Australia's “competition regulator” is investigating whether Facebook and other tech titans are harming consumers, content creators and advertisers, CNN Money reports. “As in many other countries, Australia’s media industry has been upended by the rise of digital platforms,” CNN notes. “Print newspapers have for years suffered declines in advertising revenues as companies shift their spending online, much of it to tech giants like Facebook and Google.”

As part of an expansion to its U.K. headquarters, Facebook plans to hire 800 new staff in London. “The new hires -- predominately in engineering roles and to be recruited over the next year -- will bring the number of staff working for Facebook in the U.K. to 2,300,” Bloomberg reports. “Facebook joins a number of large tech companies doubling down on their presence in London.”

There are roughly 1.8 million developers using Apple’s platform in China, and they have collectively earned $16.93 billion, CEO Tim Cook said over the weekend. That figure represents about a quarter of the App Store’s total global earnings, Reuters points out. Yet, “Apple is facing criticism from local users and rights groups for bowing to pressure from Beijing cyber regulators after it decided to remove hundreds of apps from its Chinese store this year,” Reuters notes.

Apple has agreed to pay Ireland $15.4 billion in back taxes, perhaps beginning early next year, Reuters reports. “The European Commission said the record sum was the result of Apple receiving unfair tax incentives from Ireland,” Reuters writes. “More than a year after the EU order, Dublin’s slow pace in recovering the money has landed it in court.”

Twitter Lite is rolling out to an addition 24 markets across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, Venture Beat reports. Put another way, “Twitter is doubling down on its efforts to boost user numbers by expanding the availability of its lightweight Android app to more markets,” VB writes. “Twitter introduced a Lite version of its service back in April and made it available on any mobile browser.”

Google is more or less outlawing lock screen ads in the Play Store, Android Police reports. “Technically, the new policy is a bit more nuanced than ‘no ads on the lock screen.’” According to Google: “Unless the exclusive purpose of the app is that of a lockscreen, apps may not introduce ads or features that monetize the locked display of a device.

Twitter is expanding the Periscope Super Broadcaster program, which helps video producers earn money through a virtual tipping system, TechCrunch reports. The program will be available in Canada, Ireland, and the U.K., with additional countries to follow. “The program was first introduced this summer as a means of competing with other live video platforms, including Facebook Live, Twitch, and YouTube.”

Google is adding new forms of local search to the Google Assistant and Google Home. “On any platform where Google Assistant is available, users will be able to ask for contractors,” Search Engine Land reports. “That initiates a structured interaction which generates a lead or contact with a local service provider.” Initial partners include HomeAdvisor and Porch.