<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/india-a-world-power-hope-for-strong-ties-marshall-islands-president-to-wion-169848">India a world power, hope for strong ties: Marshall Islands president to WION</a>

Hilda Heine, Marshall Islands first women president, spoke to WION and shared her views on India-Pacific ties, PM Modi, climate-change and her interest in Bollywood.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/election-commission-announces-poll-dates-for-madhya-pradesh-rajasthan-chhattisgarh-mizoram-and-telangana-169833">Election Commission announces dates for Assembly polls in five states, results on December 11</a>

The Election Commission on Saturday announced dates for the Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram Assembly elections.&nbsp;

While polls in Chhattisgarh are likely to be held in two phases, elections in the other states might see polling in one phase.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jammu-and-kashmir-20-killed-13-injured-as-minibus-falls-into-gorge-near-banihal-169825">Jammu and Kashmir: 15 killed, 19 injured as minibus falls into </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jammu-and-kashmir-20-killed-13-injured-as-minibus-falls-into-gorge-near-banihal-169825">gorge</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jammu-and-kashmir-20-killed-13-injured-as-minibus-falls-into-gorge-near-banihal-169825"> near Banihal</a>

At least 15 people were killed and 19 injured when a minibus fell into a deep gorge along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway near here, a senior police officer said on Saturday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/google-ceo-secretly-met-pentagon-leaders-over-ai-project-report-169834">Google CEO secretly met Pentagon leaders over AI project: Report</a>

Google's India-born chief executive Sundar Pichai quietly paid a visit to the Pentagon to ease tensions that erupted after employee outrage prompted the tech giant to sever a controversial defence contract to analyse drone video, according to a media report.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/nana-patekar-dissmisses-allegaions-of-sexual-harassment-imposed-on-him-169847">Nana Patekar dismisses sexual harassment allegations, says, 'A lie is a lie'</a>

Nana Patekar on Saturday denied sexually harssing Tanushree Dutta on the sets of 'Horn Ok Pleassss'.&nbsp;

"I said this ten years ago... A lie is a lie (Dus saal pehle bol chuka hoon, ab jo jhoot hai woh jhoot hai')", said Patekar after returning from Jodhpur at the airport.

India a world power, hope for strong ties: Marshall Islands president to WION Hilda Heine, Marshall Islands first women president, spoke to WION and shared her views on India-Pacific ties, PM Modi, climate-change and her interest in Bollywood.

India a world power, hope for strong ties: Marshall Islands president to WION Hilda Heine, Marshall Islands first women president, spoke to WION and shared her views on India-Pacific ties, PM Modi, climate-change and her interest in Bollywood. Election Commission announces dates for Assembly polls in five states, results on December 11 The Election Commission on Saturday announced dates for the Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram Assembly elections. While polls in Chhattisgarh are likely to be held in two phases, elections in the other states might see polling in one phase. Jammu and Kashmir: 15 killed, 19 injured as minibus falls into gorge near Banihal At least 15 people were killed and 19 injured when a minibus fell into a deep gorge along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway near here, a senior police officer said on Saturday. Google CEO secretly met Pentagon leaders over AI project: Report Google's India-born chief executive Sundar Pichai quietly paid a visit to the Pentagon to ease tensions that erupted after employee outrage prompted the tech giant to sever a controversial defence contract to analyse drone video, according to a media report. Nana Patekar dismisses sexual harassment allegations, says, 'A lie is a lie' Nana Patekar on Saturday denied sexually harssing Tanushree Dutta on the sets of 'Horn Ok Pleassss'. "I said this ten years ago... A lie is a lie (Dus saal pehle bol chuka hoon, ab jo jhoot hai woh jhoot hai')", said Patekar after returning from Jodhpur at the airport.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Google's India-born chief executive Sundar Pichai quietly paid a visit to the Pentagon to ease tensions that erupted after employee outrage prompted the tech giant to sever a controversial defence contract to analyse drone video, according to a media report.&nbsp;

Pichai met with a group of civilian and military leaders mostly from the office of the Under Secretary of Defence for Intelligence, the Defense Department directorate that oversees the artificial-intelligence drone system known as Project Maven, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak freely about the meeting, The Washington Post reported.

Google had worked with the Defense Department to develop Project Maven, which uses AI to automatically tag cars, buildings and other objects in videos recorded by drones flying over conflict zones. But in June, the tech giant said it would not renew its contract following an uprising from employees, who criticized the work as helping the military track and kill with greater efficiency, the report said.

