Google is seeking to overturn the first of three hefty <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/google-facebook-to-pay-publishers-for-use-of-news-in-eu-205923">European Union antitrust </a>fines at Europe's second-highest court in a landmark case that could determine how EU enforcers take on US tech giants for abuse of market power.

The company will lay out its arguments against a 2.4 billion Euro fine handed out by the European Commission during a three-day hearing at the General Court. EU regulators said this <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-countries-back-copyright-reforms-aimed-at-google-facebook-198643">penalty was for Google</a>'s favouring its price comparison shopping service to the disadvantage of smaller European rivals.

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/eu-slams-google-with-record-242-billion-euro-fine-for-alleged-biased-search-results-17330">EU has fined Google</a> a total of 8.25 billion Euros in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/eu-slaps-third-anti-trust-charge-on-tech-giant-google-2512">three separate cases</a>, including one involving its Android smartphone operating system. This is four times more than its rival Microsoft's EU fines of 2.2 billion Euros. Both companies' regulatory troubles in Europe have lasted a decade.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/eu-antitrust-regulators-say-they-are-investigating-googles-data-collection-265506">EU antitrust regulators investigating Google's data collection: Report</a>

Google is expected to launch a three-pronged attack against the Commission's 2017 decision which also included an order to treat competitors equally. "It is wrong on the law, the facts, and economics. Shopping ads have always helped people find the products they are looking for quickly and easily, and helped merchants to reach potential customers," Google said in a statement.

The key issue is whether self preferencing is anti-competitive and whether Amazon and eBay should be counted as Google's rivals. 
For rivals, the case centres on Google's role as a central online gatekeeper.

"Google's search service acts as a de-facto kingmaker. If you are not found, the rest cannot follow. No company should be allowed to abuse such position to promote its services at the detriment of competitors and consumers alike," said lawyer Thomas Hoppner who advises clients who are critical of Google.

"The judgement will have repercussions for a large variety of industries that depend on a judicial ranking of their services on Google Search," he said. The court ruling is likely to come next year.

In the meantime, Margrethe Vestager in her new beefed-up role as Europe's digital chief will not be idle. She is set to announce several proposals in the coming months to rein in dominant US online groups amid push back by the United States and the companies. 
&nbsp;

Google is seeking to overturn the first of three hefty European Union antitrust fines at Europe's second-highest court in a landmark case that could determine how EU enforcers take on US tech giants for abuse of market power.

Google is seeking to overturn the first of three hefty European Union antitrust fines at Europe's second-highest court in a landmark case that could determine how EU enforcers take on US tech giants for abuse of market power. The company will lay out its arguments against a 2.4 billion Euro fine handed out by the European Commission during a three-day hearing at the General Court. EU regulators said this penalty was for Google's favouring its price comparison shopping service to the disadvantage of smaller European rivals. The EU has fined Google a total of 8.25 billion Euros in three separate cases, including one involving its Android smartphone operating system. This is four times more than its rival Microsoft's EU fines of 2.2 billion Euros. Both companies' regulatory troubles in Europe have lasted a decade. Also Read: EU antitrust regulators investigating Google's data collection: Report Google is expected to launch a three-pronged attack against the Commission's 2017 decision which also included an order to treat competitors equally. "It is wrong on the law, the facts, and economics. Shopping ads have always helped people find the products they are looking for quickly and easily, and helped merchants to reach potential customers," Google said in a statement. The key issue is whether self preferencing is anti-competitive and whether Amazon and eBay should be counted as Google's rivals. For rivals, the case centres on Google's role as a central online gatekeeper. "Google's search service acts as a de-facto kingmaker. If you are not found, the rest cannot follow. No company should be allowed to abuse such position to promote its services at the detriment of competitors and consumers alike," said lawyer Thomas Hoppner who advises clients who are critical of Google. "The judgement will have repercussions for a large variety of industries that depend on a judicial ranking of their services on Google Search," he said. The court ruling is likely to come next year. In the meantime, Margrethe Vestager in her new beefed-up role as Europe's digital chief will not be idle. She is set to announce several proposals in the coming months to rein in dominant US online groups amid push back by the United States and the companies.

Google goes to court over EU antitrust fines

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/how-a-man-hacked-google-maps-to-show-virtual-traffic-jams-with-99-mobile-phones-and-a-red-cart-278498">Google&nbsp;</a>on Tuesday said that a software&nbsp;glitch&nbsp;resulted in some <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-tech/google-photoscan-a-new-app-that-converts-your-printed-photos-into-high-quality-digital-images-8886/amp">Photo app</a> smartphone&nbsp;videos&nbsp;being given to the wrong&nbsp;people.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-tech/google-photoscan-a-new-app-that-converts-your-printed-photos-into-high-quality-digital-images-8886/amp">Google&nbsp;</a>was notifying those who may have been affected.

"We are very sorry this happened,"&nbsp;Google&nbsp;said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/how-a-man-hacked-google-maps-to-show-virtual-traffic-jams-with-99-mobile-phones-and-a-red-cart-278498">How a man 'hacked' Google maps to show 'virtual traffic jams' with 99 mobile phones and a red cart</a>

"We fixed the underlying issue and have conducted an in-depth analysis to help prevent this from ever happening again."

It was estimated that a small fraction of a per cent of those who used a&nbsp;"Takeout" tool may have encountered the&nbsp;glitch, which affected&nbsp;people&nbsp;who used the app to export stored&nbsp;videos&nbsp;from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-tech/google-photoscan-a-new-app-that-converts-your-printed-photos-into-high-quality-digital-images-8886/amp">Google&nbsp;Photos</a> between November 21 and November 25 of last year.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/alphabet-googles-parent-company-now-a-1-trillion-enterprise-fourth-us-company-to-achieve-this-feat-274982">Google's parent company now a $1 trillion enterprise; fourth US company to achieve the feat</a>

"These users may have received either an incomplete archive or&nbsp;videos,&nbsp;not photos that were not theirs,"&nbsp;Google&nbsp;said.

Google&nbsp;Takeout is a tool intended to make it simple for&nbsp;people&nbsp;to download copies of their data from cloud-hosted services such as email or storage of photos and&nbsp;videos.

Takeout was intended to provide&nbsp;people&nbsp;with an easy way to liberate their personal data from online services. In this case, however, the bug delivered&nbsp;videos&nbsp;to the wrong&nbsp;people.

Google on Tuesday said that a software glitch resulted in some Photo app smartphone videos being given to the wrong people. Google was notifying those who may have been affected.

Google on Tuesday said that a software glitch resulted in some Photo app smartphone videos being given to the wrong people. Google was notifying those who may have been affected. "We are very sorry this happened," Google said. Also read: How a man 'hacked' Google maps to show 'virtual traffic jams' with 99 mobile phones and a red cart "We fixed the underlying issue and have conducted an in-depth analysis to help prevent this from ever happening again." It was estimated that a small fraction of a per cent of those who used a "Takeout" tool may have encountered the glitch, which affected people who used the app to export stored videos from Google Photos between November 21 and November 25 of last year. Also read: Google's parent company now a $1 trillion enterprise; fourth US company to achieve the feat "These users may have received either an incomplete archive or videos, not photos that were not theirs," Google said. Google Takeout is a tool intended to make it simple for people to download copies of their data from cloud-hosted services such as email or storage of photos and videos. Takeout was intended to provide people with an easy way to liberate their personal data from online services. In this case, however, the bug delivered videos to the wrong people.

Google says glitch sent people's videos to strangers

A man in Germany "hacked"&nbsp;the Google map site with a red cart filled with 99 smartphones causing a "virtual traffic jam"&nbsp;on the site.

The man, Simon Weckert, an artist, began the "Google Map Hack"&nbsp;project after noticing a traffic jam on a Berlin street where a demonstration was taking place a few years ago although there were no cars on the road.

He later realised it was not the people but a large number of smartphones in one place which the much-used Google maps had picked up.

In a series of tweets on Twitter, Weckart said, "99 smartphones are transported in a handcart to generate virtual traffic jam in Google Maps. Through this activity, it is possible to turn a green street red which has an impact in the physical world by navigating cars on another route!"

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
99 smartphones are transported in a handcart to generate virtual traffic jam in Google Maps. Through this activity, it is possible to turn a green street red which has an impact in the physical world by navigating cars on another route! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/googlemapshacks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#googlemapshacks</a> <a href="https://t.co/3gixMxopE6">https://t.co/3gixMxopE6</a> <a href="https://t.co/6KcMm1XgAF">pic.twitter.com/6KcMm1XgAF</a>
— Simon Weckert (@simon_deliver) <a href="https://twitter.com/simon_deliver/status/1223569659645112320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Weckert who focuses his work on the digital world clearly exposed a large chink in the Google map which is used widely around the world.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Oh by the way do you know that we all can celebrate Google Maps 15th birthday in one week ? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/googlemapshacks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#googlemapshacks</a> "The map is not the territory ..... but another version of reality." (Korzybski 1933) <a href="https://t.co/Th0AwqLr9h">pic.twitter.com/Th0AwqLr9h</a>
— Simon Weckert (@simon_deliver) <a href="https://twitter.com/simon_deliver/status/1224104227678625794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

After his work and the story went viral, a Google spokesman said: "Traffic data in Google Maps is refreshed continuously thanks to information from a variety of sources, including aggregated anonymized data from people who have location services turned on and contributions from the Google Maps community."&nbsp;

"We’ve launched the ability to distinguish between cars and motorcycles in several countries including India, Indonesia and Egypt, though we haven’t quite cracked travelling by wagon. We appreciate seeing creative uses of Google Maps like this as it helps us make maps work better over time," it added.

Weckert used a simple technique to hack into Google's map, he would walk up and down the street with his cart stuffed with phones and after about an hour the Google map would show a red line on the map indicating that heavy traffic had slowed down cars on the road.

A man in Germany "hacked" the Google map site with a red cart filled with 99 smartphones causing a "virtual traffic jam" on the site. The man, Simon Weckert, an artist, began the "Google Map Hack" project after noticing a traffic jam on a Berlin street where a demonstration was taking place a few years ago although there were no cars on the road.

A man in Germany "hacked" the Google map site with a red cart filled with 99 smartphones causing a "virtual traffic jam" on the site. The man, Simon Weckert, an artist, began the "Google Map Hack" project after noticing a traffic jam on a Berlin street where a demonstration was taking place a few years ago although there were no cars on the road. He later realised it was not the people but a large number of smartphones in one place which the much-used Google maps had picked up. In a series of tweets on Twitter, Weckart said, "99 smartphones are transported in a handcart to generate virtual traffic jam in Google Maps. Through this activity, it is possible to turn a green street red which has an impact in the physical world by navigating cars on another route!" 99 smartphones are transported in a handcart to generate virtual traffic jam in Google Maps. Through this activity, it is possible to turn a green street red which has an impact in the physical world by navigating cars on another route! #googlemapshacks https://t.co/3gixMxopE6 pic.twitter.com/6KcMm1XgAF — Simon Weckert (@simon_deliver) February 1, 2020 × Weckert who focuses his work on the digital world clearly exposed a large chink in the Google map which is used widely around the world. Oh by the way do you know that we all can celebrate Google Maps 15th birthday in one week ? #googlemapshacks "The map is not the territory ..... but another version of reality." (Korzybski 1933) pic.twitter.com/Th0AwqLr9h — Simon Weckert (@simon_deliver) February 2, 2020 × After his work and the story went viral, a Google spokesman said: "Traffic data in Google Maps is refreshed continuously thanks to information from a variety of sources, including aggregated anonymized data from people who have location services turned on and contributions from the Google Maps community." "We’ve launched the ability to distinguish between cars and motorcycles in several countries including India, Indonesia and Egypt, though we haven’t quite cracked travelling by wagon. We appreciate seeing creative uses of Google Maps like this as it helps us make maps work better over time," it added. Weckert used a simple technique to hack into Google's map, he would walk up and down the street with his cart stuffed with phones and after about an hour the Google map would show a red line on the map indicating that heavy traffic had slowed down cars on the road.

How a man 'hacked' Google maps to show 'virtual traffic jams' with 99 mobile phones and a red cart

In the wake of the deadly coronavirus outbreak in China, Google has joined hands with the World Health Organisation to launch 'SOS' alert.

Google aims to prioritise information and tips on the virus and its spread from the WHO and its Twitter handle in its search results.&nbsp;

The alert is an initiative by the global search engine giant in a bid to spread awareness and information by trusted sources on 2019-nCov and tips on how to stay protected from it.&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/coronavirus-india-temporarily-suspends-e-visa-facility-for-chinese-and-foreigners-residing-in-china-278144">Coronavirus: India temporarily suspends e-visa facility for Chinese and foreigners residing in China&nbsp;</a>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/coronavirus-outbreak-voices-from-inside-quarantined-wuhan-278173/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

As a result, a user searching for coronavirus on Google will be displayed the SOS Alert box with information from WHO at the top of the results page.

The flu-like coronavirus, which is believed to have originated in a market that traded illegally in wildlife in Hubei's provincial capital Wuhan, has so far resulted in 304 deaths in China, state broadcaster CCTV said early on Sunday in China. Confirmed cases of the virus have been reported in 27 other nations, according to the CDC.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-indian-evacuees-from-wuhan-dance-at-indian-armys-quarantine-facility-in-manesar-278164">Indian evacuees from Wuhan dance at Indian Army's quarantine facility in Manesar</a>

While India has confirmed its second positive case of Coronavirus. The first death linked to the deadly outbreak outside China has been reported in the Philippines.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, New Delhi on Sunday temporarily suspended e-visa facility for Chinese and foreigners residing in China.&nbsp;

In the wake of the deadly coronavirus outbreak in China, Google has joined hands with the World Health Organisation to launch 'SOS' alert. Google aims to prioritise information and tips on the virus and its spread from the WHO and its Twitter handle in its search results.

In the wake of the deadly coronavirus outbreak in China, Google has joined hands with the World Health Organisation to launch 'SOS' alert. Google aims to prioritise information and tips on the virus and its spread from the WHO and its Twitter handle in its search results. The alert is an initiative by the global search engine giant in a bid to spread awareness and information by trusted sources on 2019-nCov and tips on how to stay protected from it. Also read: Coronavirus: India temporarily suspends e-visa facility for Chinese and foreigners residing in China × As a result, a user searching for coronavirus on Google will be displayed the SOS Alert box with information from WHO at the top of the results page. The flu-like coronavirus, which is believed to have originated in a market that traded illegally in wildlife in Hubei's provincial capital Wuhan, has so far resulted in 304 deaths in China, state broadcaster CCTV said early on Sunday in China. Confirmed cases of the virus have been reported in 27 other nations, according to the CDC. Also read: Indian evacuees from Wuhan dance at Indian Army's quarantine facility in Manesar While India has confirmed its second positive case of Coronavirus. The first death linked to the deadly outbreak outside China has been reported in the Philippines. Meanwhile, New Delhi on Sunday temporarily suspended e-visa facility for Chinese and foreigners residing in China.

Coronavirus outbreak: Google joins hands with WHO to provide SOS alert, trusted info and safety tips 

Out of the two coronas, one might give you a hangover while the other one can kill you, but as it seems, a huge lot of people from across the globe probably don`t understand this difference.

According to Fox News, the latest Google trends statistics reflect that searches for "corona beer virus" have seen a considerable spike in the recent days.

This made it quite apparent that people are confusing between the coronavirus disease and the popular beer brand Corona.

The eastern European nation of Estonia currently leads the pack for "corona beer virus" searches with marked surges seen across all the continents.

Fortunately, a gentleman named Realeboga Mashiane shined some light over this epidemic of ignorance by tweeting an image that clearly illustrated the difference between the two coronas.

Now it is rather safe to say that you can peacefully enjoy your pint without worrying about dying from acute pneumonia.&nbsp;

Out of the two coronas, one might give you a hangover while the other one can kill you, but as it seems, a huge lot of people from across the globe probably don`t understand this difference.

