NEW DELHI: British broadcaster the BBC is launching a new company for Indian language services, in compliance with foreign investment rules that authorities in India alleged BBC violated after it aired a critical documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The broadcaster said on Tuesday four staff members, including current India head Rupa Jha, will leave the organization to form the new company named “Collective Newsroom” and provide services as commissioned by BBC.
The broadcaster is under scrutiny for alleged foreign exchange violations in India and an investigation was launched shortly after tax authorities searched BBC’s offices in Delhi and Mumbai in February.
This followed the government’s angry reaction to a BBC documentary in January that examined Modi’s leadership during deadly communal riots in Gujarat state in 2002, in which at least 1,000 people were killed, most of them Muslims.
The BBC has said it was cooperating fully with tax authorities and hoped to resolve matters quickly.
BBC staff to launch new company for Indian language services
https://arab.news/5tbjn
BBC staff to launch new company for Indian language services
- “Collective Newsroom” will provide services as commissioned by BBC
- Launch comes as the BBC seeks to comply with India’s strict foreign direct investment rules in media
Apple, Google offer app store changes under new UK rules
LONDON: Apple and Google have pledged changes to ensure fairness in their app stores, the UK competition watchdog said Tuesday, describing it as “first steps” under its tougher regulation of technology giants.
The Competition and Markets Authority placed the two companies under “strategic market status” last year, giving it powers to impose stricter rules on their mobile platforms.
Apple and Google have submitted packages of commitments to improve fairness and transparency in their app stores, which the CMA is now consulting market participants on.
The proposals cover data collection, how apps are reviewed and ranked and improved access to their mobile operating systems.
They aim to prevent Apple and Google from giving priority to their own apps and to ensure businesses receive fairer terms for delivering apps to customers, including better access to tools to compete with services like the Apple digital wallet.
“These are important first steps while we continue to work on a broad range of additional measures to improve Apple and Google’s app store services in the UK,” said CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell.
The commitments mark the first changes proposed by US tech giants in response to the UK’s digital markets regulation, which came into force last year.
The UK framework is similar to a tech competition law from the European Union, the Digital Markets Act, which carries the potential for hefty financial penalties.
“The commitments announced today allow Apple to continue advancing important privacy and security innovations for users and great opportunities for developers,” an Apple spokesperson said.
The CMA in October found that Apple and Google held an “effective duopoly,” with around 90 to 100 percent of UK mobile services running on their platforms.
A Google spokesperson said existing practices in its Play online store are “fair, objective and transparent.”
“We welcome the opportunity to resolve the CMA’s concerns collaboratively,” they added.
The changes are set to take effect in April, subject to the outcome of a market consultation.