A Defense Department spokesperson said, "We do not comment on the details of private meetings. Department leaders routinely meet with industry partners to discuss innovative technologies. These meetings support continuing dialogue aimed at solving future technology challenges.

A spokeswoman for Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The secrecy surrounding Pichai's visit highlights one of the tech giant's most challenging binds: How to retain Silicon Valley workers angered by the moral implications of developing warfare technology while also staying in the running for Washington's lucrative military contracts, the paper said.

Google's change-of-heart over Project Maven, its first big AI partnership with the Pentagon, has become a key source of tension between the tech giant and military officials, who felt that Google should have done a better job communicating that the technology could help keep servicemembers out of harm's way, according to a source familiar with the work.

Google's decision to terminate its relationship with Project Maven also has drawn sharp rebukes from congressional lawmakers, particularly Republicans, who were the focus of Pichai's rare, two-day swing through Washington last week.

Google's India-born chief executive Sundar Pichai quietly paid a visit to the Pentagon to ease tensions that erupted after employee outrage prompted the tech giant to sever a controversial defence contract to analyse drone video, according to a media report.

Google's India-born chief executive Sundar Pichai quietly paid a visit to the Pentagon to ease tensions that erupted after employee outrage prompted the tech giant to sever a controversial defence contract to analyse drone video, according to a media report. Pichai met with a group of civilian and military leaders mostly from the office of the Under Secretary of Defence for Intelligence, the Defense Department directorate that oversees the artificial-intelligence drone system known as Project Maven, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak freely about the meeting, The Washington Post reported. Google had worked with the Defense Department to develop Project Maven, which uses AI to automatically tag cars, buildings and other objects in videos recorded by drones flying over conflict zones. But in June, the tech giant said it would not renew its contract following an uprising from employees, who criticized the work as helping the military track and kill with greater efficiency, the report said. A Defense Department spokesperson said, "We do not comment on the details of private meetings. Department leaders routinely meet with industry partners to discuss innovative technologies. These meetings support continuing dialogue aimed at solving future technology challenges. A spokeswoman for Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The secrecy surrounding Pichai's visit highlights one of the tech giant's most challenging binds: How to retain Silicon Valley workers angered by the moral implications of developing warfare technology while also staying in the running for Washington's lucrative military contracts, the paper said. Google's change-of-heart over Project Maven, its first big AI partnership with the Pentagon, has become a key source of tension between the tech giant and military officials, who felt that Google should have done a better job communicating that the technology could help keep servicemembers out of harm's way, according to a source familiar with the work. Google's decision to terminate its relationship with Project Maven also has drawn sharp rebukes from congressional lawmakers, particularly Republicans, who were the focus of Pichai's rare, two-day swing through Washington last week.

Google CEO secretly met Pentagon leaders over AI project: Report

US Vice President Mike Pence sharply criticized what he said was China's theft of US technology on Thursday, and he urged Google to immediately end development of its "Dragonfly" app that would make it easier to track someone's internet searches.

Pence said in a speech that business leaders are now thinking twice before entering the Chinese market "if it means turning over their intellectual property or abetting Beijing’s oppression."

"More must follow suit," he added. "For example, Google should immediately end development of the 'Dragonfly' app that will strengthen Communist Party censorship and compromise the privacy of Chinese customers."

US Vice President Mike Pence sharply criticized what he said was China's theft of US technology on Thursday, and he urged Google to immediately end development of its "Dragonfly" app that would make it easier to track someone's internet searches.

US Vice President Mike Pence sharply criticized what he said was China's theft of US technology on Thursday, and he urged Google to immediately end development of its "Dragonfly" app that would make it easier to track someone's internet searches. Pence said in a speech that business leaders are now thinking twice before entering the Chinese market "if it means turning over their intellectual property or abetting Beijing’s oppression." "More must follow suit," he added. "For example, Google should immediately end development of the 'Dragonfly' app that will strengthen Communist Party censorship and compromise the privacy of Chinese customers."

Google should halt Dragonfly app development: Pence

Google on Monday dedicated its doodle to Govindappa Venkataswamy, an Indian ophthalmologist who dedicated his life for eradicating needless blindness.

Born on October 1, 1918, Venkataswamy was the founder of the largest provider of eye care in the world, Aravind Eye Hospitals.

The hospital which has seen over 55 million patients charges highly subsidised rates from most of its patients.

