Top Justice Department antitrust officials have decided to ask a judge to force Alphabet Inc.’s Google to sell off its Chrome browser in what would be a historic crackdown on one of the world’s biggest tech companies. The department will ask the judge, who ruled in August that Google illegally monopolized the search market, to Read more about DOJ Will Push Google to Sell Chrome to help Break Search Monopoly[…]
Meta Platforms Inc. was hit with a €798 million ($841 million) fine by European Union regulators by tying its Facebook Marketplace service to the social network, the US tech giant’s first ever penalty for EU antitrust violations. In a groundbreaking decision, the European Commission ordered Meta to stop tying its classified-ads service to Facebook’s sprawling Read more about Meta Fined €798 Million by EU Over Classified Ads Dominance in Facebook[…]
U.K. consumer rights group ‘Which?’ is filing a legal claim against Apple under competition law on behalf of some 40 million users of iCloud, its cloud storage service. The collective proceeding lawsuit, which is seeking £3 billion in compensation damages (around $3.8 billion at current exchange rates), alleges that Apple has broken competition rules by Read more about Apple faces UK iCloud monopoly compensation claim worth $3.8B[…]
Pakistan’s Punjab province banned most outdoor activities and ordered shops, markets and malls in some areas to close early from Monday to curb illnesses caused by intense air pollution. The province has closed educational institutions and public spaces like parks and zoos until Nov. 17 in places including Lahore, the world’s most polluted city in Read more about Pakistan limits outdoor activities, market hours to curb air pollution-related illness – attacks symptom but not cause[…]
Corning’s Gorilla Glass is found in countless tech products, from smartphones and wearables to automobile windshields, and the European Commission has an inkling its success is due in part to the US-based business cutting anticompetitive deals. The EC announced a formal antitrust investigation into Corning yesterday, accusing the company of abusing its dominant position as Read more about Corning facing EU antitrust suit over Gorilla Glass seals[…]
f you didn’t hear back about that great-looking tech position you applied for, it might not be because there were too many applicants scrambling to find a job amid rolling layoffs. There’s a distinct possibility the posting was fake to begin with. We’re talking here about “ghost jobs” a practice of posting openings for positions Read more about Fake job postings proliferate in layoff-hit tech industry[…]
A Texas federal jury has awarded American Airlines a whopping $9.4 million in a lawsuit filed against Skiplagged.com, a website that helps travelers get cheaper flights by booking flights with a connection and then abandoning the connecting flight to the final destination. The airline industry loathes Skiplagged, even though there’s technically nothing illegal about the Read more about American Airlines Wins $9.4 Million From ‘Skiplagged’ Site That Exploits Airlines’ Overbooking Business Model[…]
The Department of Justice has laid out its broad-strokes plan for ending Google’s monopoly over internet search after winning its antitrust case against the company in August. The sweeping changes could end Google’s position as the default search engine on billions of devices and require the company to share key information about its search algorithms Read more about DOJ Reveals Its Plan for Breaking Up Google’s Search Monopoly[…]
Martin Shkreli has been fighting a $64.6 million fine he acquired in 2022 for blocking affordable alternatives to Daraprim, a lifesaving antiparasitic drug. Shockingly, it turns out nobody on the Supreme Court cares to hear about it. No justices dissented on Monday when the court said it declined to hear an appeal by representatives of Read more about Supreme Court Snubs Martin Shkreli’s Last-Ditch Bid to Avoid $64 Million Fine over hiking unique life saving drug price from $13.50 to $750 a pill[…]
A US court has ordered Google to refrain from a wide variety of business practices the web giant uses to bolster its Play Store, as a consequence of its December 2023 antitrust defeat against Epic Games. In that case, Epic argued that Google’s Play Store rules and contractual agreements with developers and partners violated the Read more about Epic judge orders Google to let rivals set up app stores[…]
Google is rolling out ads in AI Overviews, which means you’ll now start seeing products in some of the search engine’s AI-generated summaries. Let’s say you’re searching for ways to get a grass stain out of your pants. If you ask Google, its AI-generated response will offer some tips, along with suggestions for products to Read more about Google’s AI enshittifies search summaries with ads[…]
One of the many interesting aspects of the current enthusiasm for generative AI is the way that it has electrified the formerly rather sleepy world of copyright. Where before publishers thought they had successfully locked down more or less everything digital with copyright, they now find themselves confronted with deep-pocketed companies – both established ones Read more about Juicy licensing deals with AI companies show that publishers don’t really care about creators[…]
