemiatkowski said Klarna, whose biggest market by revenue is the U.S., now has more than 30 million users. In the second quarter, gross merchandise volume (GMV) - the value of goods purchased through Klarna - was up 14%, and revenue growth was 17%.

Persons: Sebastian Siemiatkowski, Siemiatkowski, Klarna, Supantha Mukherjee, Anna Ringstrom, Terje Solsvik, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Klarna Bank, Reuters, Klarna, Klarna Holdings, Sequoia, Thomson Locations: STOCKHOLM, Ukraine, Silver, U.S, Klarna

Search resuls for: "Mukherjee"

25 mentions found