Venkataswamy also known as Dr V personally performed over 100,000 eye surgeries and has helped in developing the concept of eye camps.&nbsp;

He is popularly known for developing a high quality, high volume, low-cost service delivery model that has helped in restoring sight to millions of people.

Dr V was awarded the Padma Shri from the Government of India in 1973.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Google on Monday dedicated its doodle to Govindappa Venkataswamy, an Indian ophthalmologist who dedicated his life for eradicating needless blindness. Born on October 1, 1918, Venkataswamy was the founder of the largest provider of eye care in the world, Aravind Eye Hospitals.

Google on Monday dedicated its doodle to Govindappa Venkataswamy, an Indian ophthalmologist who dedicated his life for eradicating needless blindness. Born on October 1, 1918, Venkataswamy was the founder of the largest provider of eye care in the world, Aravind Eye Hospitals. The hospital which has seen over 55 million patients charges highly subsidised rates from most of its patients. Venkataswamy also known as Dr V personally performed over 100,000 eye surgeries and has helped in developing the concept of eye camps. He is popularly known for developing a high quality, high volume, low-cost service delivery model that has helped in restoring sight to millions of people. Dr V was awarded the Padma Shri from the Government of India in 1973.

Google Doodle celebrates 100th birth anniversary of Padma Shree Govindappa Venkataswamy

Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai has agreed to testify before the US&nbsp;House Judiciary Committee in November, a senior Republican said Friday.

According to news agency Reuters,&nbsp;House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy disclosed that Pichai had agreed to testify and met with Pichai along with other senior Republicans to discuss concerns that the search engine giant is biased against conservatives, which Alphabet Inc's Google unit has repeatedly denied the accusations.

Google came under fire earlier this month for refusing to send a top executive to a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing that included Facebook Inc and Twitter Inc executives.

Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai has agreed to testify before the US House Judiciary Committee in November, a senior Republican said Friday. According to news agency Reuters, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy disclosed that Pichai had agreed to testify and met with Pichai along with other senior Republicans to discuss concerns that the search engine giant is biased against conservatives, which Alphabet Inc's Google unit has repeatedly denied the accusations.

Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai has agreed to testify before the US House Judiciary Committee in November, a senior Republican said Friday. According to news agency Reuters, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy disclosed that Pichai had agreed to testify and met with Pichai along with other senior Republicans to discuss concerns that the search engine giant is biased against conservatives, which Alphabet Inc's Google unit has repeatedly denied the accusations. Google came under fire earlier this month for refusing to send a top executive to a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing that included Facebook Inc and Twitter Inc executives.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai to testify before US House panel in November

The world's most used search engine Google is celebrating its 20th birthday with a Google Doodle.

To celebrate the day, Google has a special logo, Doodle, remembering the day they launched with a video of someone searching on the original Google.com.

<img alt="Gooogle" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="bde6b79e-543f-4101-8ec9-908a71d33b85" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design.jpg" />

Today’s video Doodle takes a stroll down memory lane by exploring popular searches all over the world throughout the last two decades.

In 1997, one of Google's co-founders, Larry Page, had just arrived at Stanford University to pursue his PhD in computer science, reminisces the company on its official page.

Of all the students on campus, Google's other co-founder, Sergey Brin, was randomly assigned to show Page around. This chance encounter was the happy surprise that started it all.

From there, the two came together with a common goal in mind: to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful, a mantra that would go on to become Google's mission statement.

The two hunkered down in a garage - Google's first office - and got to work.

The world's most used search engine Google is celebrating its 20th birthday with a Google Doodle. To celebrate the day, Google has a special logo, Doodle, remembering the day they launched with a video of someone searching on the original Google.

The world's most used search engine Google is celebrating its 20th birthday with a Google Doodle. To celebrate the day, Google has a special logo, Doodle, remembering the day they launched with a video of someone searching on the original Google.com. Today’s video Doodle takes a stroll down memory lane by exploring popular searches all over the world throughout the last two decades. In 1997, one of Google's co-founders, Larry Page, had just arrived at Stanford University to pursue his PhD in computer science, reminisces the company on its official page. Of all the students on campus, Google's other co-founder, Sergey Brin, was randomly assigned to show Page around. This chance encounter was the happy surprise that started it all. From there, the two came together with a common goal in mind: to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful, a mantra that would go on to become Google's mission statement. The two hunkered down in a garage - Google's first office - and got to work.