Out of the two coronas, one might give you a hangover while the other one can kill you, but as it seems, a huge lot of people from across the globe probably don`t understand this difference. According to Fox News, the latest Google trends statistics reflect that searches for "corona beer virus" have seen a considerable spike in the recent days. This made it quite apparent that people are confusing between the coronavirus disease and the popular beer brand Corona. The eastern European nation of Estonia currently leads the pack for "corona beer virus" searches with marked surges seen across all the continents. Fortunately, a gentleman named Realeboga Mashiane shined some light over this epidemic of ignorance by tweeting an image that clearly illustrated the difference between the two coronas. Now it is rather safe to say that you can peacefully enjoy your pint without worrying about dying from acute pneumonia.

People confusing between Corona beer and coronavirus: Google search trends reveal

Social media moderators for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/google-sparks-criticism-as-it-redesigns-it-search-page-makes-ads-look-like-organic-results-276570">Google</a> and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/now-trump-brags-about-beating-pm-modi-on-facebook-276206">Facebook</a> hired by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-tech/accenture-teams-up-with-microsoft-to-provide-legal-identification-to-refugees-17064">Accenture</a> have been asked to sign&nbsp;a disclosure agreement for post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD).

The step has been taken to ensure that the content moderators understand that the job can cause <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-adverse-impact-of-protest-on-mental-health-of-its-citizens-273375">PTSD</a> and thus, avoid it.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-adverse-impact-of-protest-on-mental-health-of-its-citizens-273375">After violence, one-third of Hong Kong citizens reported PTSD symptoms</a>

Social media moderators are responsible for monitoring and filtering content and images that are objectionable and disturbing.

''The wellbeing of the workers is the company's top priority,'' the company said in a statement.

''Only those who join the company recently recently are being asked to sign the forms,'' it added.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/first-ever-code-to-police-internet-social-media-giants-to-be-confined-by-code-of-conduct-275893">First-ever code to police internet, social media giants to be confined by code of conduct</a>

The employees of the company in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-demands-social-media-details-email-addresses-for-5-years-from-visa-applicants-223685">US </a>and across <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/europe-trip-to-get-costlier-as-schengen-visa-fee-hiked-to-eu80-from-february-2-274424">Europe </a>were sent the documents on January 25.

In these documents, support services such as a hotline and a wellness coach have ben offered to them.

Although they aim at offering psychological support to content moderators but they have not employed medical professionals and are not capable of diagnosing or treating mental disorders.

Interesting, lawsuits were filed by former content moderators against <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-tech/facebook-changes-algorithm-to-curb-tiny-group-of-spammers-17547">Facebook </a>over an array of mental health issues in California and Ireland.

Social media moderators for Google and Facebook hired by Accenture have been asked to sign a disclosure agreement for post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD). The step has been taken to ensure that the content moderators understand that the job can cause PTSD and thus, avoid it.

Social media moderators for Google and Facebook hired by Accenture have been asked to sign a disclosure agreement for post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD). The step has been taken to ensure that the content moderators understand that the job can cause PTSD and thus, avoid it. Also read: After violence, one-third of Hong Kong citizens reported PTSD symptoms Social media moderators are responsible for monitoring and filtering content and images that are objectionable and disturbing. ''The wellbeing of the workers is the company's top priority,'' the company said in a statement. ''Only those who join the company recently recently are being asked to sign the forms,'' it added. Also read: First-ever code to police internet, social media giants to be confined by code of conduct The employees of the company in the US and across Europe were sent the documents on January 25. In these documents, support services such as a hotline and a wellness coach have ben offered to them. Although they aim at offering psychological support to content moderators but they have not employed medical professionals and are not capable of diagnosing or treating mental disorders. Interesting, lawsuits were filed by former content moderators against Facebook over an array of mental health issues in California and Ireland.

Social media moderators asked to sign Post Traumatic Stress Disorder disclosure

&nbsp;The&nbsp;United&nbsp;States&nbsp;cautioned&nbsp;Britain&nbsp;ahead of a decision by Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-pm-boris-johnson-rejects-calls-for-no-deal-brexit-in-election-pitch-259559">Boris Johnson</a> on what role&nbsp;Huawei&nbsp;will have in 5G telecommunications networks that Washington still had significant concerns about the Chinese telecoms behemoth.

In the first big test of Brexit&nbsp;Britain's foreign policy, Johnson has so far resisted intense pressure from President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/kem-chho-trump-us-president-to-visit-ahmedabad-delhi-in-february-275056">Donald Trump</a>'s administration to block&nbsp;Huawei, which the&nbsp;United&nbsp;States&nbsp;fears could compromise British secrets.

Huawei, the world’s biggest producer of telecoms equipment, denies it is a vehicle for Chinese intelligence and says the&nbsp;United&nbsp;States&nbsp;wants to ban it because no US&nbsp;company can offer the same range of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/canadas-use-of-huawei-5g-would-hamper-its-access-to-us-intelligence-us-official-264310">5G technology</a> at a competitive price.

After a public disagreement between US&nbsp;and British ministers in Davos&nbsp;over&nbsp;taxes on digital services, US&nbsp;Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that he would be meeting with British finance minister on Saturday on&nbsp;Huawei.

"Let me just say again, it’s a complicated issue," Mnuchin said. "We’ve made very clear that it relates to all of the critical areas that we have significant concerns. But again, there’s an ongoing discussion on these issues."

Britain&nbsp;is expected to make a final call on how to deploy&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/some-huawei-suppliers-get-us-approval-to-restart-sales-to-blacklisted-firm-263525">Huawei</a>&nbsp;equipment in its 5G networks later this month.

In what some have compared to the Cold War arms race, the&nbsp;United&nbsp;States&nbsp;is worried that 5G dominance would give any global competitor such as China an advantage Washington is not ready to accept.

That puts Johnson on the spot with the&nbsp;United&nbsp;Kingdom's closest security ally just as he seeks to negotiate post-Brexit trade deals with both the European Union and the&nbsp;United&nbsp;States&nbsp;and juggle conflicting EU and US&nbsp;policy on Iran.

&nbsp;

Britain&nbsp;wants a trade deal with the&nbsp;United&nbsp;States&nbsp;but will still impose a digital service tax on the revenue of companies such as Google, Facebook, and Amazon, business minister Andrea Leadsom said on Thursday.

Leadsom said that&nbsp;Britain&nbsp;will soon decide what role&nbsp;Huawei&nbsp;will have but there are only a limited number of alternative providers, business minister Andrea Leadsom said on Thursday.

"Well there are other providers but they are limited, ideally there would be more providers of infrastructure similar to the work that&nbsp;Huawei&nbsp;does but the UK is looking very carefully at this issue and we will be making a final decision soon," Leadsom told Sky.

"It is an ongoing process and there are all sorts of factors to take into consideration, as you say, like the availability of other providers, like the work that&nbsp;Huawei&nbsp;has already done in the&nbsp;United&nbsp;Kingdom,&nbsp;so these discussions are ongoing," she said.

"I share the concerns of many citizens about protecting our national security interest," Leadsom said.

The United States cautioned Britain ahead of a decision by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on what role Huawei will have in 5G telecommunications networks that Washington still had significant concerns about the Chinese telecoms behemoth.

The United States cautioned Britain ahead of a decision by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on what role Huawei will have in 5G telecommunications networks that Washington still had significant concerns about the Chinese telecoms behemoth. In the first big test of Brexit Britain's foreign policy, Johnson has so far resisted intense pressure from President Donald Trump's administration to block Huawei, which the United States fears could compromise British secrets. Huawei, the world’s biggest producer of telecoms equipment, denies it is a vehicle for Chinese intelligence and says the United States wants to ban it because no US company can offer the same range of 5G technology at a competitive price. After a public disagreement between US and British ministers in Davos over taxes on digital services, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that he would be meeting with British finance minister on Saturday on Huawei. "Let me just say again, it’s a complicated issue," Mnuchin said. "We’ve made very clear that it relates to all of the critical areas that we have significant concerns. But again, there’s an ongoing discussion on these issues." Britain is expected to make a final call on how to deploy Huawei equipment in its 5G networks later this month. In what some have compared to the Cold War arms race, the United States is worried that 5G dominance would give any global competitor such as China an advantage Washington is not ready to accept. That puts Johnson on the spot with the United Kingdom's closest security ally just as he seeks to negotiate post-Brexit trade deals with both the European Union and the United States and juggle conflicting EU and US policy on Iran. Britain wants a trade deal with the United States but will still impose a digital service tax on the revenue of companies such as Google, Facebook, and Amazon, business minister Andrea Leadsom said on Thursday. Leadsom said that Britain will soon decide what role Huawei will have but there are only a limited number of alternative providers, business minister Andrea Leadsom said on Thursday. "Well there are other providers but they are limited, ideally there would be more providers of infrastructure similar to the work that Huawei does but the UK is looking very carefully at this issue and we will be making a final decision soon," Leadsom told Sky. "It is an ongoing process and there are all sorts of factors to take into consideration, as you say, like the availability of other providers, like the work that Huawei has already done in the United Kingdom, so these discussions are ongoing," she said. "I share the concerns of many citizens about protecting our national security interest," Leadsom said.

United States cautions Britain over Huawei's role in 5G

Social media giants will be legitimately bound to protect children from watching self-harm content.

In <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/british-royals-being-victim-of-media-invasion-275866">England</a>, social media giants such as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/alphabet-googles-parent-company-now-a-1-trillion-enterprise-fourth-us-company-to-achieve-this-feat-274982">Google</a>, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-sued-in-us-federal-court-for-alleged-anti-competitive-conduct-274773">Facebook </a>along with several others have been prohibited from publishing content that is '' detrimental to the physical and mental wellbeing of children,'' according to the Information Commissioner <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/britain-facial-recognition-makes-subtle-advance-262791">Elizabeth Denham</a>.

Potential fines are approximately worth billions of pounds will be enforced by the government to prevent cases of self-harm.

Also watch:&nbsp;Google CEO calls for artificial intelligence regulation

&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/google-ceo-calls-for-artificial-intelligence-regulation-275642/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The incident that prompted this decision was the suicide of a 14-year-old called Molly Russell who took her own life after watching several self-harm images on Instagram and other social media platforms.

The companies need to safeguard the privacy of the children and not to use their personal information for commercial purposes

They are also required to keep a check on ''addictive'' features that make them stay online, to prevent their grooming from paedophiles.

According to the Information Commissioner, ''it is the first step taken to ensure that digital services take responsibility for the experience of their users''.

Interestingly, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/bombay-high-court-rules-youtuber-to-pull-down-video-criticising-coconut-oil-275727">Bombay High Court </a>in <a href="http://13.235.153.162/india-news/india-may-force-social-media-platforms-to-offer-an-identity-verification-option-266375">India</a> gave a similar judgement on Tuesday where it ruled against a social media influencer who had criticised a hair oil brand.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/india-news/india-may-force-social-media-platforms-to-offer-an-identity-verification-option-266375">India may force social media platforms to offer identity-verification option</a>

While giving the judgement, the High Court also said that social media influencers should exercise their right to free speech and expression "cautiously" to ensure that their message does not harm anyone’s reputation.

Parliamentary Standing Committee on Women Empowerment met representatives of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-corrects-users-post-under-new-singapore-fake-news-law-265378">Facebook</a>&nbsp;group at Parliament House Annexe building on December 5 last year&nbsp;because&nbsp;of the rising crime against women on social media.

The Committee chaired by&nbsp;Heena Gavit in Lok Sabha discussed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/cyber-bullying-star-suicides-the-dark-side-of-south-koreas-k-pop-world-265173">cyber harassment</a>&nbsp;and cyberbullying with representatives of the social media giant, which owns Facebook, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/instagram-removes-igtv-button-from-home-screen-275586">Instagram </a>and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mohammed-bin-salman-caught-spying-jeff-bezos-accused-saudi-prince-of-hacking-his-phone-275857">WhatsApp</a>.

Social media giants will be legitimately bound to protect children from watching self-harm content. In England, social media giants such as Google, Facebook along with several others have been prohibited from publishing content that is '' detrimental to the physical and mental wellbeing of children,'' according to the Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham.

Social media giants will be legitimately bound to protect children from watching self-harm content. In England, social media giants such as Google, Facebook along with several others have been prohibited from publishing content that is '' detrimental to the physical and mental wellbeing of children,'' according to the Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham. Potential fines are approximately worth billions of pounds will be enforced by the government to prevent cases of self-harm. Also watch: Google CEO calls for artificial intelligence regulation The incident that prompted this decision was the suicide of a 14-year-old called Molly Russell who took her own life after watching several self-harm images on Instagram and other social media platforms. The companies need to safeguard the privacy of the children and not to use their personal information for commercial purposes They are also required to keep a check on ''addictive'' features that make them stay online, to prevent their grooming from paedophiles. According to the Information Commissioner, ''it is the first step taken to ensure that digital services take responsibility for the experience of their users''. Interestingly, the Bombay High Court in India gave a similar judgement on Tuesday where it ruled against a social media influencer who had criticised a hair oil brand. Also read: India may force social media platforms to offer identity-verification option While giving the judgement, the High Court also said that social media influencers should exercise their right to free speech and expression "cautiously" to ensure that their message does not harm anyone’s reputation. Parliamentary Standing Committee on Women Empowerment met representatives of the Facebook group at Parliament House Annexe building on December 5 last year because of the rising crime against women on social media. The Committee chaired by Heena Gavit in Lok Sabha discussed cyber harassment and cyberbullying with representatives of the social media giant, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.

First-ever code to police internet, social media giants to be confined by code of conduct

Now, Sundar Pichai-led Alphabet joins trillion dollar club

Google has started phasing out 'cookies' on its Google Chrome browser. Cookies are small pieces of data sent from a website and stored on the user's computer by their web browser while browsing.

Cookies were designed to facilitate websites to remember relevant information or to record the user's browsing activity.

Businesses track their customers using these cookies, and that's what <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/study-finds-google-system-could-improve-breast-cancer-detection-271720">Google</a> is trying to stop over the next two years. If successful, the move could re-define the consumption of user date online.

According to an official statement, Google is planning to prevent advertising software companies and other organisations from linking their browser cookies with websites they have no jurisdiction over.

<h6><img alt="Cookie" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="399d2829-57fb-4640-b56b-f39330ea8632" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%282%29_34.jpg" /> 
Image:&nbsp;Cookies were designed to facilitate websites to remember relevant information or to record the user's browsing activity | Twitter user @rustybrick&nbsp;</h6>

&nbsp;

Google's rival Apple underwent a similar change in 2017 with its browser Safari by limiting access and the use of cookies.

Currently, Google Chrome has a clear market monopoly with over 64 per cent of global users preferring the browser over others. This is almost thrice as greater as Safari's share, as reported by tracking company Statcounter.

The announcement was expected by industry insiders for months. However, the two-year goal is a fresh addition that was unheard of, until now.

After the announcement of ''cookie'' removal, shares of many advertising software companies fell. These include Criteo, which witnessed an 8 per cent decline, and Trade Desk Inc, which dropped by 1.4 per cent.

Until now, cookies were not regulated which allowed virtually any company to improve and target specific advertisements on the internet.

With cookies and the user data, it ushered in, users were kept logged into a website for multiple days. Specific target advertisements that are user-oriented are also enabled by cookies. Software vendors provide the information to advertisers who then target and sell.

Ever since the ''cookie'' came into being, and especially in contemporary times where data-breach and data privacy are becoming pertinent discourses, users and regulators have questioned the usage of this data by businesses.

Over the last three years, new privacy laws in California and Europe have triggered changes in the modus operandi of internet businesses.

<h6><img alt="Google" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e800b09f-f7f5-4fc2-8c6a-1fc14c5c404d" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%281%29_45.jpg" /> 
Image:&nbsp;The Google logo is seen January 8, 2020 at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas | AFP</h6>

&nbsp;

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University College London (UCL) and Aarhus University conducted a joint study into the use of cookies. They analysed five companies that offer consent management platforms (CMPs) for cookies used in the UK.

