Weekly Tech Round-Up
This week: a major Companies House website glitch raises data concerns, Alexa gets a more conversational AI upgrade, Norfolk Police prepares to use live facial recognition in Norwich, plus an app pick for language learners and a reminder about staying safe in online meetings.
🏢 Companies House Urges Firms to Check Details After Website Glitch
Companies in the UK are being urged to check their details following a major glitch on the Companies House website which potentially exposed the personal data of millions of firms.
Logged-in users may have been able to view and edit other companies’ details, including directors’ home addresses and email addresses, without consent.
Companies House said it was made aware of the security issue on Friday last week and that it had been resolved by Monday. It said there were no current reports of data having been accessed.
According to the organisation, the issue was introduced when it updated its WebFiling systems in October 2025 — the online service used by UK company directors to submit legal documents such as annual accounts.
Source: BBC News
🗣️ Alexa Gets an AI-Powered Upgrade in the UK
Amazon’s Echo smart speaker, better known as Alexa, is getting an AI-powered upgrade that will roll out across the UK.
The new version, called Alexa+, turns the digital assistant into a more chatty and capable device. Amazon says it will be able to follow conversational threads and be more proactive in its responses.
The update comes after criticism that the Echo had stagnated since its launch in 2016, while AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude have become much easier to communicate with.
Source: BBC News
👮 Live Facial Recognition to Be Used in Norwich City Centre
A police force has pledged to be “open and honest” about privacy ahead of starting to use live facial recognition technology for the first time in a city centre.
The equipment, housed in a marked van and used in a signposted area in Norwich on Sunday, will alert officers if someone walks past whose face matches a person on Norfolk Police’s watchlist.
The deployment in Norwich follows previous use in Ipswich and a rollout in Essex last year.
Source: BBC News
🌍 App of the Week: Duolingo
This week’s app of the week is Duolingo.
Duolingo helps users learn more than 40 languages through quick, bite-sized lessons. It includes practice for speaking, reading and listening, making it a simple way to build language skills a little at a time.
The app is free to download on iOS and Android devices:
💻 Online Meeting Security: Choose Trusted Tools
Online meetings rely on digital tools to support collaboration, but they also introduce security risks.
Choosing the right service depends on how you plan to use it. For personal use, free versions often provide enough security. Organisations, however, typically need paid plans to deliver the security features and controls required for business use, including secure user management, compliance and data protection.
- Only download apps from trusted sources such as the Apple App Store, Google Play, or the provider’s official website.
- Avoid clicking on adverts or unsolicited links, which may lead to malicious websites.
- Review privacy and security settings before using any meeting platform for sensitive conversations.
