CDE News - The Dispatch

Italy’s competition watchdog probes Google over data portability

MILAN, July 14 (Reuters) - Italy's competition authority AGCM said on Thursday it had launched an investigation against Google GOOGL.Ofor suspected abuse of its dominant position in data portability, an accusation the Alphabet unit denied. The watchdog said in…

Read More Here

Alphabet to slow hiring in second half of 2022 as economy sputters

July 13 (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc said on Wednesday it would slow the pace of hiring for the rest of the year, the latest company to make such a move as decades-high…

Read More Here

Big Tech platforms could face new major EU limits on targeted political ads

Facebook and Google could be significantly restricted from targeting people with political ads ahead of the 2024 European Parliament elections, according to a draft Parliament report released Wednesday. Lead MEP,…

Read More Here

Women travelling for abortions will be protected – Biden

US president Joe Biden has said that women travelling for abortions will be protected by the federal government. Millions of women in the US lost the constitutional right to abortion…

Read More Here

Google targeted in fresh EU consumer groups’ privacy complaints

BRUSSELS, June 30 (Reuters) - Google has been targeted by a French consumer group and its peers in complaints to privacy watchdogs over its vast trove of users' personal data harvested via…

Read More Here

Big tech should be regulated- MEPs

Labour MEP Alex Agius Saliba and German Greens MEP Alexandra Geese have asserted that big corporations like Apple, Google and Facebook may be regulated in the public interest despite the…

Read More Here

Google, Facebook, Twitter to tackle deepfakes or risk EU fines

Alphabet Inc unit Google, Facebook Inc, Twitter Inc and other tech companies will have to take measures to counter deepfakes and fake accounts on their platforms or risk hefty fines…

Read More Here

UK plans to probe Apple, Google’s mobile browser dominance

LONDON, June 10 (Reuters) - Britain's competition watchdog said it was planning to investigate the market dominance of Apple Inc AAPL.O and Google's mobile browsers, as well as the iPhone maker's restrictions on cloud…

Read More Here

Google ‘private browsing’ mode not really private, Texas lawsuit says

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Google search engine collects data on users who think they can be anonymous if they use a "private browsing" mode, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton claimed on this…

Read More Here

EU sets new online rules for Google, Meta to curb illegal content

BRUSSELS, April 23 (Reuters) - Alphabet unit Google, Meta and other large online platforms will have to do more to tackle illegal content or risk hefty fines under new internet rules agreed between European…

Read More Here

Google to set up first Africa product development centre in Nairobi

NAIROBI, April 20 (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's Google is investing in its first ever Africa product development centre in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, it said, as it positions itself to serve a…

Read More Here

Russia tells Google to stop spreading threats against Russians on YouTube

March 18 (Reuters) - Russia on Friday demanded that Alphabet Inc's GOOGL.O Google stop spreading what it called threats against Russian citizens on its YouTube video-sharing platform, a move that could presage an outright…

Read More Here

Google temporarily disables Google Maps live traffic data in Ukraine

Alphabet Inc's Google confirmed it has temporarily disabled for Ukraine some Google Maps tools which provide live information about traffic conditions and how busy different places are. The company said…

Read More Here

EU, tech giants boost cooperation on fighting online hate

LILLE, France, Feb 4 (Reuters) - European justice ministers and tech giants Google's and Meta agreed on Friday that a clear legal framework was needed to step up cooperation against…

Read More Here

France imposes fines on Facebook Ireland and Google

PARIS, Jan 6 (Reuters) - France's data privacy watchdog CNIL said on Thursday it had fined Alphabet's Google a record 150 million euros ($169 million) for making it difficult for…

Read More Here

Russia fines Google 5 million roubles for not deleting banned content

Russia fined Alphabet's Google 5 million roubles ($67,190), a Moscow court said on Tuesday, the latest in a string of penalties against the technology giant for failing to delete content the government deems…

Read More Here

Google loses court challenge against EU antitrust ruling

LUXEMBOURG, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Alphabet unit Google suffered a setback on Wednesday after Europe's second-highest court dismissed its challenge to an EU antitrust ruling and 2.42 billion euro ($2.8…

Read More Here

Spain adopts EU copyright law, paving way for Google News to return

Spain has adopted a European Union copyright directive that allows third-party online news platforms to negotiate directly with content providers, the government said, setting the stage for Alphabet's Google News…

