Victoria Fox's Blog, page 139

B:SM awards the innovation hub of the Montjuïc stadium to four companies

Daniel Dümig and Emilio Risques, founders of The MotherTrees and U-Skale; Carme Lanuza, director of the Anella Olímpica; Marta Sánchez, co-founder of Ongoing, and Dani Muñoz, general director of B-Bruce. EXPANSION

The MotherTrees, B-Bruce, Ongoing and U-Kale will run 1,100 square meter offices in the Montjuïc complex and will manage start-up acceleration programs.

Barcelona de Serveis Municipals (B:SM) , the business holding company of the Catalan capital, has awarded the innovation hub project for the Montjuïc Olympic Stadium to a temporary business union (UTE) formed by The MotherTrees, B-Bruce, Ongoing

To continue reading go Premium
Try it for €1 the first month

and enjoy unlimited access to all Expansión web content

I love you

Or sign up with your Google account in two clicks

SOURCE

Protection of minors on the Internet: Mark Zuckerberg wants to make social networks safer for children

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg apologized during a US Senate hearing to parents whose children were harmed by using his online platforms. It was about cyberbullying and social pressure that leads to eating disorders, as well as the dissemination of sexual violence content against children and young people. Zuckerberg was concerned and described the situation as “terrible”. He spoke to the family members present, some of whom held up photos of their children.

“I’m sorry for what you all have been through,” the Washington Post quoted Zuckerberg as saying. “No one should have to suffer what your families have endured. That’s why we’ve invested so much and will continue to do everything we can to make sure no one has to.”

TikTok, Snapchat, X, Discord and Meta were surveyed

In addition to Zuckerberg, other technology industry executives such as TikTok boss Chouzi Chew, Snapchat co-founder Evan Spiegel, Discord boss Jason Citron and the head of the online platform X, Linda Yaccarino, were also invited to Washington, DC. The US senators criticized the companies for their handling of such problematic content. In particular, they accused Zuckerberg’s Facebook company Meta of ignoring the safety of children and young people on the platform in the pursuit of profit. Zuckerberg denied the allegations.

Several bills are currently being drafted in the US Congress that would make social networks liable for the deliberate distribution of content that shows child abuse. The senators called on business leaders to support these legislative initiatives. In the US, online platforms cannot be held responsible for content posted by users. However, they must intervene if they find out about illegal or problematic content. The platforms also strive to proactively filter such content, including through the use of automated software.

TikTok announced $2 billion in protective measures

The online service X wants to set up its own office to combat depictions of child sexual abuse and other violations of the platform’s rules. X CEO Linda Yaccarino said at the hearing that her company believes “that freedom of expression and security can and must coexist.”

TikTok boss Shou Zi Chew announced that the Chinese network wanted to invest more than two billion dollars (around 1.8 billion euros) in “trust and security”. The US company Meta had already announced last Thursday that it would strengthen the protection of minors in its online networks. Concrete plans have not yet been published. The Meta Group includes, among others , Facebook , Instagram and WhatsApp.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg apologized during a US Senate hearing to parents whose children were harmed by using his online platforms. It was about cyberbullying and social pressure that leads to eating disorders, as well as the dissemination of sexual violence content against children and young people. Zuckerberg was concerned and described the situation as “terrible”. He spoke to the family members present, some of whom held up photos of their children.

SOURCE

Facebook: A spider, I like it, sweetheart

No matter whether it’s an octopus, a cat or a koala bear: animal pictures always work, that’s an Internet wisdom that’s as old as the World Wide Web itself. In the Facebook group “Germany’s Stone Painters” they regularly share such pictures: otters, rabbits, dogs, owls, seahorses . With lots of color and even more meticulousness, the stone painters drew them on stones the size of a cent to a fist and posted photos of them. The slightly fewer than 50,000 members of the Facebook group react to the pictures with a lot of approval. That of a small seal received over 250 positive reactions, and a candy still life almost 3,000 positive reactions. “Looks deceptively real, great,” and “To bite into” is commented under the cake-and-doughnut-with-a-lot-of-icing picture. Hatred, stress, anger, all of this seems far away at first glance in Germany’s Steinemaler Facebook group when you scroll through the posts.

