Weekly News Digest #9

In the wake of International Women’s Day, the creator of the world wide web, Tim Berners-Lee, has issued a warning in an open letter marking the web’s 31st birthday.

“The world has made important progress on gender equality thanks to the unceasing drive of committed champions everywhere. But I am seriously concerned that online harms facing women and girls – especially those of colour, from LGBTQ+ communities and other marginalised groups – threaten that progress.”

Berners-Lee makes this warning just a year after launching the Contract for the Web, an action plan to prevent the world from turning into a “digital dystopia.” 

Remember when Amazon started testing its cashierless technology in Seattle?

If you don’t, don’t worry. It’s easy to get the gist —  You walk into the store, grab whatever you need, put it in the bag and simply walk out. The tech takes care of all the rest. 

While we all thought the move spelt doom for other retailers, as of this week, the company is selling the solution to competitors. 

Interesting strategy for market penetration. 

Finally, the UK will be rolling out in April a new digital services tax aimed at US tech giants.

The measure will impose a 2% levy on British revenues of search engines, social media services and online marketplaces. It is expected to raise up to £280m in its first year.

With this tax, the UK follows the lead of France, which implemented similar measures last year.