GlobalFoundries, STMicroelectronics' chip plant deal; TikTok's warning in Italy

TOP NEWS IN TMT

* GlobalFoundries Inc. and Switzerland's STMicroelectronics NV signed a memorandum of understanding to build a new chip manufacturing plant in France, backed by the French government, Dow Jones Newswires reported. The plant, to be built in Crolles, will start operating at full capacity by 2026 and create about 1,000 new jobs.

* The Italian data protection regulator formally warned Beijing ByteDance Telecommunications Co. Ltd.-owned TikTok Inc. about an alleged violation of EU rules on protecting user privacy while delivering targeted advertising without requesting consent for user data, Reuters reported, citing a statement.

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TECHNOLOGY

* Ericsson teamed up with QUALCOMM Inc.'s Qualcomm Technologies Inc. and French aerospace company Thales SA to launch 5G services across a network of Earth-orbiting satellites to help boost 5G roaming capabilities, provide coverage in remote areas and deliver back-up support to terrestrial networks.

* Technology company Advania AB acquired Front End Services from technology lifecycle management provider 3StepIT, for an undisclosed sum.

* Nokia Oyj will work with 29 partners to lead Germany's 6G lighthouse project, called 6G-ANNA, and drive 6G research and standardization. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research will fund 6G-ANNA.

* Russian software developer RusBITech-Astra JSC plans to launch an initial public offering on the Moscow Exchange, Telecompaper reported, citing Vedomosti.

* Zayo Group LLC launched its new Zeus subsea cable linking the U.K. and continental Europe through access points in the U.K. and the Netherlands.

* The Dutch government has sent a new bill to the House of Representatives proposing to criminalize the use of personal data for harassment purposes, also known as "doxing," reported Emerce.

INTERNET & OTT

* Britain's Information Commissioner's Office called on the government to launch a review into the "systemic risks and areas for improvement" while using private correspondence channels such as private email and Meta Platforms Inc.-owned messaging service WhatsApp Inc.

* The British Broadcasting Corp.'s Wimbledon 2022 coverage was streamed 53.8 million times on the BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport online, ahead of the 30.5 million stream record set in 2021.

* In more BBC news, the company will premiere a new documentary for BBC Two and BBC iPlayer focusing on the life story of Shamima Begum, a teenager who left the U.K. to join the Islamic State group in 2015.

* Video platform Brut is planning a business reorganization and will reduce its workforce in several countries, including the U.S. and India, and relocate them to France, CB News reports. The company's offers will also be made available in a single mobile application and Brut will collaborate with influencers for content on a revenue-sharing basis.

* U.K. social media platform SEEEN PLC promoted CFO Adrian Hargrave to CEO, while interim co-CEOs Akiko Mikumo and David Anton will become nonexecutive directors again, Dow Jones Newswires reported.

MEDIA

* Amcomri Entertainment Inc. and Bohemia Media Ltd.'s joint venture, Positivor Ltd., acquired several Screen Media library assets for the U.K. and Ireland for an undisclosed sum. Amcomri unit 101 Films will distribute the assets in the two territories.

* Germany's Hubert Burda Media Holding Kommanditgesellschaft acquired a 35% stake in drug-ordering platform IhreApotheken.de. The deal is subject to regulatory approval.

* Kastrati Group Sh.A. terminated, by mutual consent, its deal to acquire a 60% stake in Euronews Albania, Broadband TV News reported.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

* The European Commission accepted the commitments made by Deutsche Telekom AG and PPF Group NV over the network-sharing deal of their units T-Mobile Czech Republic a.s., Ceska telekomunikacni infrastruktura a.s. and O2 Czech Republic a.s. The commitments aim to enable competition in the Czech Republic's wholesale and retail telecom markets.

* The British government requested more information on businessman Patrick Drahi's stake-building activities in BT Group PLC, Bloomberg reported, citing sources.

* Orange Espagne SAU and MásMóvil Ibercom SA are close to securing credit worth €6.5 billion to fund their planned merger, according to Broadband TV News, citing El Economista.

* Telefónica SA employees in Spain rejected the telco's proposed four-day working week in a nearly unanimous vote, Telecompaper reported, citing El Pais.

* The potential buyers of Truphone Ltd. said the U.K. government's decision to block the acquisition of the telco over national security concerns may increase the chances of Truphone entering insolvency and cutting hundreds of jobs, the Financial Times (London) reported, citing sources.

* U.K. regulator Ofcom launched an own-initiative compliance monitoring system to determine the compliance of providers with a rule requiring them to ensure uninterrupted access to emergency services such as police, fire and ambulance services.

FILM & TV

* AMC Networks Inc. renewed its long-term distribution agreement with Vodafone Czech Republic a.s. for several years, covering 10 channels of AMC Networks International Central and Northern Europe in the Czech Republic, including Sport1, Sport2, Spektrum and Spektrum Home, among others.

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Anne Freier, Amanda Kelly, Charlotte van Hek and Gerard O'Dwyer contributed to this report.

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