European Union laws demand that consent for cookies should be informed and explicit, however only 11.8 per cent of the sites met the minimal requirements of the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) law.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/france-fines-google-167-million-over-search-engine-ads-269344">France fines Google $167 million over search engine ads</a>

However, Google added that this cookie-blocker would not be enforced until more user-oriented privacy-focused alternatives are available.&nbsp;

If this cookie-elimination becomes a template pan-industry, it would require investment from website operators.

According to financial analysts, this move would have negligible to no effect on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/google-settles-longstanding-tax-dispute-with-australia-268943">Google's</a> self-operated advertisement business, for the technology giant has multiple others inlays into user data.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Google has started phasing out 'cookies' on its Google Chrome browser. Cookies are small pieces of data sent from a website and stored on the user's computer by their web browser while browsing.

Google has started phasing out 'cookies' on its Google Chrome browser. Cookies are small pieces of data sent from a website and stored on the user's computer by their web browser while browsing. Cookies were designed to facilitate websites to remember relevant information or to record the user's browsing activity. Businesses track their customers using these cookies, and that's what Google is trying to stop over the next two years. If successful, the move could re-define the consumption of user date online. According to an official statement, Google is planning to prevent advertising software companies and other organisations from linking their browser cookies with websites they have no jurisdiction over. Image: Cookies were designed to facilitate websites to remember relevant information or to record the user's browsing activity | Twitter user @rustybrick Google's rival Apple underwent a similar change in 2017 with its browser Safari by limiting access and the use of cookies. Currently, Google Chrome has a clear market monopoly with over 64 per cent of global users preferring the browser over others. This is almost thrice as greater as Safari's share, as reported by tracking company Statcounter. The announcement was expected by industry insiders for months. However, the two-year goal is a fresh addition that was unheard of, until now. After the announcement of ''cookie'' removal, shares of many advertising software companies fell. These include Criteo, which witnessed an 8 per cent decline, and Trade Desk Inc, which dropped by 1.4 per cent. Until now, cookies were not regulated which allowed virtually any company to improve and target specific advertisements on the internet. With cookies and the user data, it ushered in, users were kept logged into a website for multiple days. Specific target advertisements that are user-oriented are also enabled by cookies. Software vendors provide the information to advertisers who then target and sell. Ever since the ''cookie'' came into being, and especially in contemporary times where data-breach and data privacy are becoming pertinent discourses, users and regulators have questioned the usage of this data by businesses. Over the last three years, new privacy laws in California and Europe have triggered changes in the modus operandi of internet businesses. Image: The Google logo is seen January 8, 2020 at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas | AFP Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University College London (UCL) and Aarhus University conducted a joint study into the use of cookies. They analysed five companies that offer consent management platforms (CMPs) for cookies used in the UK. European Union laws demand that consent for cookies should be informed and explicit, however only 11.8 per cent of the sites met the minimal requirements of the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) law. Also read: France fines Google $167 million over search engine ads However, Google added that this cookie-blocker would not be enforced until more user-oriented privacy-focused alternatives are available. If this cookie-elimination becomes a template pan-industry, it would require investment from website operators. According to financial analysts, this move would have negligible to no effect on Google's self-operated advertisement business, for the technology giant has multiple others inlays into user data. (With inputs from Reuters)

Third-party cookies on Google Chrome all set to crumble

France's competition authority has fined Google $167 million for unclear advertising linked to web searches and resorting to anti-competitive behaviour.

In a strongly worded statement, the French authority asked Google to clarify the operating rules of its Google Ads advertising platform and the procedures for suspending the accounts of certain advertisers.

"Google holds an extraordinarily dominant position in search-based advertising, with a market share of between 90 and 100 per cent, said &nbsp;Isabelle de Silva, the chief of the French authority, adding,"when you have great power, you also have great responsibilities".

The competition body sought clear rules from Google and said that it could not be applied in "an erratic way".

"Uncertainty about the rules framework for advertisers may have discouraged the development of innovative sites", the competition authority said.

The development comes as Google faces backlash in several European countries over tax and privacy concerns. &nbsp;Last month the search giant had informed that it had updated how it handled political ads.

The US search giant said its rules ban any advertiser, including those with political messages, from making demonstrably false claims. Google said it will also limit targeting of political ads to general categories such as age, gender, or postal code level location.

"It's against our policies for any advertiser to make a false claim, whether it's a claim about the price of a chair or a claim that you can vote by text message, that election day is postponed, or that a candidate has died," Google ads product management vice president Scott Spencer had said.&nbsp;

Google had said it would begin changes in Britain and throughout the EU by year-end and around the world year next year.

In March, the European Commission had fined Google $1.7 billion for blocking rival online search advertisers. The European Commission had said that the anti-competitive practice had lasted a decade.

"Google has cemented its dominance in online search adverts and shielded itself from competitive pressure by imposing anti-competitive contractual restrictions on third-party websites," European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said while castigating the US company.

France's competition authority has fined Google $167 million for unclear advertising linked to web searches and resorting to anti-competitive behaviour. In a strongly worded statement, the French authority asked Google to clarify the operating rules of its Google Ads advertising platform and the procedures for suspending the accounts of certain advertisers.

France's competition authority has fined Google $167 million for unclear advertising linked to web searches and resorting to anti-competitive behaviour. In a strongly worded statement, the French authority asked Google to clarify the operating rules of its Google Ads advertising platform and the procedures for suspending the accounts of certain advertisers. "Google holds an extraordinarily dominant position in search-based advertising, with a market share of between 90 and 100 per cent, said Isabelle de Silva, the chief of the French authority, adding,"when you have great power, you also have great responsibilities". The competition body sought clear rules from Google and said that it could not be applied in "an erratic way". "Uncertainty about the rules framework for advertisers may have discouraged the development of innovative sites", the competition authority said. The development comes as Google faces backlash in several European countries over tax and privacy concerns. Last month the search giant had informed that it had updated how it handled political ads. The US search giant said its rules ban any advertiser, including those with political messages, from making demonstrably false claims. Google said it will also limit targeting of political ads to general categories such as age, gender, or postal code level location. "It's against our policies for any advertiser to make a false claim, whether it's a claim about the price of a chair or a claim that you can vote by text message, that election day is postponed, or that a candidate has died," Google ads product management vice president Scott Spencer had said. Google had said it would begin changes in Britain and throughout the EU by year-end and around the world year next year. In March, the European Commission had fined Google $1.7 billion for blocking rival online search advertisers. The European Commission had said that the anti-competitive practice had lasted a decade. "Google has cemented its dominance in online search adverts and shielded itself from competitive pressure by imposing anti-competitive contractual restrictions on third-party websites," European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said while castigating the US company.

France fines Google $167 million over search engine ads

Alphabet Inc's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/google-pay-to-offer-checking-accounts-through-citi-stanford-federal-261964">Google</a> has settled a "longstanding" tax dispute with Australia's tax office, it said on Wednesday, after paying an extra A$481.5 million ($326.75 million) on top of its previous tax bill.

The settlement comes after an audit that looked into the tech giant's tax practices between 2008 and 2018, a Google spokeswoman said.

In a separate statement, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) said it has now netted A$1.25 billion after also settling tax disputes recently with other tech giants such as Microsoft, Apple, and Facebook under the Multinational Anti-Avoidance Law (MAAL).

"Thanks to the efforts of our ATO officers under the Tax Avoidance Taskforce and the introduction of the MAAL, Australian sourced sales by these digital giants will now be returned to Australia’s tax base," the ATO said in a statement, calling the settlement "another e-commerce victory."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-tech/facebook-to-welcome-its-first-ever-facebook-tv-18323">Facebook</a>, Google, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/amazon-offers-employees-10000-to-quit-launch-delivery-business-218463">Amazon</a> and other large technology companies have faced criticism globally for reducing their tax bills by booking profits in low-tax countries regardless of the location of the end customer. Such practices are frowned upon by many countries as unfair.

A Google spokeswoman said the settlement with the ATO will provide certainty for future tax treatment.

Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said in a statement the establishment of the tax avoidance taskforce in 2016 has helped strengthen tax compliance of multinationals and large corporations.

"Ensuring large companies and multinationals pay the right amount of tax means we can continue to deliver the essential services Australians rely on," Frydenberg said.

Alphabet Inc's Google has settled a "longstanding" tax dispute with Australia's tax office, it said on Wednesday, after paying an extra A$481.5 million ($326.75 million) on top of its previous tax bill.

Alphabet Inc's Google has settled a "longstanding" tax dispute with Australia's tax office, it said on Wednesday, after paying an extra A$481.5 million ($326.75 million) on top of its previous tax bill. The settlement comes after an audit that looked into the tech giant's tax practices between 2008 and 2018, a Google spokeswoman said. In a separate statement, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) said it has now netted A$1.25 billion after also settling tax disputes recently with other tech giants such as Microsoft, Apple, and Facebook under the Multinational Anti-Avoidance Law (MAAL). "Thanks to the efforts of our ATO officers under the Tax Avoidance Taskforce and the introduction of the MAAL, Australian sourced sales by these digital giants will now be returned to Australia’s tax base," the ATO said in a statement, calling the settlement "another e-commerce victory." Facebook, Google, Amazon and other large technology companies have faced criticism globally for reducing their tax bills by booking profits in low-tax countries regardless of the location of the end customer. Such practices are frowned upon by many countries as unfair. A Google spokeswoman said the settlement with the ATO will provide certainty for future tax treatment. Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said in a statement the establishment of the tax avoidance taskforce in 2016 has helped strengthen tax compliance of multinationals and large corporations. "Ensuring large companies and multinationals pay the right amount of tax means we can continue to deliver the essential services Australians rely on," Frydenberg said.

Google settles longstanding tax dispute with Australia

This is what Indians searched most on Google in 2019

A new taskforce will now monitor the actions of tech giants such as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/facebook-no-longer-among-glassdoors-top-10-workplaces-267599">Facebook </a>and Google in Australia as the government took major steps but stopped short of a big clampdown recommended by the country's consumer watchdog.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday said several of The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC) major recommendations would be implemented, including the setup of a taskforce to monitor tech giants and "take enforcement action as necessary".

Earlier, AICC recommended new regulations to tackle global concerns ranging from anti-trust issues to privacy violation, and their role in spreading fake news and hateful content.&nbsp;

The PM also said that the government will review privacy laws to protect social media users.&nbsp;

On policing major tech companies, &nbsp;Morrison said that the proposals "need further consideration and engagement" given the "complexity of the issues and the potential to have economy-wide effects".

The Australia's news industry has faced massive trouble due to Google and Facebook as the number of newspaper and online journalists fell more than 20 per cent since 2014 because the digital advertising revenues were overwhelmingly captured by the two tech giants.&nbsp;

Morrison ordered the ACCC to work with tech titans and media organisations on the creation of a voluntary code of conduct to "address bargaining power imbalances" between the two sides.

(with inputs from AFP)

A new taskforce will now monitor the actions of tech giants such as Facebook and Google in Australia as the government took major steps but stopped short of a big clampdown recommended by the country's consumer watchdog.

A new taskforce will now monitor the actions of tech giants such as Facebook and Google in Australia as the government took major steps but stopped short of a big clampdown recommended by the country's consumer watchdog. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday said several of The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC) major recommendations would be implemented, including the setup of a taskforce to monitor tech giants and "take enforcement action as necessary". Earlier, AICC recommended new regulations to tackle global concerns ranging from anti-trust issues to privacy violation, and their role in spreading fake news and hateful content. The PM also said that the government will review privacy laws to protect social media users. On policing major tech companies, Morrison said that the proposals "need further consideration and engagement" given the "complexity of the issues and the potential to have economy-wide effects". The Australia's news industry has faced massive trouble due to Google and Facebook as the number of newspaper and online journalists fell more than 20 per cent since 2014 because the digital advertising revenues were overwhelmingly captured by the two tech giants. Morrison ordered the ACCC to work with tech titans and media organisations on the creation of a voluntary code of conduct to "address bargaining power imbalances" between the two sides. (with inputs from AFP)

Australia: Government stops short of major clampdown on Facebook, Google

The Communications&nbsp;Workers&nbsp;of America union filed a federal&nbsp;labour&nbsp;charge against Alphabet Inc's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/major-corporate-restructuring-at-google-sundar-pichai-becomes-ceo-of-alphabet-266155">Google</a>&nbsp;on Thursday, accusing the company of unlawfully&nbsp;firing&nbsp;four employees to deter&nbsp;workers&nbsp;from engaging in union activities.

The complaint, seen by Reuters, will trigger a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) investigation into whether&nbsp;Google&nbsp;violated the four individuals' right to collectively raise concerns about working conditions.

Google&nbsp;fired the four named employees "to discourage and chill employees from engaging in protected concerted and union activities," the filing states. "Its actions are the antithesis of the freedoms and transparency it publicly touts."

Google&nbsp;did not respond to a request for comment on the filing, though it has said the four&nbsp;workers&nbsp;were let go for violating the company's data-security policies.

Google&nbsp;also last month acknowledged hiring a consultancy known for defeating&nbsp;unionism.

The CWA union, which represents 700,000 North Americans working at <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-&amp;-economy/att-wins-court-approval-to-buy-time-warner-over-trump-opposition-143971?amp">AT&amp;T Inc</a>, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/frozen-2-south-korean-ngo-sues-disney-over-screen-monopoly-265962">Walt Disney Co</a>&nbsp;and companies in several other industries, has been trying to organise&nbsp;workers&nbsp;at&nbsp;Google, said Laurie Burgess, an attorney at Messing Adam &amp; Jasmine who worked on the NLRB filing.

The union stepped forward to make the charge against the company "because it has been harmed by&nbsp;Google's actions," she said.

If at the end of its investigation the NLRB finds&nbsp;Google&nbsp;has a case to answer, the union could seek to reach a settlement or, ultimately appeal to a court.

CWA spokeswoman Beth Allen said its organising director has been in touch with&nbsp;Google&nbsp;employees for some time to offer assistance.

"It's a good partnership we have and through their own organising if they decide they want to form a union, we’re here to help them," she said. "We really believe in&nbsp;workers&nbsp;leading their own struggles."

The four&nbsp;workers, who were fired November 25, "visibly led and participated in" organising at&nbsp;Google, according to the filing.

"I was fired for organising my coworkers&nbsp;and advocating for better working conditions for everyone who works at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sundar-pichai-named-alphabet-ceo-google-co-founders-step-down-266045">Google</a>&nbsp;(including employees, temps, vendors, and contractors)," one of the&nbsp;workers, Paul Duke, said in a tweet on Wednesday.

He and others in social media posts since their exit have alleged that&nbsp;Google, which has faced a swell of worker activism over the past two years, wanted to demonstrate consequences for speaking out.

Duke and sacked co-workers&nbsp;Laurence Berland and Sophie Waldman publicly signed a petition in August urging&nbsp;Google&nbsp;to reject business from three US&nbsp;immigration agencies that the petition said had mistreated migrants. The fourth fired worker, Rebecca Rivers, had protested&nbsp;Google&nbsp;policies that appeared to undermine its support for people who identify as gay, lesbian or transgender.

When the NLRB finds violations, it typically tries to help accusers and companies reach a settlement.

Google&nbsp;in September announced such a settlement after an employee accused the company of&nbsp;firing&nbsp;him for his conservative political views.&nbsp;Google&nbsp;said it agreed to remind employees that its "policies do not prevent employees from discussing workplace issues."

The company has long prided itself on listening to employee feedback and even adjusting course on the spot based on ideas at all-staff meetings. But it now serves more than 3 billion consumers and business customers across search, navigation and health technology, and it faces fierce competition in advertising and increased regulatory scrutiny.

The company in the last year has reeled in elements of its unorthodox culture, such as by cutting back on companywide meetings next year, as it deals with its much broader influence.

Workers&nbsp;and investors have been able to exercise limited oversight over&nbsp;Google's practices because co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin control Alphabet's shareholder voting power.

The co-founders stepped down Tuesday from their executive roles but retain their votes and board seats.

