World

Government to make Google, Facebook pay for news from Australian media outlets

Editorial Bureau July 31, 2020

SYDNEY (AUSTRALIA) – In what is seen as a widely watched landmark step to provide protection to independent journalism, the government will make Facebook and Google pay Australian media outlets for news content. Australia is the first country to make the US tech giants pay for news

USA

Former Uber self-driving head agrees to plead guilty

Editorial Bureau July 29, 2020

NEW YORK (US) – Former head of Uber’s self-driving technology unit, Anthony Levandowski, recently agreed to plead guilty in March for eliciting sensitive documents from his former employer Google before joining Uber. US prosecutors have been seeking imprisonment of 27 months for Anthony, ever since. According to the court papers filed in the US District […]

Tech

Google misled customers to mine personal data, says Australian regulator

Editorial Bureau July 27, 2020

SYDNEY (AUSTRALIA) – The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) on Monday blamed Google for misleading customers to seek permission for use of their personal data for targeted advertising. The regulator has sought a fine “in the millions” aiming to set a precedent. This comes as across the world countries are stepping up scrutiny of […]

USA

CEOs of 4 large US tech firms to appear for Congressional hearing

Editorial Bureau July 24, 2020

WASHINGTON (US) – In what is seen as a bid to deflect criticism in a Congressional hearing next week regarding the use of market clout to hurt rivals, the CEOS of four large US tech firms have said that they themselves face stiff competition. The CEOs of Facebook, Amazon.com Inc, Google and Apple, are slated […]

Tech

Google to clamp down on ads carrying conspiracy theories

Editorial Bureau July 18, 2020

WASHINGTON (US) – Alphabet Inc’s Google announced on Friday that it would prevent websites and apps using its advertising technology from carrying ads on “dangerous content” that goes against scientific consensus during spread of the pandemic. Google, which is the world’s largest search engine, updated its policy in the wake of the pandemic

Finance

Deutsche Bank to enter into multi-year, strategic deal with Google

Editorial Bureau July 7, 2020

FRANKFURT (GERMANY) – In a bid to gain access to cloud services and usher in innovation in tech-based financial products for its customers, Deutsche Bank is all set to enter into a strategic, multi-year tie-up with Google, it said on Tuesday. Deutsche had invited bids from Google, Amazon and Microsoft earlier this year year to […]

Tech

Britain regulator seeks tougher checks for Google, Facebook ad supremacy

Editorial Bureau July 1, 2020

LONDON (UK) – Britain’s competition watchdog said on Wednesday that the government should bring in more measures to check the monopoly of tech giants Google and Facebook in digital advertising and give space for other players. The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority’s calls for tougher regulations comes a year after it initiated an investigation

Tech

Justice Dept, state AGs to meet Friday on Google antitrust probe: source

Ren Leen June 24, 2020

WASHINGTON (Technology) – U.S. Justice Department officials and some state attorneys general are set to meet on Friday to discuss ongoing antitrust probes into Alphabet Inc’s Google unit, a person briefed on the matter said. The federal government and nearly all state attorneys general have opened investigations into allegations that Google has broken antitrust

Tech

Massive spying on Google Chrome users exposes chinks in armour

Ren Leen June 18, 2020

SAN FRANCISCO (US) – A newly discovered spyware effort attacked users through 32 million downloads of extensions to Google’s Chrome web browser, researchers at Awake Security revealed. This highlights the tech industry’s failure to protect browsers as they are used more for email, payroll and other sensitive functions. Alphabet Inc’s Google said it

UK

UK bats for global digital tax as US quits discussions

Ren Leen June 18, 2020

LONDON (UK) – Britain will keep pushing for a global solution on taxing international digital companies such as Google and Facebook Inc after the United States left talks, a British Treasury spokesman said on Thursday. “We remain committed to a global solution,” the spokesman said. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin decided to pull out of […]