SOURCE

TikTok: Universal wants to remove its music from TikTok

The world’s largest music company Universal Music and the social media platform TikTok have not been able to agree on a new licensing agreement. Universal will stop licensing its content, the music label announced. All Universal songs would be removed from TikTok once the contract expires on January 31st. Music by artists like Taylor Swift or Lady Gaga could then disappear from the app.

Universal accuses TikTok of “building a music-based business without paying fair value for the music.” Universal Music said in an open letter that the short video service only offered musicians and song authors a “fraction” of the remuneration usual on other similar online platforms. TikTok’s revenue only made up around one percent of the label’s total revenue.

TikTok also tried to “intimidate” Universal during the negotiations and force it into a deal that was worth less than the previous contract. The social media platform removed pieces by little-known Universal musicians.

In a statement to the Reuters news agency, TikTok described Universal’s representation as false. The label’s actions are not in the best interests of the artists, songwriters and fans.

According to the music company, TikTok also allows music created on a large scale using artificial intelligence onto the platform and demands contractual freedom for this. In this way, the company is actually pushing forward “the replacement of artists with AI”.

Universal’s exit also has consequences for artists

Universal Music also criticized TikTok for taking little action against music piracy and not having an efficient process for removing problematic content such as fake pornographic images of artists. Such pictures of Universal star Taylor Swift were circulated just last week.

Universal’s exit could have significant implications for TikTok. Many videos on the platform are based on musical accompaniment. The music label has many of the world’s most popular musicians under contract.

However, Universal Music also admitted that the move would have consequences for its own musicians. But you have a responsibility to fight for fair conditions for them. TikTok accused Universal Music Group of putting its own “greed” above the interests of artists. Universal is foregoing the “strong support of a platform with significantly more than a billion users,” which allows musicians to be advertised free of charge and new talent to be known.

Universal reached an agreement with TikTok in February 2021 that previously allowed users to include Universal clips in their videos.

On TikTok, predominantly young users share short video clips. The app has more than a billion users worldwide and is the only successful online platform in the West that does not come from the USA. The service belongs to the ByteDance group, which comes from China. TikTok has been criticized in several cases due to gaps in data and youth protection.

The world’s largest music company Universal Music and the social media platform TikTok have not been able to agree on a new licensing agreement. Universal will stop licensing its content, the music label announced. All Universal songs would be removed from TikTok once the contract expires on January 31st. Music by artists like Taylor Swift or Lady Gaga could then disappear from the app.

Universal accuses TikTok of “building a music-based business without paying fair value for the music.” Universal Music said in an open letter that the short video service only offered musicians and song authors a “fraction” of the remuneration usual on other similar online platforms. TikTok’s revenue only made up around one percent of the label’s total revenue.

SOURCE

Nude Project's urban clothing boosts revenue by 130% in 2023

Bruno Casanovas and Álex Benlloch, co-founders of Nude Project. EXPANSION

The firm created by entrepreneurs Bruno Casanovas and Álex Benlloch and focused on Generation Z attributes this growth to the increase in categories, growth in stores and the increase in sales in the online channel.

Nude Project , the online urban clothing brand created by entrepreneurs Bruno Casanovas and Álex Benlloch in 2019, is making steady progress in its growth strategy. Since its launch, the start-up has consolidated a community of very close followers.

To continue reading go Premium
Try it for €1 the first month

and enjoy unlimited access to all Expansión web content

I love you

Or sign up with your Google account in two clicks

SOURCE

The MWC will attract 95,000 congressmen and 2,400 companies despite the Chinese economic slowdown

Mats Granryd, general director of GSMA, and Lara Dewar, marketing director of the association, during the presentation of the 2024 edition of the MWC. Kike Rincón Europa Press

The mobile phone congress still does not reach the number of attendees prior to the pandemic but it recovers the large companies that used to attend the event as new ones, such as China Telecom.

