Google workers listen in on private conversations via smart speakers July 12, 2019 Google has admitted its contractors listen in on conversations people have with its smart speaker system, Assistant. The tech giant yesterday said its contractors can access recordings made by the system. It made the admission after the leak of several Dutch language recordings. Google Assistant starts to record audio when it hears a so-called wake [...]
Plans for internet regulation ‘could lead to censorship’ July 9, 2019 Government plans to crack down on internet firms over online harms could lead to the UK having the highest level of online censorship of all major democracies, a City law firm has warned. In its response to a recent government white paper, RPC said plans to hold businesses accountable for material posted to their platforms [...]
Competition watchdog launches probe into tech giants over digital advertising dominance July 3, 2019 The competition watchdog has launched an inquiry into major tech firms amid fears about their dominance in the digital advertising market. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) today said it has launched a market study into online platforms such as Facebook and Google, which are funded almost entirely by digital advertising. Read more: Hammond calls [...]
Internet regulation poses ‘serious threat’ to free speech and innovation June 20, 2019 Government plans to tighten regulations against internet companies pose a serious threat to free speech and will damage the economy, according to a new report. The Adam Smith Institute (ASI) warned that making platforms such as Google and Facebook accountable for material posted by their users could lead to widespread censorship. Read more: Online harms [...]
Activists call for break up of Google June 19, 2019 Protesters are calling on Google’s parent company Alphabet to break itself up before it is forced to by regulators. Sum Of Us, a US-based activist group, will ask shareholders to vote on breaking the company up at a meeting at the company’s offices in California today. Read more: Amazon overtakes Apple and Google as world’s [...]
Social media firms team up with advertisers to fight online harms June 18, 2019 Social media giants including Facebook and Google have formed a new alliance with brands and ad agencies in a bid to crack down on harmful material online. A total of 16 brands, including Unilever, Diageo and Procter & Gamble, have signed up to a new working group that will lobby publishers and platforms to remove [...]
Amazon overtakes Apple and Google as world’s most valuable brand June 11, 2019 Amazon has surged past tech rivals Apple and Google to be crowned the world’s most valuable brand. The e-commerce giant jumped in brand value by 52 per cent over the last year to reach $315.5bn (£405.9bn), according to the latest figures from WPP and Kantar. Read more: Amazon to deliver packages by drone ‘within months’ [...]
G20 vows to crack down on tech giant tax havens by 2020 June 9, 2019 Tech giants such as Facebook and Google will face a crackdown to ensure they pay their corporate taxes in full, after G20 finance ministers vowed to wrap up new laws by the end of the year. In a communique issued after a meeting in Japan, the finance ministers said they would compile new rules to [...]
Google: Huawei ban is a national security risk June 7, 2019 Google has warned the Trump administration it risks compromising US national security if it pushes ahead with planned restrictions on Huawei. Senior executives at Google are pushing US officials to exempt it from a ban on exports to the Chinese company, according to the Financial Times. The Trump administration announced the ban after trade talks [...]
Google Cloud buys analytics firm Looker for $2.6bn June 6, 2019 Google will buy analytics firm Looker for $2.6bn (£2bn) as it looks to expand its cloud offerings. Read more: Microsoft and Oracle team up to take on Amazon Web Services The deal is the first big move for the company’s new cloud chief, Oracle veteran Thomas Kurian, who replaced Diane Greene last year. The acquisition [...]