Messaging software firm Slack plans mass-media push to boost growth

By Eric Auchard DUBLIN (Reuters) – Slack, the group messaging platform valued at nearly $3 billion, plans to accelerate its growth by spending some of its $250 million cash pile on mass-market advertising, founder and CEO Stewart Butterfield said. “We are switching from trying to keep up with growth to trying to generate growth,” Butterfield said in an interview at Web Summit, Europe’s biggest conference for start-ups

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Internet firms must store usage data for one year: UK surveillance bill

Internet companies will have to store customer usage data for up to a year according to a new bill the British government will present to parliament on Wednesday, local newspapers reported. Britain's Investigatory Powers Bill, a renewed attempt to give security agencies powers to track online communications, will also tackle criticism from privacy campaigners by including assurances that any access of so-called Internet connection records would need judicial authorization, the Guardian said.

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British police make fourth arrest in TalkTalk cyber attack

British police have made a fourth arrest in connection with a cyber attack on telecoms company TalkTalk (TALK.L) in which the company said bank details of more than 20,000 customers were hacked. A 16-year-old boy from Norwich in eastern England was in custody and his address was being searched, London police said in a statement on Tuesday. TalkTalk shocked customers last month when the broadband, TV, mobile and fixed-line service provider said it had been hacked, potentially putting the private details of its 4 million customers into the hands of criminals

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