The Communications Workers of America union filed a federal labour charge against Alphabet Inc's Google on Thursday, accusing the company of unlawfully firing four employees to deter workers from engaging in union activities.

The Communications Workers of America union filed a federal labour charge against Alphabet Inc's Google on Thursday, accusing the company of unlawfully firing four employees to deter workers from engaging in union activities. The complaint, seen by Reuters, will trigger a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) investigation into whether Google violated the four individuals' right to collectively raise concerns about working conditions. Google fired the four named employees "to discourage and chill employees from engaging in protected concerted and union activities," the filing states. "Its actions are the antithesis of the freedoms and transparency it publicly touts." Google did not respond to a request for comment on the filing, though it has said the four workers were let go for violating the company's data-security policies. Google also last month acknowledged hiring a consultancy known for defeating unionism. The CWA union, which represents 700,000 North Americans working at AT&T Inc, Walt Disney Co and companies in several other industries, has been trying to organise workers at Google, said Laurie Burgess, an attorney at Messing Adam & Jasmine who worked on the NLRB filing. The union stepped forward to make the charge against the company "because it has been harmed by Google's actions," she said. If at the end of its investigation the NLRB finds Google has a case to answer, the union could seek to reach a settlement or, ultimately appeal to a court. CWA spokeswoman Beth Allen said its organising director has been in touch with Google employees for some time to offer assistance. "It's a good partnership we have and through their own organising if they decide they want to form a union, we’re here to help them," she said. "We really believe in workers leading their own struggles." The four workers, who were fired November 25, "visibly led and participated in" organising at Google, according to the filing. "I was fired for organising my coworkers and advocating for better working conditions for everyone who works at Google (including employees, temps, vendors, and contractors)," one of the workers, Paul Duke, said in a tweet on Wednesday. He and others in social media posts since their exit have alleged that Google, which has faced a swell of worker activism over the past two years, wanted to demonstrate consequences for speaking out. Duke and sacked co-workers Laurence Berland and Sophie Waldman publicly signed a petition in August urging Google to reject business from three US immigration agencies that the petition said had mistreated migrants. The fourth fired worker, Rebecca Rivers, had protested Google policies that appeared to undermine its support for people who identify as gay, lesbian or transgender. When the NLRB finds violations, it typically tries to help accusers and companies reach a settlement. Google in September announced such a settlement after an employee accused the company of firing him for his conservative political views. Google said it agreed to remind employees that its "policies do not prevent employees from discussing workplace issues." The company has long prided itself on listening to employee feedback and even adjusting course on the spot based on ideas at all-staff meetings. But it now serves more than 3 billion consumers and business customers across search, navigation and health technology, and it faces fierce competition in advertising and increased regulatory scrutiny. The company in the last year has reeled in elements of its unorthodox culture, such as by cutting back on companywide meetings next year, as it deals with its much broader influence. Workers and investors have been able to exercise limited oversight over Google's practices because co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin control Alphabet's shareholder voting power. The co-founders stepped down Tuesday from their executive roles but retain their votes and board seats.

Labour group accuses Google of illegally firing workers to stifle unionism

British Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-says-uk-pm-boris-johnson-very-capable-265958">Boris&nbsp;Johnson</a>&nbsp;said he would press ahead with new&nbsp;taxes on US internet giants like Facebook and Google, putting him at odds with US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-impeachment-row-according-to-call-records-nunes-had-frequent-contact-with-giuliani-266054">Donald Trump</a> who has threatened retaliation against France over its&nbsp;digital&nbsp;tax&nbsp;plans.

"On the&nbsp;digital&nbsp;services&nbsp;tax, I do think we need to look at the operation of the big&nbsp;digital&nbsp;companies and the huge revenues they have in this country and the amount of&nbsp;tax&nbsp;that they pay,"&nbsp;Johnson&nbsp;said on Tuesday, according to a BBC report.

"We need to sort that out. They need to make a fairer contribution."

Johnson's Conservative Party has committed to implementing a&nbsp;digital&nbsp;service&nbsp;tax&nbsp;on the revenue of companies such as Google, Facebook, and Amazon in its blueprint for government if it wins this month's national election.

Under the plan, tech companies that generate at least 500 million pounds($640 million) a year in global revenue will pay a levy of 2 per cent&nbsp;of the money they make from UK users from April 2020.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-threatens-france-with-100-tariffs-on-goods-over-digital-tax-265818">France</a>'s&nbsp;digital&nbsp;service&nbsp;tax, which has been set at a rate of 3 per cent&nbsp;of revenue derived from French users backdated to early 2019, has raised the&nbsp;ire&nbsp;of Trump.

The United States said on Monday said it could slap punitive duties of up to 100 per cent&nbsp;on $2.4 billion in imports from<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/will-act-and-react-as-one-european-union-on-proposed-us-tariffs-on-french-goods-265977"> France</a> of Champagne, handbags, cheese and other products.

"We've&nbsp;taxed wine and we have other&nbsp;taxes scheduled," Trump told reporters, sitting alongside French President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/cool-it-france-and-germany-to-tell-trump-at-nato-talks-266086">Emmanuel Macron</a> in London ahead of a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-calls-macrons-criticism-of-nato-very-very-nasty-before-summit-266035">NATO</a> summit, on Tuesday.

"We'd rather not do that, but that's the way it would work. So it's either going to work out, or we'll work out some mutually beneficial&nbsp;tax."

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would press ahead with new taxes on US internet giants like Facebook and Google, putting him at odds with US President Donald Trump who has threatened retaliation against France over its digital tax plans.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would press ahead with new taxes on US internet giants like Facebook and Google, putting him at odds with US President Donald Trump who has threatened retaliation against France over its digital tax plans. "On the digital services tax, I do think we need to look at the operation of the big digital companies and the huge revenues they have in this country and the amount of tax that they pay," Johnson said on Tuesday, according to a BBC report. "We need to sort that out. They need to make a fairer contribution." Johnson's Conservative Party has committed to implementing a digital service tax on the revenue of companies such as Google, Facebook, and Amazon in its blueprint for government if it wins this month's national election. Under the plan, tech companies that generate at least 500 million pounds($640 million) a year in global revenue will pay a levy of 2 per cent of the money they make from UK users from April 2020. France's digital service tax, which has been set at a rate of 3 per cent of revenue derived from French users backdated to early 2019, has raised the ire of Trump. The United States said on Monday said it could slap punitive duties of up to 100 per cent on $2.4 billion in imports from France of Champagne, handbags, cheese and other products. "We've taxed wine and we have other taxes scheduled," Trump told reporters, sitting alongside French President Emmanuel Macron in London ahead of a NATO summit, on Tuesday. "We'd rather not do that, but that's the way it would work. So it's either going to work out, or we'll work out some mutually beneficial tax."

Britain's Johnson backs digital tax despite Trump's ire

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sundar-pichai-named-alphabet-ceo-google-co-founders-step-down-266045">Google</a> has stopped accepting political advertisements in Singapore months before a widely expected election, according to documents shared by a small political party which said it was angered by the decision that denies it, voter, reach.

In email correspondence between the Singapore Democratic Party and a senior Google public policy official, the tech firm said it "will not accept advertising regulated by the Code of Practice for Transparency of Online Political Advertisements".

A spokeswoman for Alphabet Inc's&nbsp;Google told Reuters the email exchange was authentic but declined to comment further.

The new code of practice, part of a controversial '<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-bans-fake-news-created-with-ai-bots-265404">fake news</a>' law introduced in October, requires advertising intermediaries to maintain detailed records of political adverts and their sponsors and make those records available to authorities.

The code applies to "all advertisement or paid content that can reasonably be regarded as being directed towards a political end".

In the correspondence shared with media in a statement by SDP, Google's Vice President, Government Affairs and Public Policy, APAC, Ted Osius, said: "This was not an easy decision to make as Google is committed to delivering useful and relevant election-related information to users around the world."

Singapore, which has been ruled by the People's Action Party since independence in 1965, has repeatedly said it is vulnerable to foreign interference in its domestic affairs.

The city-state is gearing up for an election expected to take place within months.

SDP said the "shocking policy" would deprive voters of information ahead of that ballot.

"In an election with the media totally dominated by the state, alternative parties would have no ability to educate and inform the voters of Singapore in the run-up to the elections if we are not able to use&nbsp;Google's advertising platforms in the first place," Paul Tambyah, chairman of SDP, said in the correspondence.

The office administrating Singapore's new fake news law called the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA), did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Unlike Google, social media giant <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-tech/facebook-to-welcome-its-first-ever-facebook-tv-18323">Facebook</a> is still accepting political advertisements in Singapore after implementing new rules under the 'fake news' laws in September.

Facebook on Saturday attached a correction notice to a user's post in the first such instance under the new law.

Rights groups have raised concerns the fake news law could be used to stifle free speech and chill dissent in Singapore, charges government officials have denied.

Google banned political advertising on its platform before Canada's federal election earlier this year, after the country introduced stringent transparency rules.

Google also said last month it would stop giving advertisers data such as public voter records and general political affiliations to target their ads. The move coincides with pressure on social media platforms over their handling of political ads ahead of the US&nbsp;presidential election in 2020.

Google has stopped accepting political advertisements in Singapore months before a widely expected election, according to documents shared by a small political party which said it was angered by the decision that denies it, voter, reach.

Google has stopped accepting political advertisements in Singapore months before a widely expected election, according to documents shared by a small political party which said it was angered by the decision that denies it, voter, reach. In email correspondence between the Singapore Democratic Party and a senior Google public policy official, the tech firm said it "will not accept advertising regulated by the Code of Practice for Transparency of Online Political Advertisements". A spokeswoman for Alphabet Inc's Google told Reuters the email exchange was authentic but declined to comment further. The new code of practice, part of a controversial 'fake news' law introduced in October, requires advertising intermediaries to maintain detailed records of political adverts and their sponsors and make those records available to authorities. The code applies to "all advertisement or paid content that can reasonably be regarded as being directed towards a political end". In the correspondence shared with media in a statement by SDP, Google's Vice President, Government Affairs and Public Policy, APAC, Ted Osius, said: "This was not an easy decision to make as Google is committed to delivering useful and relevant election-related information to users around the world." Singapore, which has been ruled by the People's Action Party since independence in 1965, has repeatedly said it is vulnerable to foreign interference in its domestic affairs. The city-state is gearing up for an election expected to take place within months. SDP said the "shocking policy" would deprive voters of information ahead of that ballot. "In an election with the media totally dominated by the state, alternative parties would have no ability to educate and inform the voters of Singapore in the run-up to the elections if we are not able to use Google's advertising platforms in the first place," Paul Tambyah, chairman of SDP, said in the correspondence. The office administrating Singapore's new fake news law called the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA), did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Unlike Google, social media giant Facebook is still accepting political advertisements in Singapore after implementing new rules under the 'fake news' laws in September. Facebook on Saturday attached a correction notice to a user's post in the first such instance under the new law. Rights groups have raised concerns the fake news law could be used to stifle free speech and chill dissent in Singapore, charges government officials have denied. Google banned political advertising on its platform before Canada's federal election earlier this year, after the country introduced stringent transparency rules. Google also said last month it would stop giving advertisers data such as public voter records and general political affiliations to target their ads. The move coincides with pressure on social media platforms over their handling of political ads ahead of the US presidential election in 2020.

Google stops accepting political advertisements in Singapore month before the elections

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-tightens-bans-on-political-ads-and-causes-ahead-of-2020-us-election-262497">Twitter&nbsp;Inc</a>&nbsp;is updating its&nbsp;global&nbsp;privacy&nbsp;policy to give users more information about what data advertisers might receive and is launching a site to provide clarity on its data protection efforts, the company said on Monday.

The&nbsp;changes, which will take effect on January 1, 2020, will&nbsp;comply&nbsp;with the California Consumer&nbsp;Privacy&nbsp;Act (CCPA).

The California law requires large businesses to give consumers more transparency and control over their personal information, such as allowing them to request that their data be deleted and to opt-out of having their data sold to third parties.

Social media companies including <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-instagram-down-in-large-parts-of-the-the-world-203174">Facebook Inc </a>and Alphabet Inc's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/google-pay-to-offer-checking-accounts-through-citi-stanford-federal-261964">Google </a>have come under scrutiny on data&nbsp;privacy&nbsp;issues, fuelled by Facebook's Cambridge Analytica scandal in which personal data were harvested from millions of users without their consent.

Twitter&nbsp;also announced on Monday that it is moving the accounts of users outside of the United States and European Union which were previously contracted by&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;International Company in Dublin, Ireland, to the San Francisco-based&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;Inc.

The company said this move would allow it the flexibility to test different settings and controls with these users, such as additional opt-in or opt-out&nbsp;privacy&nbsp;preferences, that would likely be restricted by the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gdpr-eu-data-protection-regulation-comes-into-effect-139663">General Data otectPrion Regulation (GDPR)</a>, Europe's landmark digital&nbsp;privacy&nbsp;law.

"We want to be able to experiment without immediately running afoul of the GDPR provisions,"&nbsp;Twitter's data protection officer Damien Kieran told&nbsp;Reuters&nbsp;in a phone interview.

"The goal is to learn from those experiments and then to provide those same experiences to people all around the world," he said.

The company, which said it has upped its communications about data and security-related disclosures over the last two years, emphasized in a Monday blog post that it was working to upgrade systems and build&nbsp;privacy&nbsp;into new products.

In October,&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;announced it had found that phone numbers and email addresses used for two-factor authentication may inadvertently have been used for advertising purposes.

Twitter's new&nbsp;privacy&nbsp;site, dubbed the 'Twitter&nbsp;Privacy&nbsp;Center' is part of the company's efforts to showcase its work on data protection and will also give users another route to access and download their data.

Twitter&nbsp;joins other internet companies who have recently staked out their positions ahead of CCPA coming into effect. Last month, Microsoft Corp&nbsp;said it would honor the law throughout the United States and Google told clients that it would let sites and apps using its advertising tools block personalized ads as part of its efforts to&nbsp;comply&nbsp;with CCPA.

Twitter Inc is updating its global privacy policy to give users more information about what data advertisers might receive and is launching a site to provide clarity on its data protection efforts, the company said on Monday.

Twitter Inc is updating its global privacy policy to give users more information about what data advertisers might receive and is launching a site to provide clarity on its data protection efforts, the company said on Monday. The changes, which will take effect on January 1, 2020, will comply with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). The California law requires large businesses to give consumers more transparency and control over their personal information, such as allowing them to request that their data be deleted and to opt-out of having their data sold to third parties. Social media companies including Facebook Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google have come under scrutiny on data privacy issues, fuelled by Facebook's Cambridge Analytica scandal in which personal data were harvested from millions of users without their consent. Twitter also announced on Monday that it is moving the accounts of users outside of the United States and European Union which were previously contracted by Twitter International Company in Dublin, Ireland, to the San Francisco-based Twitter Inc. The company said this move would allow it the flexibility to test different settings and controls with these users, such as additional opt-in or opt-out privacy preferences, that would likely be restricted by the General Data otectPrion Regulation (GDPR), Europe's landmark digital privacy law. "We want to be able to experiment without immediately running afoul of the GDPR provisions," Twitter's data protection officer Damien Kieran told Reuters in a phone interview. "The goal is to learn from those experiments and then to provide those same experiences to people all around the world," he said. The company, which said it has upped its communications about data and security-related disclosures over the last two years, emphasized in a Monday blog post that it was working to upgrade systems and build privacy into new products. In October, Twitter announced it had found that phone numbers and email addresses used for two-factor authentication may inadvertently have been used for advertising purposes. Twitter's new privacy site, dubbed the 'Twitter Privacy Center' is part of the company's efforts to showcase its work on data protection and will also give users another route to access and download their data. Twitter joins other internet companies who have recently staked out their positions ahead of CCPA coming into effect. Last month, Microsoft Corp said it would honor the law throughout the United States and Google told clients that it would let sites and apps using its advertising tools block personalized ads as part of its efforts to comply with CCPA.

