Digital transformation
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Treasury invests £63m in cloud services
HM Treasury shifts decisively to cloud-based IT infrastructure. The department spent over £63.6m on cloud services in three years, eliminating on-premise systems entirely, reflecting a broader digital transformation agenda within public spending and tax policy.
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Trump approves US TikTok sale at $14 billion
Trump signs order approving TikTok US sale. The executive order values the new entity at $14 billion, delays enforcement of a ban until January, and sets conditions on algorithm oversight while ByteDance reduces its stake.
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OpenAI, Oracle, Softbank drive Stargate with data centre investment
OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank are adding five Stargate sites. The $500 billion project now spans six U.S. states, with nearly seven gigawatts of compute capacity planned. Partners say more than $400 billion has been secured for the first phase.
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Google resists ad tech breakup in US trial
Google faces new trial in Virginia over digital ad monopoly. The remedies phase of United States v. Google opens with prosecutors seeking a breakup of its ad exchange business and the company resisting calls for structural remedies.
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Zilch secures £30m loan from US bank
Zilch secures £30m loan facility, favouring debt over equity. The London fintech, based in Victoria, has agreed a £30m facility with US Bank. This follows a £100m debt facility with Deutsche Bank last year and £20m Series D funding in 2023.
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How secure is U.S. control of TikTok?
TikTok’s U.S. ownership deal raises more questions than answers. A framework struck between Washington and Beijing promises to put American investors in charge of the app’s U.S. operations, but control of its algorithm and data remains unresolved.
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US and China edge closer to TikTok ownership deal
US and China reach framework for TikTok ownership shift. A draft agreement would see American investors take control of the app’s US business, extending a deadline for divestment and easing fears of a nationwide ban while leaving key questions unresolved.
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AI data poisoning hits one in four organisations
One in four organisations faced AI data poisoning this year. IO’s latest State of Information Security Report reveals how rushed adoption and shadow AI are exposing companies to sabotage, fraud, and compliance risks across the UK and US.
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Lloyds Banking Group extends Broadcom partnership for cloud shift
Lloyds Banking Group has signed a new multi-year deal with Broadcom. The agreement expands its use of VMware Cloud Foundation and mainframe software to modernise private cloud and strengthen digital banking services for millions of customers.
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Brits use VPNs to bypass Online Safety Act
The Online Safety Act faces significant evasion challenges. Nearly one-third of UK consumers bypass adult content checks, while VPN usage soars. Despite public support for age verification, concerns about censorship and the act’s effectiveness persist.
