By the London technology team
First hints of a new Digital Bill
This week, an exclusive from the good folks at The Register set tongues a-wagging regarding the possibility of a new Digital Bill. Details are scant, but Andrew Orlowski, reporting for The Register, suggested that such legislation would most likely not be announced until the Queen’s Speech in May 2017.
The article references “sources familiar” with the proposed Bill, highlights that whilst nothing has been put in stone, a wide-ranging ‘portmanteau bill’ is expected to include a range of measures around online safety, broadband and spectrum.
DCMS confirmed right at the end of last year that a “new Digital Strategy for the UK” would be released in early 2016 that would set the digital agenda for the rest of this Parliament. Watch this space!
Is sharing (s)caring?
The week began with Business Secretary vowing to make the UK the best place for disruptive and emerging technologies to start-up and expand and the trade body, Sharing Economy UK, calling for official measures of productivity and economic growth to take into account the contribution of the sharing economy.
One of the most notable businesses linked to the ‘sharing economy’, Uber continues to attract negative headlines. This time round, the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association (the proverbial Darth Vader to Uber’s Luke Skywalker, or vice-versa depending on the way you see it), threatened to issue legal action against Uber for paying just £22,134 in UK corporation tax in the previous financial year. Whatever happens, one thing is for sure, these two will never ever get along. You can read more about the story from David Hellier in The Guardian and our blog on the sharing economy is here.
iPhone sales upset the Apple cart
After almost a decade of expansion Apple has indicated that the iPhone will see its first ever decline in sales during the March quarter. Apple said sales would fall to between $50bn-$53bn, blaming volatility in some economies, including China, as well as the currency and financial markets.
This follows a disappointing final quarter of 2015, iPhone unit sales were less than half of 1 per cent higher than the same period a year ago at 74.8m, meaning sales were basically flat.
Since sales of the iPhone account for about two-thirds of Apple’s revenues, the news has worried some investors. Whilst no one is counting the world’s most valuable company out, the news has put pressure on CEO Tim Cook to make sure the iPhone 7 has a successful debut later in 2016.
This story was covered in full in City AM.
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