Twitter makes global changes to comply with privacy laws

European Commission's anti-trust regulators on Saturday said that it's investigating Google's collection of data, according to news agency Reuters. Google has again come under the lens of EU's anti-trust regulators despite record fines in recent years.

European Commission's anti-trust regulators on Saturday said that it's investigating Google's collection of data, according to news agency Reuters. Google has again come under the lens of EU's anti-trust regulators despite record fines in recent years. The EU executive said it was seeking information on how and why Alphabet unit Google is collecting data. "The Commission has sent out questionnaires as part of a preliminary investigation into Google's practices relating to Google's collection and use of data. The preliminary investigation is ongoing," the EU regulator was quoted as saying as per Reuters report. EU's focus is on data related to local search services, online advertising, online ad targeting services, login services, web browsers and others, the report added. European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager has handed down fines totalling more than 8 billion euros to Google in the last two years and ordered it to change its business practices. Google claimed that it uses data to better its services and that users can manage, delete and transfer their data at any time.

EU antitrust regulators investigating Google's data collection: Report

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/microsoft-increases-data-protection-responsibilities-for-european-union-262842">Microsoft&nbsp;Corp</a>&nbsp;said on Thursday it had been&nbsp;granted&nbsp;a&nbsp;licence&nbsp;from the US&nbsp;government to&nbsp;export&nbsp;software&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/some-huawei-suppliers-get-us-approval-to-restart-sales-to-blacklisted-firm-263525">Huawei&nbsp;Technologies Co </a>Ltd.

"On November 20, the US&nbsp;Department of Commerce&nbsp;granted&nbsp;Microsoft's request for a license to&nbsp;export&nbsp;mass-market&nbsp;software&nbsp;to&nbsp;Huawei. We appreciate the Department's action in response to our request," a&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;spokesman told Reuters via email.

The administration of US&nbsp;President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-behaviour-worse-than-nixon-head-of-impeachment-probe-263752">Donald Trump</a> said this week it would allow some suppliers to restart sales to the Chinese telecoms giant, which was placed on a trade blacklist over national security concerns six months ago.

The Commerce Department confirmed it had begun issuing licenses for some companies to sell goods to&nbsp;Huawei, expanding the company's supplier base and providing long-awaited clarity to the industry that once sold it billions of dollars worth of goods.

On Wednesday, a US&nbsp;official said it had received roughly 300&nbsp;licence&nbsp;requests, about half of which had been processed. Roughly half of those – or one-quarter of the total – had been approved and the rest denied.

It was not immediately clear which products had been approved for sale to&nbsp;Huawei, which is the world's top telecommunications equipment maker and second-largest smartphone maker. A person familiar with the process said Wednesday that some licenses for sales of cellphone components and non-electronic components were approved.

Microsoft&nbsp;declined to comment beyond its statement on which products had been approved, and the Commerce Department declined to comment.

Dan Ives, an analyst with Wedbush Securities, said the&nbsp;licence&nbsp;was most likely for the company's Windows operating system.

"This will be a major relief for&nbsp;Huawei&nbsp;after an arduous period with large technology players like&nbsp;Microsoft, Google and others restricted on the platform," Ives said.

Huawei&nbsp;has been anxiously awaiting a&nbsp;licence&nbsp;for Alphabet Inc's&nbsp;Google to supply its mobile services to new models. Without access to Google services such as its Play Store for apps,&nbsp;Huawei&nbsp;phones will become harder to sell to consumers outside of China. Google declined to comment on Thursday.

The granting of licenses comes as the Trump administration is working to sign a phase one trade deal with China to end a tit-for-tat trade war that has roiled markets and hit global growth.

But the move immediately met with opposition. A bipartisan group of 15 senators urged the Commerce Department to suspend the issuing of licenses, saying it could threaten US&nbsp;security.

In a letter on Thursday to Trump, the senators said the administration should halt issuing licenses until it provides Congress "a report outlining specific criteria for determining whether or not the approval of any license poses a national security threat."

Microsoft Corp said on Thursday it had been granted a licence from the US government to export software to Huawei Technologies Co Ltd. "On November 20, the US Department of Commerce granted Microsoft's request for a license to export mass-market software to Huawei.

Microsoft Corp said on Thursday it had been granted a licence from the US government to export software to Huawei Technologies Co Ltd. "On November 20, the US Department of Commerce granted Microsoft's request for a license to export mass-market software to Huawei. We appreciate the Department's action in response to our request," a Microsoft spokesman told Reuters via email. The administration of US President Donald Trump said this week it would allow some suppliers to restart sales to the Chinese telecoms giant, which was placed on a trade blacklist over national security concerns six months ago. The Commerce Department confirmed it had begun issuing licenses for some companies to sell goods to Huawei, expanding the company's supplier base and providing long-awaited clarity to the industry that once sold it billions of dollars worth of goods. On Wednesday, a US official said it had received roughly 300 licence requests, about half of which had been processed. Roughly half of those – or one-quarter of the total – had been approved and the rest denied. It was not immediately clear which products had been approved for sale to Huawei, which is the world's top telecommunications equipment maker and second-largest smartphone maker. A person familiar with the process said Wednesday that some licenses for sales of cellphone components and non-electronic components were approved. Microsoft declined to comment beyond its statement on which products had been approved, and the Commerce Department declined to comment. Dan Ives, an analyst with Wedbush Securities, said the licence was most likely for the company's Windows operating system. "This will be a major relief for Huawei after an arduous period with large technology players like Microsoft, Google and others restricted on the platform," Ives said. Huawei has been anxiously awaiting a licence for Alphabet Inc's Google to supply its mobile services to new models. Without access to Google services such as its Play Store for apps, Huawei phones will become harder to sell to consumers outside of China. Google declined to comment on Thursday. The granting of licenses comes as the Trump administration is working to sign a phase one trade deal with China to end a tit-for-tat trade war that has roiled markets and hit global growth. But the move immediately met with opposition. A bipartisan group of 15 senators urged the Commerce Department to suspend the issuing of licenses, saying it could threaten US security. In a letter on Thursday to Trump, the senators said the administration should halt issuing licenses until it provides Congress "a report outlining specific criteria for determining whether or not the approval of any license poses a national security threat."

Microsoft granted licence to export 'mass-market' software to Huawei

The Trump administration on Wednesday gave&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-china-trade-deal-may-not-be-signed-this-year-263497">Huawei</a>&nbsp;its second reprieve this week, allowing&nbsp;some&nbsp;suppliers&nbsp;to&nbsp;restart&nbsp;sales&nbsp;to the Chinese telecoms giant after it was placed on a trade blacklist over national security concerns six months ago.

The Commerce Department said it has begun issuing licenses for&nbsp;some&nbsp;companies to sell goods to&nbsp;Huawei, expanding the company's supplier base and providing long-awaited clarity to the industry that once sold it billions of dollars worth of goods.

It was not immediately clear which products had been approved for sale to the world's top telecommunications equipment maker. But&nbsp;Huawei&nbsp;Technologies Co Ltd, also the second-largest smartphone maker, has been anxiously awaiting a license for Alphabet Inc's Google to supply its mobile services to new models. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/google-to-make-stricter-regulatory-policy-for-political-ads-to-curb-abuse-263489">Google</a> declined to comment.

A&nbsp;US&nbsp;official said of roughly 300 license requests, about half have been processed. Roughly half of those – or one-quarter of the total – have been approved and the rest have been denied.

A different person familiar with the process added that&nbsp;some&nbsp;licenses for&nbsp;sales&nbsp;of cell phone components and non-electronic components were approved.

"The Department is issuing these narrow licenses to authorize limited and specific activities which do not pose a significant risk to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States," the Commerce Department said in a statement, without providing further detail.

The move came after the Commerce Department renewed the so-called temporary general license for the company for a third time on Monday, extending permission for&nbsp;Huawei&nbsp;to engage in limited transactions to assist&nbsp;US&nbsp;rural network operators.

The goodwill gestures come as the Trump administration is working to sign a phase one trade deal with China to end a tit-for-tat trade war that has roiled markets and hit global growth.

Many China hawks have voiced fears that the administration could relax sanctions on&nbsp;Huawei&nbsp;to appease Beijing and score a win on trade.

Republican Senator Marco Rubio said in a statement the company "poses a clear and growing threat to the economic and national security" of the United States and its allies.

"I strongly believe it's against America's national security interest to grant licenses for&nbsp;US&nbsp;exports that sustain or strengthen&nbsp;Huawei," he said, adding that the Commerce Department should inform lawmakers of what licenses were given.

But the Semiconductor Industry Association, a trade group, welcomed the Commerce Department's announcement, saying&nbsp;sales&nbsp;of the non-sensitive items help ensure the competitiveness of&nbsp;US&nbsp;chipmakers, "which is essential to national security."

"We hope license&nbsp;approvals continue to proceed in an appropriate and timely manner," the group added.

The United States has pending cases against&nbsp;Huawei&nbsp;for allegedly stealing American intellectual property and violating Iran sanctions. The administration has also lobbied&nbsp;US&nbsp;allies to keep&nbsp;Huawei&nbsp;out of next-generation 5G telecommunications infrastructure.&nbsp;Huawei&nbsp;denied the allegations.

The Trump administration put&nbsp;Huawei&nbsp;on a trade blacklist, citing national security concerns in May after trade talks broke down. Companies on the list are not allowed to receive shipments of&nbsp;US&nbsp;goods without a special license from the Commerce Department.

But in June,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-china-trade-deal-may-not-be-signed-this-year-263497">US&nbsp;President Donald Trump</a> said&nbsp;some&nbsp;sales&nbsp;would be allowed to the company, and&nbsp;US&nbsp;officials urged&nbsp;firms to apply for licenses, noting that they would be granted in cases where the items were readily available and did not compromise national security.

But until Wednesday, there had been no responses on the license requests.

Despite the good news, plenty of headwinds remain for&nbsp;Huawei, which is still awaiting rules from the Commerce Department that are expected to bar them from the&nbsp;US&nbsp;telecoms network.

"The White House isn't ready to pull the plug on&nbsp;Huawei&nbsp;because that would do almost as much harm to&nbsp;US&nbsp;companies," said James Lewis, a technology expert with the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. "But they're keeping it in reserve," he added.

The Trump administration on Wednesday gave Huawei its second reprieve this week, allowing some suppliers to restart sales to the Chinese telecoms giant after it was placed on a trade blacklist over national security concerns six months ago.

The Trump administration on Wednesday gave Huawei its second reprieve this week, allowing some suppliers to restart sales to the Chinese telecoms giant after it was placed on a trade blacklist over national security concerns six months ago. The Commerce Department said it has begun issuing licenses for some companies to sell goods to Huawei, expanding the company's supplier base and providing long-awaited clarity to the industry that once sold it billions of dollars worth of goods. It was not immediately clear which products had been approved for sale to the world's top telecommunications equipment maker. But Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, also the second-largest smartphone maker, has been anxiously awaiting a license for Alphabet Inc's Google to supply its mobile services to new models. Google declined to comment. A US official said of roughly 300 license requests, about half have been processed. Roughly half of those – or one-quarter of the total – have been approved and the rest have been denied. A different person familiar with the process added that some licenses for sales of cell phone components and non-electronic components were approved. "The Department is issuing these narrow licenses to authorize limited and specific activities which do not pose a significant risk to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States," the Commerce Department said in a statement, without providing further detail. The move came after the Commerce Department renewed the so-called temporary general license for the company for a third time on Monday, extending permission for Huawei to engage in limited transactions to assist US rural network operators. The goodwill gestures come as the Trump administration is working to sign a phase one trade deal with China to end a tit-for-tat trade war that has roiled markets and hit global growth. Many China hawks have voiced fears that the administration could relax sanctions on Huawei to appease Beijing and score a win on trade. Republican Senator Marco Rubio said in a statement the company "poses a clear and growing threat to the economic and national security" of the United States and its allies. "I strongly believe it's against America's national security interest to grant licenses for US exports that sustain or strengthen Huawei," he said, adding that the Commerce Department should inform lawmakers of what licenses were given. But the Semiconductor Industry Association, a trade group, welcomed the Commerce Department's announcement, saying sales of the non-sensitive items help ensure the competitiveness of US chipmakers, "which is essential to national security." "We hope license approvals continue to proceed in an appropriate and timely manner," the group added. The United States has pending cases against Huawei for allegedly stealing American intellectual property and violating Iran sanctions. The administration has also lobbied US allies to keep Huawei out of next-generation 5G telecommunications infrastructure. Huawei denied the allegations. The Trump administration put Huawei on a trade blacklist, citing national security concerns in May after trade talks broke down. Companies on the list are not allowed to receive shipments of US goods without a special license from the Commerce Department. But in June, US President Donald Trump said some sales would be allowed to the company, and US officials urged firms to apply for licenses, noting that they would be granted in cases where the items were readily available and did not compromise national security. But until Wednesday, there had been no responses on the license requests. Despite the good news, plenty of headwinds remain for Huawei, which is still awaiting rules from the Commerce Department that are expected to bar them from the US telecoms network. "The White House isn't ready to pull the plug on Huawei because that would do almost as much harm to US companies," said James Lewis, a technology expert with the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. "But they're keeping it in reserve," he added.

Some Huawei suppliers get US approval to restart sales to blacklisted firm

Google on Wednesday updated how it handles political ads as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/now-have-a-news-host-in-your-devices-google-assistant-263271">online platforms</a> remain under pressure to avoid being used to spread misleading information intended to influence voters.

The internet company said its rules already ban any advertiser, including those with political messages, from lying in ads. But it is making its policy more clear and adding examples of how that prohibits content such as doctored or manipulated images or video.

"It's against our policies for any advertiser to make a false claim,&nbsp;whether it's a claim about the price of a chair or a claim that you can vote by text message, that election day is postponed, or that a candidate has died," Google ads product management vice president Scott Spencer said in an online post.

Examples of banned ad material included ads or links to information making demonstrably false claims that could undermine voter trust or participation in elections.

"Of course, we recognize that robust political dialogue is an important part of democracy, and no one can sensibly adjudicate every political claim, counterclaim, and insinuation," Spencer said.

"So we expect that the number of political ads on which we take action will be very limited - but we will continue to do so for clear violations."

Google's main formats for political advertising are ads posted along with search query results, those shown at video viewing service YouTube, and display ads that appear on websites.

Google will also limit the targeting of political ads to general categories such as age, gender, or postal code level location.

"Political advertisers can, of course, continue to do contextual targeting, such as serving ads to people reading or watching a story about, say, the economy," Spencer said/.

"This will align our approach to election ads with long-established practices in media such as TV, radio, and print, and result in election ads being more widely seen and available for public discussion."

Google will begin enforcing the changes in Britain within a week and throughout the EU by the end of the year, then in the rest of the world starting January 6, according to Spencer.

Watch: Google claims quantum supremacy

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/google-claims-quantum-supremacy-257905/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Speech vs Truth

Snap this week confirmed that it checks political ads at Snapchat to make sure they are not deceptive or misleading and thus enforce its ban on such material.

The strategy seems to be a middle ground between Facebook's controversial tolerance of proven lies in political ads and Twitter's decision to ban them altogether.

Snap policies prohibit political ads that are deceptive or misleading, with an in-house team reviewing such paid messages to make sure they don't break the rules.

Twitter last week said its ban on political ads will exempt "cause-based" messages on topics related to social or environmental issues.

The San Francisco-based messaging platform plans to bar all paid political messages starting Friday, while addressing concerns expressed by activists for social causes.

"Ads that educate, raise awareness, and/or call for people to take action in connection with civic engagement, economic growth, environmental stewardship, or social equity causes are allowed," Twitter said in its new policy.

"However, they may not reference prohibited political advertisers or political content."

Twitter said the move was aimed at countering the spread of misinformation by politicians.

The political ban has drawn mixed reactions: some argue it puts pressure on Facebook to follow suit or take other steps to curb the spread of misinformation from politicians; others say a ban will be difficult to enforce.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/google-begins-rolling-out-rich-communication-services-to-do-more-with-messages-262225">Social media platforms</a> have been challenged by President Donald Trump's campaign and its use of ads that contain claims which critics say have been debunked by independent fact-checkers.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said political advertising is not a major source of revenue but adds that he believes it is important to allow everyone a "voice," and that banning political ads would favour incumbents.