Like them or not, ads run the world. They’re the reason so much content out there is free of charge—or, at least, less expensive. But while it’s one thing to watch an ad before jumping into a YouTube video, or to see ads surrounding an article, it’s another thing entirely to be forced to see Read more about LG Has Started Showing Screensaver Ads on Their Smart TVs | Lifehacker[…]
Europe’s top court on Tuesday upheld a 2.4 billion euro ($2.65 billion) fine imposed on Google for abusing its dominant position by favoring its own shopping comparison service. [….] The fine stems from an antitrust investigation by the European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, which concluded in 2017. The commission said at Read more about Google’s 2.4 billion euro shopping comparison fine upheld by Europe’s top court[…]
Apple will be required to pay $14 billion in back taxes to Ireland after Europe’s top court released a new ruling on Tuesday, according to a report from the Financial Times. Apple CEO Tim Cook has previously called the case “total political crap” but the judgment is final and Apple will not be able to Read more about Apple Ordered to Pay $14 Billion in Back Taxes to EU[…]
Peloton on Thursday said it will start charging new subscribers a one-time $95 activation fee if they bought their hardware on the secondary market as more consumers snag lightly used equipment for a fraction of the typical retail price. […] During its fiscal fourth quarter, which ended June 30, Peloton said it saw a “steady Read more about Peloton to charge $95 activation fee for used bikes[…]
Apple takes a lot of strong positions, but their ultimate hill to die on might just be requiring apps to make purchases through the tech giant. The latest example comes from Patreon, which announced that Apple is requiring it to switch over to the iOS in-app purchase system or risk expulsion. Patreon’s entire purpose is Read more about Patreon will have to use Apple’s in-app purchase system or be removed from the App Store. Also only subscriptions now.[…]
The U.K. government has launched a preliminary investigation into the partnership between Amazon and Anthropic to see if it will significantly lessen competition. This comes days after a similar probe was announced into Alphabet’s collaboration with the AI startup. In March, Amazon concluded its $4 billion (£3.16 billion) investment in Anthropic, the company behind the Read more about Amazon-Anthropic Investment Investigated by UK Government – is it a stealth merger?[…]
Apple this week revised its alternative contractual terms for devs selling apps in the European Union – a revision that was immediately dismissed by critics as more “malicious compliance.” […] Essentially, Apple has allowed developers in the EU to choose whether they want to use its own In‑App Purchase system for App Store transactions or Read more about Apple tries again to make EU officials happy with new fees for in-app purchases[…]
Warners Bros. Discovery has not been having a great time recently, and is going through a wave of increasingly desperate cost-cutting initiatives because of it. Several of those movements have felt particularly targeted at the studio’s animated offerings, from its inability to release finished films to selling off its current, past, and would-be successes to other Read more about Warner Bros. Scrubs Cartoon Network Website, Erasing Years of History[…]
British regulators said on Monday they were looking into the soaring use of digital wallets offered by Big Tech firms, including whether there are any competition, consumer protection or market integrity concerns. The Financial Conduct Authority and Payments Systems Regulator is seeking views on the benefits and risks, and will assess the impact digital wallets, Read more about Only 5 years too late: British regulators to examine Big Tech’s digital wallets – and where is the EU?[…]
The EU on Thursday accepted Apple’s pledge to open its “tap to pay” iPhone payment system to rivals as a way to resolve an antitrust case and head off a potentially hefty fine. The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm and top antitrust enforcer, said it approved the commitments that Apple offered earlier this year Read more about Apple settles EU case by opening its iPhone payment system to rivals[…]
NEW DELHI, July 12 (Reuters) – An investigation by India’s antitrust body has found that Apple exploited its dominant position in the market for app stores on its iOS operating system, engaging “in abusive conduct and practices”, a confidential report seen by Reuters showed. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has been investigating Apple Inc Read more about India antitrust probe finds Apple abused position in apps market[…]
The European Commission has sent a request for information to Amazon on measures taken to comply with a landmark EU law on content moderation, the Digital Services Act (DSA), according to a Friday (5 July) press release. It’s the latest in a barrage of similar requests, accusations, and fines from the EU executive against big Read more about European Commission probes Amazon, Temu, Shein over ad recommendation systems[…]
Italian prosecutors in Milan investigated the LVMH subsidiary Dior’s use of third-party suppliers in recent months. Prosecutors said these companies exploited workers to pump out bags for a small fraction of their store price. Citing documents examined by authorities, Reuters reported last month that Dior paid a supplier $57 to produce bags that retailed for Read more about Dior Paid a Contractor $57 to Make a Bag That Sold for Nearly $2,800 under really bad working conditions[…]