Read More Here

Australia plans to make Google offer alternative search engines on smartphones

SYDNEY, Oct 28 (Reuters) - An Australian regulator said it wants to make Google install a "choice screen" on smartphones so users can pick another search engine if they want,…

Read More Here

Alphabet earns record profit on Google ad surge

Google owner Alphabet Inc on Tuesday reported higher than expected third-quarter ad sales, a sign that the business is overcoming new limits on tracking mobile users and that online shopping…

Read More Here

Google warns of surge in activity by state-backed hackers

Google has warned of a surge in activity by government-backed hackers this year, including attacks from an Iranian group whose targets included a UK university. The search group said that…

Read More Here

Google rivals want EU lawmakers to act via new tech rules

DuckDuckGo and three other search engine rivals to Google on Thursday urged EU lawmakers to take action against the Alphabet unit via new tech rules, saying they have yet to…

Read More Here

Google to invest $1 billion in Africa over five years

Google plans to invest $1 billion in Africa over the next five years to ensure access to fast and cheaper internet and will back startups to support the continent's digital…

Read More Here

Google, in fight against record EU fine, slams regulators for ignoring Apple

Alphabet unit Google on Monday criticised EU antitrust regulators for ignoring rival Apple as it launched a bid to get Europe's second-highest court to annul a record 4.34-billion euro ($5.1…

Read More Here

Google under new EU antitrust investigation – MLex reporter

Alphabet Inc's Google is being investigated by EU antitrust regulators on whether it may be forcing device makers to use Google Assistant as the default voice assistant on Android devices,…

Read More Here

Google delays office return until January as COVID-19 worries linger

Alphabet Inc-owned Google is extending its voluntary return-to-office policy through January next year, CEO Sundar Pichai said, citing uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in many parts of the world.…

Read More Here

Australia considering new laws for Apple, Google, WeChat digital wallets

The Australian government is considering new laws that would tighten the regulation of digital payment services by tech giants such as Apple and Alphabet's Google. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said he…

Read More Here

EU gives Google 2 months to improve hotel, flight search results

Alphabet unit Google has two months to improve the way it presents internet search results for flights and hotels and explain how it ranks these or face possible sanctions, the…

Read More Here

Google is starting to tell you how it found Search results

Alphabet's Google will now show its search engine users more information about why it found the results they are shown, the company said this week. It said people googling queries…

Read More Here

France fines Google 500 mln euros over copyright row

France's antitrust watchdog slapped a 500 million euro ($593 million) fine on Alphabet's Google on Tuesday for failing to comply fully with temporary orders the regulator had given in a row with…

Read More Here

Dozens of U.S. states sue Google alleging antitrust violations

Thirty-seven U.S. state and district attorneys general sued Alphabet Inc’s Google, alleging that the search and advertising giant violates antitrust law in running its app store for Android phones. The…

Read More Here

Trump sues Facebook, Twitter and Google, claiming censorship

Former U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday filed lawsuits against Twitter Inc, Facebook Inc, and Alphabet Inc’s Google, as well as their chief executives, alleging they unlawfully silence conservative viewpoints.…

Read More Here

Google to introduce measures to curb online financial scams in UK

Google will clamp down on financial fraud on its platform in Britain, saying on Wednesday that all financial services will need to be verified by the regulator before they can…

Read More Here

UK regulator opens formal probe into Amazon, Google over fake reviews

Britain's competition regulator on Friday opened a formal investigation into Amazon and Alphabet Inc's Google over concerns the tech giants have not done enough to combat fake reviews on their…

Read More Here

Google in EU crosshairs again with advertising antitrust inquiry

Google was in the EU antitrust spotlight again on Tuesday as regulators opened an investigation into whether its digital advertising business gives the Alphabet unit an unfair advantage over rivals…

Read More Here

Google’s adtech business set to face formal EU probe by year-end

Alphabet unit Google could face its biggest regulatory threat, with EU antitrust regulators set to open a formal investigation into its lucrative digital advertising business before the end of the…

Read More Here

UK competition watchdog secures Google commitments on third-party cookies

Google has given commitments to Britain's competition regulator over its plan to remove third-party cookies from its Chrome browser, the Competition and Markets Authority said on Friday. The data watchdog…

Read More Here

Google loosens its search engine grip on Android devices in Europe

Google has bowed to pressure from rivals and will let them compete for free to be the default search engines on Android devices in Europe, widening a pledge to EU…

