Record French fines for Google and Shein over cookies
France’s data protection authority on Wednesday issued record fines against search giant Google and fast-fashion platform Shein for failing to respect the law on internet cookies. The two groups, each with tens of millions of users in France, received two of the heaviest penalties ever imposed by the CNIL watchdog: 150 million euros ($175 million) […]
Jury tells Google to pay $425 mn over app privacy
A US federal jury on Wednesday ordered Google to pay about $425 million for gathering information from smartphone app use even when people opted for privacy settings, the company confirmed. “This case is about Google’s illegal interception of consumers’ private activity on consumer mobile applications (apps),” attorneys for the plaintiffs charged in a class action […]
Google agrees to US$36m fine over Android search deals
Google has agreed to pay a Aus$55 million (US$36 million) penalty for striking “anti-competitive” deals to pre-install only its own search engine on Android mobile phones sold by two leading Australian telecoms firms. Australia’s competition authority said it had launched proceedings in the Federal Court and jointly submitted with Google Asia Pacific that it should […]
Google halts workplace diversity push
Google parent company Alphabet has stopped making diversity and inclusion a workplace priority, according to a filing Wednesday with US regulators. The internet giant’s annual 10-K report, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), no longer contained a commitment to workplace inclusion and diversity that had been there the prior year. “At Alphabet, we […]
Google pledge against using AI for weapons vanishes
Google on Tuesday updated its principles when it comes to artificial intelligence, removing vows not to use the technology for weapons or surveillance. Revised AI principles were posted just weeks after Google chief executive Sundar Pichai and other tech titans attended the inauguration of US President Donald Trump. When asked by AFP about the change, […]
Google wants Search to be more like an AI assistant in 2025
Google Search is in the midst of a “journey” around AI, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said during the company’s earnings call on Tuesday. The start of that journey was AI overviews, a controversial and monumental shift in how Google delivers information to billions of Search users. But that was just the beginning. “As AI continues to […]
Google launches new AI models and brings ‘thinking’ to Gemini
Google launched its much-anticipated new flagship AI model, Gemini 2.0 Pro Experimental, on Wednesday. The announcement was part of a series of other AI model releases. The company is also making its “reasoning’ model, Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking, available in the Gemini app. Notably, Google is releasing these AI models as the tech world remains fixated […]
Google ad change could affect millions of small businesses
Google is changing the way its Google Local Services ads work, which could affect millions of small businesses. Google Local Services ads run locally and are a big way that small businesses market their goods and services. Ads appear on the top of Google search results. Starting Nov. 21, only businesses with a verified Google […]