The MWC mobile phone congress expects to gather around 95,000 attendees at this year’s edition in Barcelona, which will take place from February 26 to 29, more than the 88,500 last year. The event still has not reached the record of 110,000

To continue reading go Premium
Try it for €1 the first month

and enjoy unlimited access to all Expansión web content

I love you

Or sign up with your Google account in two clicks

SOURCE

Microsoft reaches 3 billion dollars on the stock market

The technology giant becomes the second company in the world, after Apple, to achieve a capitalization of 3 billion, thanks to the furor over AI.

Yesterday Microsoft reached a market capitalization of 3 billion dollars . A milestone in its almost half-century of history that makes it, together with Apple – which achieved this same feat exactly two years ago – the only two companies in the world that

To continue reading go Premium
Try it for €1 the first month

and enjoy unlimited access to all Expansión web content

I love you

Or sign up with your Google account in two clicks

SOURCE

Telefónica achieves, so far, 62% of the planned cancellations

Telefónica headquarters in Las Tablas (Madrid) Eduardo Parra Europa Press

Telefónica has announced today that a total of 2,118 employees have voluntarily taken advantage of the ERE leave, which foresees a total departure of 3,421 workers. Therefore, 62% of the planned losses have already been achieved. The deadline to sign up ends on February 8.

A total of 2,118 Telefónica workers in Spain have requested to take advantage of the voluntary resignation plan created as a result of the ERE presented by the operator. Of that total figure, 1,825 employees correspond to Telefónica de España , another 244 to Telefon

To continue reading go Premium
Try it for €1 the first month

and enjoy unlimited access to all Expansión web content

I love you

Or sign up with your Google account in two clicks

SOURCE

IBM's ultimatum to its managers: return to the office or leave

The technology giant IBM has lost patience with its managers. He has warned them that they will have to reduce their remote work time if they want to keep their jobs.

The multinational company based in the town of Armork, 60 kilometers north of Midtown Manhattan, has asked all its managers in the United States to go to an office at least three days a week.

Employees will be able to choose between going to a company office or a client’s office to complete their workday. In addition, they will be required to live less than 80 kilometers from their jobs .

The changes that IBM intends to apply to combat teleworking are included in a memo, dated January 16, to which Bloomberg had access. In the content, managers are also notified that the company will use the data from the access credential to “evaluate the individual presence” of each one.

According to the document, employees will have until next August to relocate or complete the move near the offices, as established by the requirements. If they cannot do so, they will have to “separate from IBM.”

An IBM spokesperson confirmed the contents of the memo and explained that the company is committed to providing a work environment that balances flexibility with face-to-face interactions. “Consistent with that approach, we require executives and people managers in the US to be in the office at least three days a week,” the spokesperson said.

This change in favor of in-person work represents a shift on the part of IBM. In May, the company’s chief executive, Arvind Krishna, said he would not force employees to return to the office . Although he also warned that remote workers would be the losers when it came to getting promotions.

“In the short term, teleworking may be just as productive, but your career will be affected. Getting promoted from home to a higher position will be less likely because no one is watching you in another context,” Krishna added. He overlooked that this difficulty could turn against him when he seeks to incorporate new managers into his staff.

SOURCE

Mediapro partners with Microsoft to launch an AI laboratory

Alberto Granados, president of Microsoft in Spain, and Tatxo Benet, president and CEO of Mediapro, at the ISE audiovisual fair in Barcelona. EXPANSION

The audiovisual group will develop proofs of concept aimed at the creation of new products.

Mediapro has sealed an alliance with Microsoft to launch an artificial intelligence (AI) and synthetic media laboratory that will develop use cases aimed at having a direct impact on the business and the creation of new products,

To continue reading go Premium
Try it for €1 the first month

and enjoy unlimited access to all Expansión web content

I love you

Or sign up with your Google account in two clicks

SOURCE