Google on Wednesday updated how it handles political ads as online platforms remain under pressure to avoid being used to spread misleading information intended to influence voters.

Google on Wednesday updated how it handles political ads as online platforms remain under pressure to avoid being used to spread misleading information intended to influence voters. The internet company said its rules already ban any advertiser, including those with political messages, from lying in ads. But it is making its policy more clear and adding examples of how that prohibits content such as doctored or manipulated images or video. "It's against our policies for any advertiser to make a false claim, whether it's a claim about the price of a chair or a claim that you can vote by text message, that election day is postponed, or that a candidate has died," Google ads product management vice president Scott Spencer said in an online post. Examples of banned ad material included ads or links to information making demonstrably false claims that could undermine voter trust or participation in elections. "Of course, we recognize that robust political dialogue is an important part of democracy, and no one can sensibly adjudicate every political claim, counterclaim, and insinuation," Spencer said. "So we expect that the number of political ads on which we take action will be very limited - but we will continue to do so for clear violations." Google's main formats for political advertising are ads posted along with search query results, those shown at video viewing service YouTube, and display ads that appear on websites. Google will also limit the targeting of political ads to general categories such as age, gender, or postal code level location. "Political advertisers can, of course, continue to do contextual targeting, such as serving ads to people reading or watching a story about, say, the economy," Spencer said/. "This will align our approach to election ads with long-established practices in media such as TV, radio, and print, and result in election ads being more widely seen and available for public discussion." Google will begin enforcing the changes in Britain within a week and throughout the EU by the end of the year, then in the rest of the world starting January 6, according to Spencer. Watch: Google claims quantum supremacy Speech vs Truth Snap this week confirmed that it checks political ads at Snapchat to make sure they are not deceptive or misleading and thus enforce its ban on such material. The strategy seems to be a middle ground between Facebook's controversial tolerance of proven lies in political ads and Twitter's decision to ban them altogether. Snap policies prohibit political ads that are deceptive or misleading, with an in-house team reviewing such paid messages to make sure they don't break the rules. Twitter last week said its ban on political ads will exempt "cause-based" messages on topics related to social or environmental issues. The San Francisco-based messaging platform plans to bar all paid political messages starting Friday, while addressing concerns expressed by activists for social causes. "Ads that educate, raise awareness, and/or call for people to take action in connection with civic engagement, economic growth, environmental stewardship, or social equity causes are allowed," Twitter said in its new policy. "However, they may not reference prohibited political advertisers or political content." Twitter said the move was aimed at countering the spread of misinformation by politicians. The political ban has drawn mixed reactions: some argue it puts pressure on Facebook to follow suit or take other steps to curb the spread of misinformation from politicians; others say a ban will be difficult to enforce. Social media platforms have been challenged by President Donald Trump's campaign and its use of ads that contain claims which critics say have been debunked by independent fact-checkers. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said political advertising is not a major source of revenue but adds that he believes it is important to allow everyone a "voice," and that banning political ads would favour incumbents.

Google to make stricter regulatory policy for political ads to curb abuse

The data-collection business model fueling <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-tech/facebook-to-welcome-its-first-ever-facebook-tv-18323">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/google-pay-to-offer-checking-accounts-through-citi-stanford-federal-261964">Google</a> represents a threat to human rights around the world, Amnesty International said in a report Wednesday.

The organization argued that offering people free online services and then using information about them to target money-making ads imperils a gamut of rights including freedom of opinion and expression.

"Despite the real value of the services they provide, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/google-translates-sad-to-happy-angering-hong-kong-protesters-against-china-extradition-law-228536">Google</a> and Facebook's platforms come at a systemic cost," Amnesty said in its report, "Surveillance Giants."

"The companies' surveillance-based business model forces people to make a Faustian bargain, whereby they are only able to enjoy their human rights online by submitting to a system predicated on human rights abuse."

With ubiquitous surveillance, the two online giants are able to collect massive amounts of data which may be used against their customers, according to the London-based human rights group.

The business model is "inherently incompatible with the right to privacy," Amnesty contended.

The report maintained that the two Silicon Valley firms have established "near-total dominance over the primary channels through which people connect and engage with the online world," giving them unprecedented power over people's lives.

"Google and Facebook dominate our modern lives -- amassing unparalleled power over the digital world by harvesting and monetizing the personal data of billions of people," said Kumi Naidoo, Amnesty International's secretary-general.

"Their insidious control of our digital lives undermines the very essence of privacy and is one of the defining human rights challenges of our era."

The report called for governments to implement policies that ensure access to online services while protecting user privacy.

"Governments have an obligation to protect people from human rights abuses by corporations," Amnesty maintained.

"But for the past two decades, technology companies have been largely left to self-regulate."

Facebook pushed back against what it contended were inaccuracies in the report, saying it strongly disagreed with its business model being characterized as surveillance-based.

"Our business model is what allows us to offer an important service where people can exercise foundational human rights -- to have a voice (freedom of expression) and be able to connect (freedom of association and assembly)," said a letter from Facebook privacy and public policy director Steve Satterfield in an annex to the Amnesty report.

"Facebook's business model is not, as your summary suggests, driven by the collection of data about people."

Facebook spotlighted its measures implemented which limit data information used for ad targeting; controls provided to users regarding their data; and steps taken to restrict abuses by apps on the social network.

"As you correctly note, we do not sell data; we sell ads," Facebook said.

Facebook chief and co-founder <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/snapchat-checks-for-misleading-political-advertisements-to-enforce-ban-263042">Mark Zuckerberg</a> has called for governments to implement uniform rules regarding data-handling instead of leaving private companies to make crucial social decisions such as the limits of free speech.

Google did not offer a specific written response.

But the Amnesty report noted that Google announced this month it would limit data that it shares with advertisers through its ad auction platform, following the launch of an inquiry by the Irish data protection authority and had launched a new feature allowing users to delete location data.

The data-collection business model fueling Facebook and Google represents a threat to human rights around the world, Amnesty International said in a report Wednesday.

The data-collection business model fueling Facebook and Google represents a threat to human rights around the world, Amnesty International said in a report Wednesday. The organization argued that offering people free online services and then using information about them to target money-making ads imperils a gamut of rights including freedom of opinion and expression. "Despite the real value of the services they provide, Google and Facebook's platforms come at a systemic cost," Amnesty said in its report, "Surveillance Giants." "The companies' surveillance-based business model forces people to make a Faustian bargain, whereby they are only able to enjoy their human rights online by submitting to a system predicated on human rights abuse." With ubiquitous surveillance, the two online giants are able to collect massive amounts of data which may be used against their customers, according to the London-based human rights group. The business model is "inherently incompatible with the right to privacy," Amnesty contended. The report maintained that the two Silicon Valley firms have established "near-total dominance over the primary channels through which people connect and engage with the online world," giving them unprecedented power over people's lives. "Google and Facebook dominate our modern lives -- amassing unparalleled power over the digital world by harvesting and monetizing the personal data of billions of people," said Kumi Naidoo, Amnesty International's secretary-general. "Their insidious control of our digital lives undermines the very essence of privacy and is one of the defining human rights challenges of our era." The report called for governments to implement policies that ensure access to online services while protecting user privacy. "Governments have an obligation to protect people from human rights abuses by corporations," Amnesty maintained. "But for the past two decades, technology companies have been largely left to self-regulate." Facebook pushed back against what it contended were inaccuracies in the report, saying it strongly disagreed with its business model being characterized as surveillance-based. "Our business model is what allows us to offer an important service where people can exercise foundational human rights -- to have a voice (freedom of expression) and be able to connect (freedom of association and assembly)," said a letter from Facebook privacy and public policy director Steve Satterfield in an annex to the Amnesty report. "Facebook's business model is not, as your summary suggests, driven by the collection of data about people." Facebook spotlighted its measures implemented which limit data information used for ad targeting; controls provided to users regarding their data; and steps taken to restrict abuses by apps on the social network. "As you correctly note, we do not sell data; we sell ads," Facebook said. Facebook chief and co-founder Mark Zuckerberg has called for governments to implement uniform rules regarding data-handling instead of leaving private companies to make crucial social decisions such as the limits of free speech. Google did not offer a specific written response. But the Amnesty report noted that Google announced this month it would limit data that it shares with advertisers through its ad auction platform, following the launch of an inquiry by the Irish data protection authority and had launched a new feature allowing users to delete location data.

Google, Facebook business models threat to rights: Amnesty report

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/google-begins-rolling-out-rich-communication-services-to-do-more-with-messages-262225">Google</a> said Tuesday its digital assistant will serve as a "news host" on its connected devices to deliver stories from a variety of its media partners.

The feature called Your News Update will be activated by asking the Google Assistant to read the news.

The artificial intelligence program will deliver "a mix of short news stories chosen at that moment based on your interests, location, user history and preferences, as well as the top news stories out there," said product manager Liz Gannes in a blog post.

The assistant will offer stories from partners including CBS, Politico, Fox News and CNN based on user preferences and other factors.

It can offer news, for example, about the user's favourite sports teams or specific local or business events.

"In between stories, the Google Assistant serves as your smart news host that introduces which publishers and updates are next," Gannes said.

The feature is available in English in the United States and will expand internationally next year, for people with compatible <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/focus-made-in-china-samsung-farms-out-more-phones-to-fend-off-rivals-262812">smartphones</a> and connected speakers.

It is activated by saying, "Hey Google, play me the news."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/amazon-offers-employees-10000-to-quit-launch-delivery-business-218463">Amazon </a>offers a similar "flash briefing" feature for its <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/amazon-brings-samuel-l-jacksons-voice-to-alexa-and-announces-voice-controlled-glasses-252112">Alexa</a>-powered devices.

Google said Tuesday its digital assistant will serve as a "news host" on its connected devices to deliver stories from a variety of its media partners. The feature called Your News Update will be activated by asking the Google Assistant to read the news.

Google said Tuesday its digital assistant will serve as a "news host" on its connected devices to deliver stories from a variety of its media partners. The feature called Your News Update will be activated by asking the Google Assistant to read the news. The artificial intelligence program will deliver "a mix of short news stories chosen at that moment based on your interests, location, user history and preferences, as well as the top news stories out there," said product manager Liz Gannes in a blog post. The assistant will offer stories from partners including CBS, Politico, Fox News and CNN based on user preferences and other factors. It can offer news, for example, about the user's favourite sports teams or specific local or business events. "In between stories, the Google Assistant serves as your smart news host that introduces which publishers and updates are next," Gannes said. The feature is available in English in the United States and will expand internationally next year, for people with compatible smartphones and connected speakers. It is activated by saying, "Hey Google, play me the news." Amazon offers a similar "flash briefing" feature for its Alexa-powered devices.

Google Assistant to soon work as news host for devices

Alphabet Inc's&nbsp;Google said on Wednesday it will offer personal checking accounts next year through its Google Pay app, initially in partnership with Citigroup Inc&nbsp;and a small credit union at Stanford University.

The project, codenamed Cache, comes as rivals <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/libras-association-is-independent-facebook-wont-be-part-of-it-even-outside-the-us-till-regulators-approve-zuckerberg-to-us-house-panel-257767">Facebook Inc&nbsp;</a>and Apple Inc&nbsp;are expanding their own efforts in consumer finance, a broad area that ranges from digital payment apps to bank accounts, brokerage accounts and loans, and which offer Silicon Valley new sources of revenue and new opportunities to strengthen ties with users.

US&nbsp;regulators and lawmakers have expressed concern about how those companies' massive influence and poor records on data privacy will play out as they try to gain ground in finance. The scrutiny most recently prompted Facebook's partners to pull back from plans to support the launch of a digital currency.

Google said it has held initial talks with regulators, though it declined to specify which ones, about compliance issues related to the new checking accounts.

Asked about Google's plans, US&nbsp;Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat on the Senate panel that oversees banking, expressed reservations.

"There ought to be very strict scrutiny," Warner told CNBC about tech giants such as Facebook or Google entering new fields before rules governing them were in place.

Google spokesman Craig Ewer said the company's lead partners were Citi and Stanford Federal Credit Union and that more details would be known within months.

"We’re exploring how we can partner with banks and credit unions in the U.S. to offer smart checking accounts through Google Pay, helping their customers benefit from useful insights and budgeting tools, while keeping their money in an FDIC or NCUA-insured account," Ewer said in a statement, referring by acronym to two US&nbsp;agencies that insure deposits.

Stanford Federal and Citi confirmed their roles.

"This agreement has the potential to expand the reach and breadth of our customer base," Citi spokeswoman Liz Fogarty said. "Privacy and transparency are, and will continue to be, critical priorities."

Joan Opp, president and chief executive of Stanford Federal, described the deal as "critical to remaining relevant and meeting consumer expectations."

Traditional banks have long partnered with companies outside the industry to lure deposits or expand their loan books.

The most recent prominent example is Goldman Sachs Group Inc&nbsp;teaming up with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/apple-co-founder-says-apple-card-algorithm-gave-wife-lower-credit-limit-261266">Apple Inc&nbsp;on a credit card</a> this year, but other regulated banks, including JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co, Citigroup Inc.&nbsp;American Express Corp&nbsp;and Green Dot Bank, have teamed with companies, including Amazon.com Inc, Walmart Inc, Delta Air Lines Inc&nbsp;and Home Depot Inc&nbsp;to offer co-branded products.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier on Google's plan and quoted Caesar Sengupta, general manager and vice president of payments at Google, as describing an approach of partnering deeply with banks.

"It may be the slightly longer path, but it's more sustainable," Sengupta said.

Leaning on the regulatory and financial know-how of banks could allow Google to proceed without engaging much with bank regulators.

For instance, deposits are stored in an account managed by a regulated bank and protected by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (FDIC) and National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), and if the lender does not share consumers’ financial data with Google, there may not be a regulatory problem or license requirements.

Google's biggest success in financial services has been in India, where it has over 67 million monthly users for Google Pay, which is used to digitally pay for groceries, Uber rides and other transactions.

Though still behind Indian rivals, the Google Pay app's popularity in India has overshadowed its usage in the United States and other countries, where it can be used for cashless payments in stores and money transfers.

Sengupta had overseen the Indian service, formerly known as Tez, as head of Google's emerging markets product team. Chief Executive Sundar Pichai last year sought to build on the Indian app, developed by a team of about 150 employees in Asia, and merged it into Google's broader payments organization.

The move has given Sengupta oversight of several thousand workers worldwide, including those who maintain tools to help Google charge its advertisers and app store users.

Former Google Pay employees said the company faces a massive challenge gaining users for payment tools in locations such as the United States that have robust financial products already. High interest rates on deposits or major loyalty perks could become important incentives for Google to draw consumers, the former employees said.

On Tuesday, Facebook launched a unified payment service through which users across its platforms can make payments without exiting the app, named Facebook Pay.

The effort is separate from Facebook's plan to launch its Libra cryptocurrency, which has met with skepticism from US, European and Australian regulators concerned about the risk of money laundering and the security of transactions and user data.

Alphabet Inc's Google said on Wednesday it will offer personal checking accounts next year through its Google Pay app, initially in partnership with Citigroup Inc and a small credit union at Stanford University.

