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California's right-to-repair act aims to guarantee access to replacement parts
Software, tools, and documentation must now be accessible years after production
In the US, California is renowned as one of the largest tech hubs in the country. However, accessibility to the products and services developed by California-based companies has been limited. Tech giants, such as Apple, have lobbied extensively to limit access to product parts that could be used in repairs. Now, California is set to pass its own right-to-repair act, which could eliminate the restrictions surrounding accessibility.
Health data privacy is the focus of a new bill in Congress
Preventing your info from being sold for targeted ads
The overturning of Roe v. Wade last year opened up major concerns about the privacy of personal health data and whether health care services could be compelled to disclose it to the government or, perhaps worse, sell it to ad buyers. The right to privacy, at least in this very specific situation, could be reinstated not by case law, but by Congress — a new bill has been introduced in the Senate that will prohibit any personally identifiable health and location data from being sold for advertising purposes.
Appeals court sides with Texas and its social media anti-censorship law
We'll see if Big Tech brings this to SCOTUS
Back in May, we reported on a controversial Texas law that would prohibit operators of web platforms with more than 50 million monthly active users from censoring or banning users for lawful expression of a citizen's "viewpoint," potentially curtailing their ability to moderate inciting content or hate speech. A consortium of tech giants challenged the law on the grounds that the First Amendment protects citizens from the government's control of expression and that operators have the unreserved right to manage speech on private platforms. That argument, though, hasn't resonated with judges.
Google reportedly offers to reorganize ad business to head off US antitrust case
But it's probably not enough to assuage the feds
Big Tech is increasingly in the sights of US regulators, and Google is at the top of the list. For the last several years, Google has been the target of a Justice Department probe that observers believe will lead to a Microsoft-style lawsuit seeking to break up the search giant. A new report claims that Google is so concerned about the prospects of a suit that it's willing to voluntarily reorganize its ad business. And it's made some interesting offers to the government.
Google unironically warns that antitrust action against it could literally kill you
Nice search engine you got there, would be a shame if something happened to it
Google is no stranger to being charged with anticompetitive actions, but the severity of those accusations has really heated up over the last few years. Lawsuits filed in the US and the EU — some of which the company has already lost — have argued that its dominance over online search has given it the power to favor its own products and results, all while allegedly creating backroom deals with Facebook and manipulating ad prices. Google is defending itself in a new blog post that aims to push US lawmakers to avoid passing legislation that, in its opinion, would harm the user's overall experience.
Congress really wants to blame social media for the insurrection, subpoenas Alphabet and everyone else
With YouTube specifically called out
Although it may feel like a distant memory, the January 6th Capitol riots only occurred one year ago this month. A group of congressional members is currently in the midst of an investigation into all things surrounding the event, and today, they've set their eyes on several tech companies. In addition to several social media platforms, Google's parent company now needs to turn over information regarding any role its platforms — and specifically YouTube — played on that day.
Sonos vs. Google FAQ: What the ITC decision means for the future of Google devices
Everything you need to know
The recent decision from the USITC regarding the legal battle between Google and Sonos is bound to have some ripple effects throughout the world of tech, even if only in the short term. It's an outcome that has already had some impact on devices you have in your house right now, and likewise, this story is bound to continue developing over the incoming weeks and months.
The FCC may finally do something — anything — about phone number theft
But the commission has only announced that it's started making rules to combat SIM swapping
The FCC is poised to tackle some of the most common threats in modern identity theft as it begins drafting rules against SIM swapping and port-out fraud.
South Korea could be the first country to legislate open app store payments
It's the most aggressive action taken by any country to loosen the stranglehold on mobile app monetization
South Korea is set to regulate an end to exclusive payment terms on app stores, striking an economic blow against the integrated mobile systems of Google and Apple. A bill approved by the National Assembly this week would force both companies to allow app developers to accept payments from third-party systems, on the Play Store and App Store, respectively. This would threaten the lucrative cut (between 15% and 30%) they receive on each digital transaction.
