Today in the News:
– Wall Street is demanding access to its employees facebook and twitter accounts
– Amazon will pilot TV comedies and children’s shows online
– Google boss defends UK tax record of paying the least tax ever
State efforts to block companies from monitoring employees’ personal Facebook and Twitter accounts are under fire from securities regulators. Regulators and industry groups want exemptions in state laws, that would allow certain financial firms to look at the personal social-media accounts of employees. Wall Street’s self-regulator, Finra, says financial firms need a way to follow up on “red flags” suggesting misuse of a personal account. Finra has already asked lawmakers in about 10 states to make changes to proposed legislation. Securities regulators worry that the new laws aimed at protecting employees’ privacy, put investors at risk. They say the fast spread of financial advice on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, could create new channels for Ponzi schemes and other frauds, and that fighting those frauds will be harder, if state lawmakers snarl efforts by companies to monitor what employees are pitching to investors. Word of advice – don’t make investment decisions based on a Facebook message!
Fourteen pilot shows – including Alpha House and Zombieland – are to be put to the public vote on Lovefilm and Amazon.com. Viewers can submit feedback influencing which shows get made into full series. The 14 shows are made by independent production companies and produced by Amazon Studios, the film and series production arm of Amazon. Eight adult comedies and six children’s animation series will be put to the public vote. The shows will be aired on Amazon’s pay subscription services, called Amazon Prime in the US. Ultimately Amazon is following in the footsteps of Netflix and its release of House of Cards, only its release was not put to a vote by he audience. Whether Amazon’s approach is a good idea remains to be seen.
Google’s executive chairman, Eric Schmidt, has defended his company paying just £6m in UK corporation tax. His comments came after a committee of MPs last year denounced multinationals – including Google – who pay little tax on their UK earnings, as “immoral”. UK leaders, along with leaders in France and Germany, have called for international action to deal with so-called “profit shifting” by multinational companies to avoid taxes. Mr Schmidt defends his firm’s low tax payment, by saying that Google invested heavily in the UK and its services boost the economy, empowering billions of pounds of start-ups through its advertising network etc. He also said that Google’s behaviour reflected the way all big international companies manage their taxes. Will if everybody is doing it, then it’s definitely time to change some rules.
Today in the News:
– Wall Street is demanding access to its employees facebook and twitter accounts
– Amazon will pilot TV comedies and children’s shows online
– Google boss defends UK tax record of paying the least tax ever
State efforts to block companies from monitoring employees’ personal Facebook and Twitter accounts are under fire from securities regulators. Regulators and industry groups want exemptions in state laws, that would allow certain financial firms to look at the personal social-media accounts of employees. Wall Street’s self-regulator, Finra, says financial firms need a way to follow up on “red flags” suggesting misuse of a personal account. Finra has already asked lawmakers in about 10 states to make changes to proposed legislation. Securities regulators worry that the new laws aimed at protecting employees’ privacy, put investors at risk. They say the fast spread of financial advice on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, could create new channels for Ponzi schemes and other frauds, and that fighting those frauds will be harder, if state lawmakers snarl efforts by companies to monitor what employees are pitching to investors. Word of advice – don’t make investment decisions based on a Facebook message!
Fourteen pilot shows – including Alpha House and Zombieland – are to be put to the public vote on Lovefilm and Amazon.com. Viewers can submit feedback influencing which shows get made into full series. The 14 shows are made by independent production companies and produced by Amazon Studios, the film and series production arm of Amazon. Eight adult comedies and six children’s animation series will be put to the public vote. The shows will be aired on Amazon’s pay subscription services, called Amazon Prime in the US. Ultimately Amazon is following in the footsteps of Netflix and its release of House of Cards, only its release was not put to a vote by he audience. Whether Amazon’s approach is a good idea remains to be seen.
Google’s executive chairman, Eric Schmidt, has defended his company paying just £6m in UK corporation tax. His comments came after a committee of MPs last year denounced multinationals – including Google – who pay little tax on their UK earnings, as “immoral”. UK leaders, along with leaders in France and Germany, have called for international action to deal with so-called “profit shifting” by multinational companies to avoid taxes. Mr Schmidt defends his firm’s low tax payment, by saying that Google invested heavily in the UK and its services boost the economy, empowering billions of pounds of start-ups through its advertising network etc. He also said that Google’s behaviour reflected the way all big international companies manage their taxes. Will if everybody is doing it, then it’s definitely time to change some rules.