Alphabet Inc's Google said on Wednesday it will offer personal checking accounts next year through its Google Pay app, initially in partnership with Citigroup Inc and a small credit union at Stanford University. The project, codenamed Cache, comes as rivals Facebook Inc and Apple Inc are expanding their own efforts in consumer finance, a broad area that ranges from digital payment apps to bank accounts, brokerage accounts and loans, and which offer Silicon Valley new sources of revenue and new opportunities to strengthen ties with users. US regulators and lawmakers have expressed concern about how those companies' massive influence and poor records on data privacy will play out as they try to gain ground in finance. The scrutiny most recently prompted Facebook's partners to pull back from plans to support the launch of a digital currency. Google said it has held initial talks with regulators, though it declined to specify which ones, about compliance issues related to the new checking accounts. Asked about Google's plans, US Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat on the Senate panel that oversees banking, expressed reservations. "There ought to be very strict scrutiny," Warner told CNBC about tech giants such as Facebook or Google entering new fields before rules governing them were in place. Google spokesman Craig Ewer said the company's lead partners were Citi and Stanford Federal Credit Union and that more details would be known within months. "We’re exploring how we can partner with banks and credit unions in the U.S. to offer smart checking accounts through Google Pay, helping their customers benefit from useful insights and budgeting tools, while keeping their money in an FDIC or NCUA-insured account," Ewer said in a statement, referring by acronym to two US agencies that insure deposits. Stanford Federal and Citi confirmed their roles. "This agreement has the potential to expand the reach and breadth of our customer base," Citi spokeswoman Liz Fogarty said. "Privacy and transparency are, and will continue to be, critical priorities." Joan Opp, president and chief executive of Stanford Federal, described the deal as "critical to remaining relevant and meeting consumer expectations." Traditional banks have long partnered with companies outside the industry to lure deposits or expand their loan books. The most recent prominent example is Goldman Sachs Group Inc teaming up with Apple Inc on a credit card this year, but other regulated banks, including JPMorgan Chase & Co, Citigroup Inc. American Express Corp and Green Dot Bank, have teamed with companies, including Amazon.com Inc, Walmart Inc, Delta Air Lines Inc and Home Depot Inc to offer co-branded products. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier on Google's plan and quoted Caesar Sengupta, general manager and vice president of payments at Google, as describing an approach of partnering deeply with banks. "It may be the slightly longer path, but it's more sustainable," Sengupta said. Leaning on the regulatory and financial know-how of banks could allow Google to proceed without engaging much with bank regulators. For instance, deposits are stored in an account managed by a regulated bank and protected by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (FDIC) and National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), and if the lender does not share consumers’ financial data with Google, there may not be a regulatory problem or license requirements. Google's biggest success in financial services has been in India, where it has over 67 million monthly users for Google Pay, which is used to digitally pay for groceries, Uber rides and other transactions. Though still behind Indian rivals, the Google Pay app's popularity in India has overshadowed its usage in the United States and other countries, where it can be used for cashless payments in stores and money transfers. Sengupta had overseen the Indian service, formerly known as Tez, as head of Google's emerging markets product team. Chief Executive Sundar Pichai last year sought to build on the Indian app, developed by a team of about 150 employees in Asia, and merged it into Google's broader payments organization. The move has given Sengupta oversight of several thousand workers worldwide, including those who maintain tools to help Google charge its advertisers and app store users. Former Google Pay employees said the company faces a massive challenge gaining users for payment tools in locations such as the United States that have robust financial products already. High interest rates on deposits or major loyalty perks could become important incentives for Google to draw consumers, the former employees said. On Tuesday, Facebook launched a unified payment service through which users across its platforms can make payments without exiting the app, named Facebook Pay. The effort is separate from Facebook's plan to launch its Libra cryptocurrency, which has met with skepticism from US, European and Australian regulators concerned about the risk of money laundering and the security of transactions and user data.

Google Pay to offer checking accounts through Citi, Stanford Federal

An Australian regulator has filed a lawsuit against Alphabet Inc's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/google-unveils-quantum-computer-breakthrough-critics-say-wait-a-qubit-257805">Google</a>, accusing it of misleading smartphone users about how it collected and used personal location data, advancing a global crackdown on the world's biggest tech firms.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission&nbsp;said the local Google unit did not tell users of its Android operating system for almost two years that they needed to switch off two settings - not one - if they did not want the company to keep their information.

"Google's conduct caused users to understand that personal data about their location was not being obtained ... by Google when in fact personal data was being obtained," the ACCC wrote in a Federal Court filing on Tuesday, which it published on its website.

"The misleading information provided by Google meant that users were not able to make an informed choice."

The lawsuit is the first of several the ACCC said it would pursue against the local arms of global technology companies like Google and social media firm <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/facebooks-news-tab-seeks-to-reboot-its-role-within-media-258245">Facebook Inc</a>&nbsp;when it called for tougher laws concerning privacy and content-sharing.

Already European Union countries have seized on the bloc's new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rules to rein in big technology companies. In January, a French regulator fined Google 50 million euros&nbsp;for breaches of privacy laws.

Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner is also investigating Google over a complaint alleging breach of privacy laws, while Facebook agreed in July to a record-breaking $5 billion fine in the United States to resolve privacy concerns dating back to its use of people's data in the 2016 presidential election.

The Australian lawsuit against Google is seeking unspecified penalties and orders requiring the publication of corrective notices by Google, the ACCC said.

The Australian regulator said in its lawsuit that Google failed to make clear that people should turn off two location-based settings, "Location History" and "Web &amp; App Activity", to stop the company collecting and using data from either.

Google further misled consumers - and breached Australian consumer law - by telling them the only way to prevent the company from collecting their location data was to stop using its main services like Google Search and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/google-offers-incognito-mode-for-maps-in-privacy-push-253314">Google Maps</a>, the regulator said.

"As a result of these on-screen representations, Google has collected, kept and used highly sensitive and valuable personal information about consumers' location without them making an informed choice," ACCC Chair Rod Sims said in a statement.

"Many consumers make a conscious decision to turn off settings to stop the collection of their location data, but we allege that Google's conduct may have prevented consumers from making that choice."

A representative for Google in Australia did not respond to an emailed request for comment.

The matter is scheduled for a case management hearing on November&nbsp;14, according to the Federal Court website.

An Australian regulator has filed a lawsuit against Alphabet Inc's Google, accusing it of misleading smartphone users about how it collected and used personal location data, advancing a global crackdown on the world's biggest tech firms.

An Australian regulator has filed a lawsuit against Alphabet Inc's Google, accusing it of misleading smartphone users about how it collected and used personal location data, advancing a global crackdown on the world's biggest tech firms. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said the local Google unit did not tell users of its Android operating system for almost two years that they needed to switch off two settings - not one - if they did not want the company to keep their information. "Google's conduct caused users to understand that personal data about their location was not being obtained ... by Google when in fact personal data was being obtained," the ACCC wrote in a Federal Court filing on Tuesday, which it published on its website. "The misleading information provided by Google meant that users were not able to make an informed choice." The lawsuit is the first of several the ACCC said it would pursue against the local arms of global technology companies like Google and social media firm Facebook Inc when it called for tougher laws concerning privacy and content-sharing. Already European Union countries have seized on the bloc's new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rules to rein in big technology companies. In January, a French regulator fined Google 50 million euros for breaches of privacy laws. Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner is also investigating Google over a complaint alleging breach of privacy laws, while Facebook agreed in July to a record-breaking $5 billion fine in the United States to resolve privacy concerns dating back to its use of people's data in the 2016 presidential election. The Australian lawsuit against Google is seeking unspecified penalties and orders requiring the publication of corrective notices by Google, the ACCC said. The Australian regulator said in its lawsuit that Google failed to make clear that people should turn off two location-based settings, "Location History" and "Web & App Activity", to stop the company collecting and using data from either. Google further misled consumers - and breached Australian consumer law - by telling them the only way to prevent the company from collecting their location data was to stop using its main services like Google Search and Google Maps, the regulator said. "As a result of these on-screen representations, Google has collected, kept and used highly sensitive and valuable personal information about consumers' location without them making an informed choice," ACCC Chair Rod Sims said in a statement. "Many consumers make a conscious decision to turn off settings to stop the collection of their location data, but we allege that Google's conduct may have prevented consumers from making that choice." A representative for Google in Australia did not respond to an emailed request for comment. The matter is scheduled for a case management hearing on November 14, according to the Federal Court website.

Australian regulator files privacy suit against Google alleging location data misuse

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/us-states-plan-google-antitrust-meeting-next-month-in-colorado-report-257621">Alphabet Inc's Google</a> said on Wednesday it had achieved a breakthrough in computing research by using a quantum computer to solve in minutes a complex problem that would take today's most powerful supercomputer thousands of years to crack.

Google researchers expect that quantum computers within a few years will fuel advancements in fields such as artificial intelligence, materials science, and chemistry. The company is racing rivals including IBM Corp and Microsoft Corp to be the first to commercialize the technology and sell it through its cloud computing business.

"We're hoping that when people start using this and looking at performance stability and cloud interface, they'll get really excited about what we have to offer at Google," John Martinis, the company's chief scientist for quantum hardware, told reporters.

The breakthrough was described in a paper published in the science journal Nature. It followed weeks of controversy since a draft leaked over whether Google's claim of "quantum supremacy" was valid.

IBM said a supercomputer employing a different set-up could solve the same challenge in under three days, while chipmaker Intel said, "quantum practicality" remained years away.

Google defended its position but did not dispute rivals' contentions. It has manufactured a handful of chips with 54 'qubits', vastly more powerful than the standard 64-bit chip in many consumer devices. However, for the technology to be useful to customers, it would need to make chips with thousands of qubits.

Martinis said Google sees "a pathway" to a computer with 1,000 qubits and expressed confidence that it had a reliable process to make its new chip, dubbed Sycamore.

The US&nbsp;and Chinese governments have led in the burgeoning quantum technology field, pledging billions of dollars in funding to corporate and state researchers to fast-track quantum development and mitigate possible issues, including the tech's expected ability to break digital encryption.

Google has been among the beneficiaries of American support. "The United States has taken a great leap forward in quantum computing," said US&nbsp;chief technology officer Michael Kratsios on Wednesday.

Long-held dream

For decades, computer scientists have sought to harness quantum physics, laws governing the behaviour of particles that are smaller than atoms and can simultaneously exist in different states.

Quantum bits, or qubits, can be set to one and zero at the same time, unlike today's computer bits that are either ones or zeros. This superposition property multiplies exponentially as qubits become entangled with each other, meaning the more qubits connected, the vastly more powerful a quantum computer becomes.

But there is a catch: Quantum researchers need to cool qubits to about absolute zero (-273 degrees Celsius or -460 degrees Fahrenheit) to limit vibration - or "noise" - that causes errors in calculations. It is in this challenging task that Google, which has designed much of its own electronics and used liquid helium for cooling, has made significant progress.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/no-plans-to-relaunch-in-china-without-right-conditions-ceo-sundar-pichai-228341">CEO Sundar Pichai</a> compared the achievement to building the first rocket to leave Earth's atmosphere and touch the edge of space, an advance that brought interplanetary travel into the realm of the possible.

"For those of us working in science and technology, it's the 'hello world' moment we've been waiting for - the most meaningful milestone to date in the quest to make quantum computing a reality," Pichai wrote in a blog https://blog.google/perspectives/sundar-pichai/what-our-quantum-computing-milestone-means.

Sycamore, measuring about 10 mm (0.39 inch) across, is made using aluminium and indium parts sandwiched between two silicon wafers. In their experiment this year, the researchers were able to get 53 of Sycamore's qubits to interact in a quantum state.

They then had the quantum computer detect patterns in a series of seemingly random numbers, and it succeeded in 3 minutes and 20 seconds. They estimated that the same problem would take 10,000 years for a Summit supercomputer - the most powerful in the world today - to solve.

Hold on a qubit

While the peer-reviewed research has drawn plaudits, with MIT's William D. Oliver comparing it to the Wright brothers' first flights, sceptics say Google is over-selling its achievement.

IBM said a supercomputer with additional disk storage can solve the random number problem in at most 2-1/2 days and with greater accuracy. It also said Google risked misleading the public by implying the new-style computers would replace existing ones.

"Quantum computers will never reign 'supreme' over classical computers, but will rather work in concert with them, since each has their unique strengths," Dario Gil, director of research at IBM, wrote in a blog.

Torsten Siebert, manager of the quantum computing research program at Germany's Fraunhofer Society, agreed that "progress was likely to be achieved through such hybrid combinations."

Researchers also have expressed concern about quantum computers being used, for example, to unseal secure data and passwords or enable new forms of surveillance.

But before quantum computers can break codes, security experts have plenty of time to adapt, Martinis said.

"We're pretty confident we'll all stay safe and secure in the future," he said.

Alphabet Inc's Google said on Wednesday it had achieved a breakthrough in computing research by using a quantum computer to solve in minutes a complex problem that would take today's most powerful supercomputer thousands of years to crack.

Alphabet Inc's Google said on Wednesday it had achieved a breakthrough in computing research by using a quantum computer to solve in minutes a complex problem that would take today's most powerful supercomputer thousands of years to crack. Google researchers expect that quantum computers within a few years will fuel advancements in fields such as artificial intelligence, materials science, and chemistry. The company is racing rivals including IBM Corp and Microsoft Corp to be the first to commercialize the technology and sell it through its cloud computing business. "We're hoping that when people start using this and looking at performance stability and cloud interface, they'll get really excited about what we have to offer at Google," John Martinis, the company's chief scientist for quantum hardware, told reporters. The breakthrough was described in a paper published in the science journal Nature. It followed weeks of controversy since a draft leaked over whether Google's claim of "quantum supremacy" was valid. IBM said a supercomputer employing a different set-up could solve the same challenge in under three days, while chipmaker Intel said, "quantum practicality" remained years away. Google defended its position but did not dispute rivals' contentions. It has manufactured a handful of chips with 54 'qubits', vastly more powerful than the standard 64-bit chip in many consumer devices. However, for the technology to be useful to customers, it would need to make chips with thousands of qubits. Martinis said Google sees "a pathway" to a computer with 1,000 qubits and expressed confidence that it had a reliable process to make its new chip, dubbed Sycamore. The US and Chinese governments have led in the burgeoning quantum technology field, pledging billions of dollars in funding to corporate and state researchers to fast-track quantum development and mitigate possible issues, including the tech's expected ability to break digital encryption. Google has been among the beneficiaries of American support. "The United States has taken a great leap forward in quantum computing," said US chief technology officer Michael Kratsios on Wednesday. Long-held dream For decades, computer scientists have sought to harness quantum physics, laws governing the behaviour of particles that are smaller than atoms and can simultaneously exist in different states. Quantum bits, or qubits, can be set to one and zero at the same time, unlike today's computer bits that are either ones or zeros. This superposition property multiplies exponentially as qubits become entangled with each other, meaning the more qubits connected, the vastly more powerful a quantum computer becomes. But there is a catch: Quantum researchers need to cool qubits to about absolute zero (-273 degrees Celsius or -460 degrees Fahrenheit) to limit vibration - or "noise" - that causes errors in calculations. It is in this challenging task that Google, which has designed much of its own electronics and used liquid helium for cooling, has made significant progress. CEO Sundar Pichai compared the achievement to building the first rocket to leave Earth's atmosphere and touch the edge of space, an advance that brought interplanetary travel into the realm of the possible. "For those of us working in science and technology, it's the 'hello world' moment we've been waiting for - the most meaningful milestone to date in the quest to make quantum computing a reality," Pichai wrote in a blog https://blog.google/perspectives/sundar-pichai/what-our-quantum-computing-milestone-means. Sycamore, measuring about 10 mm (0.39 inch) across, is made using aluminium and indium parts sandwiched between two silicon wafers. In their experiment this year, the researchers were able to get 53 of Sycamore's qubits to interact in a quantum state. They then had the quantum computer detect patterns in a series of seemingly random numbers, and it succeeded in 3 minutes and 20 seconds. They estimated that the same problem would take 10,000 years for a Summit supercomputer - the most powerful in the world today - to solve. Hold on a qubit While the peer-reviewed research has drawn plaudits, with MIT's William D. Oliver comparing it to the Wright brothers' first flights, sceptics say Google is over-selling its achievement. IBM said a supercomputer with additional disk storage can solve the random number problem in at most 2-1/2 days and with greater accuracy. It also said Google risked misleading the public by implying the new-style computers would replace existing ones. "Quantum computers will never reign 'supreme' over classical computers, but will rather work in concert with them, since each has their unique strengths," Dario Gil, director of research at IBM, wrote in a blog. Torsten Siebert, manager of the quantum computing research program at Germany's Fraunhofer Society, agreed that "progress was likely to be achieved through such hybrid combinations." Researchers also have expressed concern about quantum computers being used, for example, to unseal secure data and passwords or enable new forms of surveillance. But before quantum computers can break codes, security experts have plenty of time to adapt, Martinis said. "We're pretty confident we'll all stay safe and secure in the future," he said.