India is demanding WhatsApp build a way to trace user messages
The government proposes a hash system that circumvents the decryption question
The Indian government has specified a proposal to Facebook-owned WhatsApp that would involve tying an alpha-numeric hash to every message sent on its platform without decrypting the message itself. The push for the app to follow new cyber crime rules comes as it struggles with a major hit to its reputation over a privacy policy change in the country.
Google will pay some Australian publishers after threat to leave market boomerangs
New Aussie names are joining the News Showcase program
Google is starting to back down on its threat to leave the Australian market. In a blog post today, the company extended an olive branch, highlighting Australian publishers that would be joining the News Showcase program, which pays publishers as part of a licensing program to refer traffic to their stories.
Google to pay $3.8 million in response to claims of bias against female and Asian employees
Just another workday at Google
Google’s market domination has drawn the company a lot of attention — and even more lawsuits. It has come under the microscope of several government agencies for exploiting its monopolistic position on so many occasions that we’ve frankly lost count. In the latest turn of events, Google is paying up $3.8 million in response to accusations of hiring and pay bias against female and Asian employees.
Bing to the rescue: Microsoft happy to step in if Google pulls out of Australia
This marks the first time anyone's actually looked forward to Bing
Google threatened to leave the Australian market if the local government pulls through with a law that would require search engines to pay publishers for linking to news articles. The threat hasn't gone down well, and in a turn of events that shouldn't surprise anyone, smaller competitors are ready to step in should Google pull through with its decision if the law is passed. Microsoft is ready to agree and work with the Australian government going forward, just like DuckDuckGo.
Google will disable Search in Australia if government insists that it pays publishers
"We don't respond to threats," says the Prime Minister
With great power comes great responsibility, and also great scrutiny — just ask Google. The world's leading search engine may have to pay publishers in Australia if new legislation is passed by the government. In response, Google has threatened to disable Search in the country if the new code is passed, and the threat has understandably not gone down well down under.
Google says Americans don’t want it broken up in reaction to proposed new anti-trust rules
Don't go breaking my Googz
Google, Amazon, Facebook, and other tech giants are increasingly coming under antitrust scrutiny, with high-profile sentences in the EU, cries for alternative app distribution platforms in India, and today's Google vs. Oracle Supreme Court hearing in the U.S. In the latest turn of events, the House Judiciary Committee has released a report on its investigation of competition in digital markets. Following the public hearing in July, it concludes that big companies are using their dominance to stifle the competition and proposes changes to antitrust laws. Naturally, Google isn't happy about these ideas.
Justice Department reportedly ready to sue Google for antitrust violations
The specifics of the complaint are still unknown
Google has been a target for anti-competitive lawsuits across the world, due to its dominance over online advertising, web searches, web browsers, and other industries. The United States Department of Justice (along with various states) has been conducting a probe into Google's potential antitrust violations for around a year, and now it seems a lawsuit could be imminent.
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Google is a massive company that touches the lives of almost everyone in the US, and that has led to increasing regulatory pressure. Amid rumors of a federal probe, 50 attorneys general have joined forces to launch an antitrust probe of the company. According to Texas AG Ken Paxton, the leader of the investigation, the inquiry will focus on Google's advertising business, but it could expand depending on what they find.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) launched a legal case against Qualcomm in 2017, and US District Judge Lucy Koh has just issued a scathing ruling against the dominant chipmaker. Koh's 233-page ruling details how Qualcomm illegally used its leverage in the market to stifle competition and impose unfair fees. As a result, Qualcomm's stock price has taken a nosedive.
After years of dancing around one another, the monumental legal fight between Apple and Qualcomm final came to a head on Monday as the trial itself began. The culmination of over three years of planning and potentially billions of dollars of damages, this courtroom showdown was set to be the drama of the year, but before it's even really started, it's already over. Apple and Qualcomm have reached a settlement, dropping all ongoing litigation.
The European Parliament voted in favor of reforming the (admittedly due to be adjusted) copyright law in Europe. By itself, the new law isn't that controversial and will actually help creators and journalists get their fair share of income from big online players like YouTube and Google News. But don't put your torchlights and pitchforks down just yet. The directive might lead big platforms to implement upload filters to catch copyright infringement before content is published — which could possibly kill GIFs and memes.