Weekly news round-up: EU agrees copyright laws & UK to regulate tech giants

EU copyright laws agreed
Article 13 of the European Copyright Directive has been finalised and is to be formally approved by MEPs in the coming weeks. The BBC reported the likes of Google and YouTube could be held responsible for their users if copyright-protected music and movies are uploaded, based on the EU’s decision to make “copyright rules fit for the digital era.

Brightcove acquires Ooyala
Online video platform Brightcove has acquired Ooyala’s video business in an acquisition that has been valued at $15 million, according to TVB Europe. The deal includes Ooyala’s video content management and publishing platform plus a “substantial portion” of engineering, sales and support staff. 

UK calls to regulate tech giants
The UK government has called for a state regulator to ensure technology firms including Facebook, Google, YouTube and Apple are taking steps to help users identify trustworthy and reliable news across the respective platforms. The regulator would require companies to build on initatives they have already estavlished to wittle out fake content, reported CNBC.  

YouTube channel scams users
Google has removed a YouTube channel after it was found to be abusing copyright claims to extort money from users. According to the BBC, the messages threatened that refusal of payment would result in the channel being terminated. The extorter’s YouTube account has been deleted after the activity was made public. 

BBC3 goes mainstream
The BBC has made the decision to give BBC3 - an OTT youth-focussed channel - a dedicated slot on BBC1. Broadcast reported that BBC3 will air Monday to Wednesday from 22:35 to 23:35 from 4 March. In 2016, BBC3 ceased to be a linear channel and was moved online with the BBC stating that ”younger audiences are watching more online and less linear TV”.

Huawei to build data centres in South Africa 
As part of its plans to expand cloud services across Africa, Huawei will build two data centres from March in Cape Town and Johannesburg. According to Reuters it will look to challenge Amazon and Microsoft, both companies have a growing presence in the region with emerging technology hubs. 

New start up to rival Amazon
Former Snap chief strategy officer Imran Khan has launched a new e-commerce startup Verishop aiming to take on Amazon, Business Insider reported, the company has signed partnership deals with a number of brands in a move Khan described as “a new kind of online-shopping company.” The company aims to elevate brand identities while helping them reach millennial shoppers.  

Tech leaders pledge 1m jobs for London
Representatives from Microsoft, Oracle and Samsung are some of 200 of UK’s technology companies who are behind a campaign to create one million new technology jobs in London by 2023. The campaign, according to the Telegraph is uring more companies to employ women from under represented minorities in a push to keep the UK “at the forefront of global innovation.”  

Middle East invests $750m in 5G
Middle East mobile telecom operator Zain Group has announced it will invest $750 million in network expansion to drive 4G networks and 5G upgrades including fibre across its eight key markets. Zain Group chief executive Bader Al-Kharafi said the move is “geared towards making us a more agile operator,” Next TV News reported.