Cisco to Establish Cybersecurity Center in Taiwan

FILE PHOTO: A Taiwanese flag is seen on top of Taiwan's central bank in Taipei, Taiwan, December 14, 2022. REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A Taiwanese flag is seen on top of Taiwan's central bank in Taipei, Taiwan, December 14, 2022. REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo
TT

Cisco to Establish Cybersecurity Center in Taiwan

FILE PHOTO: A Taiwanese flag is seen on top of Taiwan's central bank in Taipei, Taiwan, December 14, 2022. REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A Taiwanese flag is seen on top of Taiwan's central bank in Taipei, Taiwan, December 14, 2022. REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo

US networking equipment maker Cisco said on Monday it would set up a cybersecurity center in Taiwan and work with the government to train more people to work in the sector.

Democratically governed Taiwan, which Beijing views as its own territory, has repeatedly complained of cyberattacks coming from China, targeting government officials and departments as well as tech firms as part of a broader pressure campaign, Reuters reported.

China denies involvement in hacking attacks.

Cisco said that as part of what it calls its Taiwan Digital Acceleration Plan 3.0, it would focus on cybersecurity, planning to partner with the government to train people and address a broader global talent shortage.

"In addition, Cisco aims to collaborate with relevant tech associations to establish a security center in Taiwan for enhanced threat intelligence and cyber readiness," it said in a statement.

Guy Diedrich, the company's global innovation officer, told reporters it would "be doing a great deal of work around security" including the new "security innovation center" in Taiwan, though he declined to provide investment figures.

"The nice thing about the digital acceleration program is that there is no ceiling on investments. We continue to make them," he said of the project, that also covers artificial intelligence in areas like transport and sustainability operations at Kaohsiung port in southern Taiwan.

Launching the plan, Diedrich told an audience that included Taiwan Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim that he hoped there would be a fourth round of investment.



Meta to Offer Less Personalized Ads in Europe to Appease Regulators

Meta to Offer Less Personalized Ads in Europe to Appease Regulators
TT

Meta to Offer Less Personalized Ads in Europe to Appease Regulators

Meta to Offer Less Personalized Ads in Europe to Appease Regulators

Meta Platforms plans to offer Instagram and Facebook users in Europe the option to receive "less personalized ads," the tech giant announced on Tuesday, in an effort to allay regulators' mounting concerns.

The Menlo Park, California-based company said it is implementing these changes in response to demands from EU regulators.

Over the coming weeks, people in the EU who use the company's social media platforms for free with ads, will be able to choose to see ads based on what Meta calls "context"- content that a user sees during a particular session on the platforms.

According to Reuters, these ads will also target users based on age, gender, and location, with some being unskippable for a few seconds.

Meta also plans to reduce the price of ad-free subscriptions by about 40% for European users.

This move comes as European regulators intensify efforts to curb Big Tech's power and level the playing field for smaller firms, including through the landmark Digital Markets Act (DMA) which came into force earlier this year.

The European Union law aims to make it easier for people to move between competing online services like social media platforms, internet browsers and app stores.

Last month, Europe's top court ruled that Meta must restrict the use of personal data harvested from Facebook for targeted advertising, supporting privacy activist Max Schrems.

The European Union did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The developments were first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Earlier in November, Reuters reported that Apple is set to be fined by the European Union's antitrust regulators under the bloc's landmark rules aimed at managing Big Tech's influence, making it the first company to be sanctioned.