Children are being bombarded with advertisements for weight loss products online, while major holiday providers are urging the government to scrap proposals for a tourist tax in England, according to recent reports. In other news, Lloyds Banking Group announced plans to close another 95 branches, and Apple and Google agreed to changes in their app stores following regulatory intervention. Meanwhile, the US job market saw unexpected growth in January.
A report by the children's commissioner for England revealed that young people were routinely exposed to ads for weight loss injections and pills online, despite such advertising being banned. Dame Rachel de Souza, the children's commissioner, stated the posts were "immensely damaging" to young people's self-esteem and called for a ban on social media advertising to children. A spokesperson for Ofcom, the media regulator, said it did not tolerate "tech firms prioritising engagement over children's online safety."
In the UK, Apple and Google agreed to make changes to their app stores following an intervention from the UK markets regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The tech giants committed to not giving preferential treatment to their own apps and will be transparent about how others are approved for sale. The CMA's head, Sarah Cardell, said the proposed commitments "will boost the UK's app economy."
Hospitality and leisure bosses, including major holiday providers such as Butlin's, Hilton, and Travelodge, urged the government to scrap plans for a tax on people taking holidays in England. They argued that the proposed tourist tax would drain money from local businesses. "Holidays are for relaxing, not taxing," they said.
Lloyds Banking Group announced it would close another 95 branches between May this year and March 2027, including 53 Lloyds, 31 Halifax, and 11 Bank of Scotland sites. This is in addition to an ongoing closure program that will see 49 sites shut by October. Once all the announced closures are complete, Lloyds will have 610 branches remaining. A spokesperson for Lloyds said, "Customers want the freedom to bank in the way that works for them."
The US job market saw surprising growth in January, with employers adding a greater-than-expected 130,000 jobs. This helped nudge the unemployment rate lower to 4.3%, according to the Labor Department. The figures could ease fears about the job market after last year's slowdown, when the US added just 181,000 jobs.
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