Google unveils quantum computer breakthrough; critics say wait a qubit

Will Google's quantum computers finish traditional PCs?

US&nbsp;state attorneys general probing Alphabet's Google plan to meet next month in Colorado to discuss a probe into whether the search giant's business practices break antitrust law, according to three sources knowledgeable about the meeting.

The meeting, which is being planned for Nov. 11, would be similar to a gathering this week in New York where state and federal enforcers from the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission discussed their probe of Facebook, according to one of the sources.

A second source said that this meeting would touch on organizational issues and was likely to be one in a long series of gatherings to discuss the probe.

The investigation of Google appears to be well underway since Texas sent the search and advertising giant a subpoena asking for information about its ad business. As of earlier this month, Google began sending data to the attorneys general.

The investigation, which involves all state attorneys general except Alabama and California, seeks to dig into the opaque business of online digital advertising, where Google is a dominant player. Attorneys general for the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico are also part of the investigation.

Google, which had no comment for this story, offers free searches, email and other services but much of its revenue is from advertising.

Google has previously said that it was cooperating with federal regulators and with the state probe.

Google faces two other major inquiries - a US&nbsp;Justice Department investigation and a probe by the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee - both of which have broad reviews of the big internet companies underway.

US state attorneys general probing Alphabet's Google plan to meet next month in Colorado to discuss a probe into whether the search giant's business practices break antitrust law, according to three sources knowledgeable about the meeting.

US state attorneys general probing Alphabet's Google plan to meet next month in Colorado to discuss a probe into whether the search giant's business practices break antitrust law, according to three sources knowledgeable about the meeting. The meeting, which is being planned for Nov. 11, would be similar to a gathering this week in New York where state and federal enforcers from the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission discussed their probe of Facebook, according to one of the sources. A second source said that this meeting would touch on organizational issues and was likely to be one in a long series of gatherings to discuss the probe. The investigation of Google appears to be well underway since Texas sent the search and advertising giant a subpoena asking for information about its ad business. As of earlier this month, Google began sending data to the attorneys general. The investigation, which involves all state attorneys general except Alabama and California, seeks to dig into the opaque business of online digital advertising, where Google is a dominant player. Attorneys general for the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico are also part of the investigation. Google, which had no comment for this story, offers free searches, email and other services but much of its revenue is from advertising. Google has previously said that it was cooperating with federal regulators and with the state probe. Google faces two other major inquiries - a US Justice Department investigation and a probe by the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee - both of which have broad reviews of the big internet companies underway.

US states plan Google antitrust meeting next month in Colorado: Report

Facebook has announced steps to combat misinformation and voter suppression ahead of the November 2020 US&nbsp;presidential election, on the same day it disclosed the removal of a network of Russian accounts targeting US&nbsp;voters on Instagram.

Facebook said on Monday it would increase transparency through measures such as showing more information about the confirmed owner of a Facebook page and more prominently labeling content that independent fact-checkers have marked as false.

The social media giant has come under fire in recent weeks over its policy of exempting ads run by politicians from fact-checking, drawing ire from Democratic presidential candidates Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren.

Last week, Facebook CEO Mark <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/zuckerberg-defends-facebooks-approach-to-free-speech-draws-line-on-china-257158">Zuckerberg defended</a> the policy, saying social media had introduced transformative avenues for speech that should not be shut down.

That same day, the Biden campaign called for the removal of an ad run by a super PAC campaign group, not a politician, that it said contained false claims about the former vice president.

Katie Harbath, Facebook's head of global elections policy, said in response that if the now inactive ad ran again, it would be sent to Facebook's third-party fact-checkers.

On Monday, Facebook said would be putting into effect its planned ban on paid ads that tell people in the United States not to vote. Zuckerberg told reporters on a conference call that the ban on voter misinformation would also apply to ads run by politicians.

The company will start labeling state-controlled media on its page and in the site's ad library. In a blog post, Facebook said it planned to expand this labeling to specific posts on both Facebook and Instagram early next year.

Facebook, Twitter&nbsp;and YouTube, the video-streaming service of Alphabet's Google, all recently came under scrutiny after showing ads from Chinese state-controlled media that criticized Hong Kong protesters.

This month, the Senate committee investigating Russian interference in the 2016 US&nbsp;election said that the Kremlin’s best-known propaganda arm increased its social media activity after that vote.

"The bottom line here is that elections have changed significantly since 2016 and Facebook has changed too." Zuckerberg said on Monday.

"We face increasingly sophisticated attacks from nation states like Russia, Iran and China, but I'm confident we're more prepared."

Theories that China has interfered in US&nbsp;elections are absurd and laughable, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying at a regular press briefing in Beijing on Tuesday.

If someone says China interfered in the US&nbsp;election, they should provide proof, said Hua. China has never had any interest in interfering with other countries' internal affairs, she said.

Moscow and Tehran have also repeatedly denied the allegations.

Facebook will introduce a new US&nbsp;presidential candidate spend tracker to show how much they have spent on political ads as part of the company's efforts to make its ad library easier to use, Zuckerberg said.

Facebook launched an online library of political ads in 2018, but the database has been criticized by researchers as being poorly maintained and failing to provide useful ad targeting information.

The company plans to heighten protection of the Facebook and Instagram accounts of candidates, elected officials and their teams through a program called Facebook Protect. Participants in the program will be required to turn on two-factor authentication and their accounts will be monitored for signs of hacking.

Facebook has announced steps to combat misinformation and voter suppression ahead of the November 2020 US presidential election, on the same day it disclosed the removal of a network of Russian accounts targeting US voters on Instagram.

Facebook has announced steps to combat misinformation and voter suppression ahead of the November 2020 US presidential election, on the same day it disclosed the removal of a network of Russian accounts targeting US voters on Instagram. Facebook said on Monday it would increase transparency through measures such as showing more information about the confirmed owner of a Facebook page and more prominently labeling content that independent fact-checkers have marked as false. The social media giant has come under fire in recent weeks over its policy of exempting ads run by politicians from fact-checking, drawing ire from Democratic presidential candidates Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren. Last week, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg defended the policy, saying social media had introduced transformative avenues for speech that should not be shut down. That same day, the Biden campaign called for the removal of an ad run by a super PAC campaign group, not a politician, that it said contained false claims about the former vice president. Katie Harbath, Facebook's head of global elections policy, said in response that if the now inactive ad ran again, it would be sent to Facebook's third-party fact-checkers. On Monday, Facebook said would be putting into effect its planned ban on paid ads that tell people in the United States not to vote. Zuckerberg told reporters on a conference call that the ban on voter misinformation would also apply to ads run by politicians. The company will start labeling state-controlled media on its page and in the site's ad library. In a blog post, Facebook said it planned to expand this labeling to specific posts on both Facebook and Instagram early next year. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, the video-streaming service of Alphabet's Google, all recently came under scrutiny after showing ads from Chinese state-controlled media that criticized Hong Kong protesters. This month, the Senate committee investigating Russian interference in the 2016 US election said that the Kremlin’s best-known propaganda arm increased its social media activity after that vote. "The bottom line here is that elections have changed significantly since 2016 and Facebook has changed too." Zuckerberg said on Monday. "We face increasingly sophisticated attacks from nation states like Russia, Iran and China, but I'm confident we're more prepared." Theories that China has interfered in US elections are absurd and laughable, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying at a regular press briefing in Beijing on Tuesday. If someone says China interfered in the US election, they should provide proof, said Hua. China has never had any interest in interfering with other countries' internal affairs, she said. Moscow and Tehran have also repeatedly denied the allegations. Facebook will introduce a new US presidential candidate spend tracker to show how much they have spent on political ads as part of the company's efforts to make its ad library easier to use, Zuckerberg said. Facebook launched an online library of political ads in 2018, but the database has been criticized by researchers as being poorly maintained and failing to provide useful ad targeting information. The company plans to heighten protection of the Facebook and Instagram accounts of candidates, elected officials and their teams through a program called Facebook Protect. Participants in the program will be required to turn on two-factor authentication and their accounts will be monitored for signs of hacking.

Facebook announces steps to clamp down on misinformation ahead of 2020 election

US lawmakers have requested information from Apple critic Spotify as part of an antitrust probe, according to two sources briefed on the investigation into allegations the iPhone maker engages in anti-competitive behavior to support its own apps.

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-supreme-court-agrees-to-hear-case-on-restrictive-abortion-law-253858">US</a> House of Representatives Judiciary Committee reached out to the music streaming service with broad requests for information, according to one source, who added the request to the company was narrowed in follow up telephone calls.

Spotify Technology SA filed an antitrust complaint against Apple in the European Union in March, but the contact with the committee marks its first known participation in congressional inquiries into the iPhone maker, whose Apple Music streaming service is Spotify's biggest rival.

Spotify and other developers have alleged that Apple engages in anticompetitive behavior by imposing rules that hamper distribution via its App Store, the only way for third-party developers to reach more than 900 million iPhone users.

At the same time, Apple sometimes copies the features of their apps for its own offerings, developers have said. Multiple apps in the App Store offered female cycle tracking before Apple added the same feature to its own health tracking app this fall, for example.

Spotify has been pressing for antitrust action against Apple for several years.

Its representatives have met with Justice Department officials, as well as members of the FTC's Technology Task Force, a group of some 17 attorneys that was set up in February to focus on online platforms and other Internet competition issues, according to one source.

App developers also complain that Apple's Siri, which response to verbal commands and can control Apple's own apps, has long had limited functionality with the vast majority of non-Apple apps, including Spotify.

Apple announced an update to its software in June that would allow Siri to access Spotify and other music services.

Beyond Spotify, the congressional probe has tapped many companies for details on the four big tech firms.

In addition to the Judiciary Committee probe, the big tech companies face a plethora of other antitrust investigations.

The Justice Department is probing Alphabet's Google, Facebook, and Apple while the Federal Trade Commission is investigating <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/paypal-abandons-facebook-backed-libra-cryptocurrency-group-253843">Facebook</a> and Amazon.com. Groups of state attorneys general have also been formed to probe <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/google-cant-escape-copyright-laws-frances-emmanuel-macron-253863">Google</a> and Facebook.

Spotify has complained also about the 30 per cent fee that Apple charges outside app developers who sell so-called digital goods such as music or e-books on the App Store, using Apple's in-app billing system. Apple bars app makers for collecting payment any other way on the App Store or showing users links or buttons to other ways to pay.

At one point, Apple told Spotify to stop sending emails to users who had just signed up for a free version of its streaming music prompting them to upgrade to the paid service, Spotify has said. Spotify has said the shifting rules, and Apple's threats to block routine app updates, have made it difficult to compete with Apple's own music service on a level playing field.

Asked for comment, Apple referred to its previous responses, published in March, to Spotify's claims. The company says it enforces its App Store rules evenly among all developers and that more than eight out of every 10 apps are free and pay nothing to Apple. Apple has said Spotify pays nothing for users of its free service or for paid Spotify members who signed up outside the App Store.

Apple has said Spotify pays a revenue share on about half a per cent of its 108 million premium users, paying 15 per cent&nbsp;fees on roughly 680,000 customers that Spotify acquired between 2014 and 2016 when it used Apple's payment systems.

US lawmakers have requested information from Apple critic Spotify as part of an antitrust probe, according to two sources briefed on the investigation into allegations the iPhone maker engages in anti-competitive behavior to support its own apps.

US lawmakers have requested information from Apple critic Spotify as part of an antitrust probe, according to two sources briefed on the investigation into allegations the iPhone maker engages in anti-competitive behavior to support its own apps. The US House of Representatives Judiciary Committee reached out to the music streaming service with broad requests for information, according to one source, who added the request to the company was narrowed in follow up telephone calls. Spotify Technology SA filed an antitrust complaint against Apple in the European Union in March, but the contact with the committee marks its first known participation in congressional inquiries into the iPhone maker, whose Apple Music streaming service is Spotify's biggest rival. Spotify and other developers have alleged that Apple engages in anticompetitive behavior by imposing rules that hamper distribution via its App Store, the only way for third-party developers to reach more than 900 million iPhone users. At the same time, Apple sometimes copies the features of their apps for its own offerings, developers have said. Multiple apps in the App Store offered female cycle tracking before Apple added the same feature to its own health tracking app this fall, for example. Spotify has been pressing for antitrust action against Apple for several years. Its representatives have met with Justice Department officials, as well as members of the FTC's Technology Task Force, a group of some 17 attorneys that was set up in February to focus on online platforms and other Internet competition issues, according to one source. App developers also complain that Apple's Siri, which response to verbal commands and can control Apple's own apps, has long had limited functionality with the vast majority of non-Apple apps, including Spotify. Apple announced an update to its software in June that would allow Siri to access Spotify and other music services. Beyond Spotify, the congressional probe has tapped many companies for details on the four big tech firms. In addition to the Judiciary Committee probe, the big tech companies face a plethora of other antitrust investigations. The Justice Department is probing Alphabet's Google, Facebook, and Apple while the Federal Trade Commission is investigating Facebook and Amazon.com. Groups of state attorneys general have also been formed to probe Google and Facebook. Spotify has complained also about the 30 per cent fee that Apple charges outside app developers who sell so-called digital goods such as music or e-books on the App Store, using Apple's in-app billing system. Apple bars app makers for collecting payment any other way on the App Store or showing users links or buttons to other ways to pay. At one point, Apple told Spotify to stop sending emails to users who had just signed up for a free version of its streaming music prompting them to upgrade to the paid service, Spotify has said. Spotify has said the shifting rules, and Apple's threats to block routine app updates, have made it difficult to compete with Apple's own music service on a level playing field. Asked for comment, Apple referred to its previous responses, published in March, to Spotify's claims. The company says it enforces its App Store rules evenly among all developers and that more than eight out of every 10 apps are free and pay nothing to Apple. Apple has said Spotify pays nothing for users of its free service or for paid Spotify members who signed up outside the App Store. Apple has said Spotify pays a revenue share on about half a per cent of its 108 million premium users, paying 15 per cent fees on roughly 680,000 customers that Spotify acquired between 2014 and 2016 when it used Apple's payment systems.

Antitrust probers in Congress ask Spotify to detail alleged Apple abuses: Sources

google-0

Google, News on Google, stories on Google, articles on Google, Google stories at Wion, Google news, Google latest news

google 0

Google goes to court over EU antitrust fines

Google says glitch sent people's videos to strangers

How a man 'hacked' Google maps to show 'virtual traffic jams' with 99 mobile phones and a red cart

Coronavirus outbreak: Google joins hands with WHO to provide SOS alert, trusted info and safety tips

People confusing between Corona beer and coronavirus: Google search trends reveal

Social media moderators asked to sign Post Traumatic Stress Disorder disclosure

United States cautions Britain over Huawei's role in 5G

First-ever code to police internet, social media giants to be confined by code of conduct

Now, Sundar Pichai-led Alphabet joins trillion dollar club

Third-party cookies on Google Chrome all set to crumble

France fines Google $167 million over search engine ads

Google settles longstanding tax dispute with Australia

This is what Indians searched most on Google in 2019

This is what Indians searched most on Google in 2019

Australia: Government stops short of major clampdown on Facebook, Google

Labour group accuses Google of illegally firing workers to stifle unionism

Britain's Johnson backs digital tax despite Trump's ire

Google stops accepting political advertisements in Singapore month before the elections

Twitter makes global changes to comply with privacy laws

EU antitrust regulators investigating Google's data collection: Report

Microsoft granted licence to export 'mass-market' software to Huawei

Some Huawei suppliers get US approval to restart sales to blacklisted firm

Google to make stricter regulatory policy for political ads to curb abuse

Google, Facebook business models threat to rights: Amnesty report