Read More Here

Google agrees to change some ad practices after French watchdog imposes fine

Alphabet's Google agreed to make changes to some of its widely-used online advertising services under an unprecedented settlement with France's antitrust watchdog released on Monday. The authority also fined the…

Read More Here

German competition authority launches probe into Google’s news showcase

Germany's competition authority is investigating Alphabet Inc's Google News Showcase, a platform which makes news available on the tech giant's news website, it said on Friday. Cooperation with Google could…

Read More Here

Serie A seals deal with Google against online piracy apps

Serie A said on Monday Google agreed to remove from its content platform some video apps illegally enabling users to watch live games as a part of a deal between…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Google “respectfully disagrees” with Italy’s antitrust decision

Google "respectfully disagrees" with Italy's antitrust decision to fine it 102 million euros ($123 million) for abuse of dominant position due to its Android mobile operating system and app store…

Read More Here

Alphabet Waymo self-driving unit CEO stepping down

The head of Alphabet Inc’s self-driving unit Waymo said on Friday he was stepping down as chief executive and would be replaced by a pair of executives. John Krafcik, a…

Read More Here

Google Maps to start directing drivers to ‘eco-friendly’ routes

Google’s Maps app will start directing drivers along routes estimated to generate the lowest carbon emissions based on traffic, slopes and other factors, the company announced. Google, an Alphabet Inc…

Read More Here

Google to contribute $29 mln to new EU fund to fight fake news

Alphabet unit Google will contribute 25 million euros ($29.3 million) to the newly set up European Media and Information Fund to combat fake news, the company said on Wednesday, amid…

Read More Here

Google signs deals with Italian publishers for content on News Showcase

Alphabet Inc's Google said on Wednesday it had sealed agreements with various Italian publishers to offer access to some of their content on the U.S. tech giant's Showcase news platform.…

Read More Here

Google fires second AI ethics leader as dispute over research, diversity grows

Feb 19 (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's Google fired staff scientist Margaret Mitchell on Friday, they both said, a move that fanned company divisions on academic freedom and diversity that were…

Read More Here

News Corp signs news partnership game-changer news deal with Google

Feb 17 (Reuters) - News Corp struck a global news deal with Alphabet Inc's Google, the Rupert Murdoch-controlled media company said on Wednesday, in one of the most extensive deals…

Read More Here

France fines Google 1.1 million euros over hotel rankings practices

PARIS (Reuters) - Google Ireland and Google France have agreed to pay a 1.1 million euros ($1.34 million) fine after a probe found that Google's hotel rankings could be misleading…

Read More Here

Australia to introduce landmark Google, Facebook legislation to parliament next week

Australia will introduce landmark legislation to force Alphabet's Google and Facebook to pay publishers and broadcasters for content next week, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said on Friday. Australia is on course…

Read More Here

Ford, Google join hands to offer cloud-based data services

Feb 1 (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co will tap into software, artificial intelligence and cloud computing offered by Alphabet Inc's Google to develop new consumer services and modernize internal operations,…

Read More Here

Google says it will shut search engine in Australia if forced to pay for news

Alphabet Inc's Google said on Friday it would block its search engine in Australia if the government proceeds with a new code that would force it and Facebook Inc to…

Read More Here

Google and French publishers sign agreement over copyright

In a first in Europe, Alphabet's Google and a group of French publishers said on Thursday they had agreed a general framework over copyrights under which the U.S. tech giant…

Read More Here

Google completes $2.1 bln acquisition of Fitbit

Jan 14 (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's Google has completed its $2.1 billion acquisition of wearable device maker Fitbit Inc, the companies said on Thursday. The deal had triggered concerns over…

Read More Here

Google launches $3 mln fund to fight vaccine misinformation

Jan 12 (Reuters) - The Google News Initiative on Tuesday launched a global open fund to fight misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines, worth up to $3 million. The "COVID-19 Vaccine Counter…

Read More Here

UK’s competition watchdog to probe Google’s browser changes

UK's competition watchdog said on Friday it has launched an investigation into Google's proposals to remove third-party cookies and other functions from its Chrome browser, following concerns it would curb…

Read More Here

Google to add App Store privacy labels to its iOS apps as soon as this week

Alphabet Inc's Google announced it will add App Store privacy labels to applications using the iOS operating system from Apple Inc as soon as this week or by next week.…

Read More Here