Google celebrates 20th birthday with doodle

By:&nbsp;Ronald Robertson*

As the 2018 midterm elections approach in the U.S., Google's power to influence undecided voters remains overshadowed by Facebook's personal data crisis.

Facebook has "taken it on the chin" for its role in the 2016 presidential election, and organisations like the political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica and the Russian troll farm known as the Internet Research Agency have dominated headlines. Yet, despite having a troubling history and collecting more personal data through more products than Facebook, Google has somehow managed to evade the public spotlight on this one. That may be changing.

The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee recently sent Google a letter asking a series of questions about the company’s personal data protection. As one of the researchers who helped discover that search engines can substantially influence users' voting preferences, I found the last question to be the most intriguing: "Are you aware of any foreign entities seeking to influence or interfere with U.S. elections through your platforms?" If Google’s response to this question exists, it has not been made public.

Search engine influence

Since 2013, I've been involved in the design and execution of a long series of experiments that have demonstrated how search engines can influence undecided voters' candidate choices through nearly undetectable manipulations to search rankings. We labeled this powerful new form of influence the search engine manipulation effect.

The way these effect works is simple: Favoritism for a particular candidate in election-related search rankings leads to people preferring that candidate. For example, a search related to an upcoming election might return results favoring candidate A higher than results favoring candidate B. That's called partisan ranking bias. Since people tend to click on and trust highly ranked results, more people will then trust and consume the information supporting candidate A. In turn, that consumption increases their preference for candidate A.

The most important aspect of this effect, however, is that most people can't detect the partisan ranking bias – and it's virtually impossible to defend yourself from influences you can't perceive. Fortunately, in three follow-up experiments, involving 3,600 participants, we demonstrated that alerting people to partisan ranking bias can help suppress the effect – though only laws or regulations actually preventing partisan ranking could eliminate the effect entirely.

Why focus on Google?

Google handles more than 60 percent of internet search activity in the U.S., and nearly 90 percent worldwide. Every year, this translates to trillions of queries related to people's private thoughts, concerns and questions.

With respect to news, search engines are a bigger source than social media. Although an often cited 2016 Pew study found that a majority, 62 percent, of U.S. adults got news on social media, the devil is in the details. If you unpack that statistic, you'll find that 18 percent do so "hardly ever." Added to the 38 percent of Americans who "never" got news on social media, the same study suggests that social media is a negligible source of news for 56 percent of Americans, also a majority.

Think about it: When you need to fact-check something or learn more about a topic, what do you do? You Google it. This fact is supported by a recent international survey that found that 74 percent of participants reported using search engines to fact-check information they found on social media. The same survey found that 68 percent reported that the information they found while searching was "important to influencing their decisions about voting."

What does Google think?

Google’s executives rarely make public responses to critiques of its search system. But in 2015, my colleague Robert Epstein published an article in Politico – entitled "How Google Could Rig the 2016 Election" – and that did the trick. Google's head of search at the time, Amit Singhal, responded with his own article, calling Epstein a conspiracy theorist, stating that "there is absolutely no truth to Epstein's hypothesis that Google could work secretly to influence election outcomes" and that "Google has never ever re-ranked search results on any topic (including elections) to manipulate user sentiment."

Singhal's first claim is hard to believe, unless you dismiss our research, our replication, and the independent research built on our findings. Search engines do have the capacity to shift people's opinions, including who to vote for.

His second claim, that Google "never ever re-ranked search results," also doesn’t quite hold up: The EU recently fined the company US$2.7 billion for ranking its own services higher in search results than its competitors.

Defending democracy

Another one of the Judiciary Committee’s questions to Google also struck a chord with me: "How do you monitor the ability of foreign entities to influence and interfere with U.S. elections?"

This question struck me because I've been developing systems for exactly this purpose – preserving search rankings and analysing them for systematic differences – for several years. In the course of this work, however, I've come to believe that freeing the democratic process from technologically enabled influences is virtually impossible without the cooperation of modern tech giants.

Facebook is now offering to collaborate with academic researchers who can measure and perhaps lessen or prevent undue influence on elections, and Twitter is doing something similar. Related efforts are also bringing transparency to other platforms like YouTube and Reddit. When will Google get on board?

At an upcoming conference, I will present the latest system I've been designing with Christo Wilson, a leading scientist in the field of algorithm auditing, for monitoring search rankings for partisan bias. With a little assistance from Google, no more than Facebook is offering, accurately monitoring or preventing search engine influence in the 2018 elections is actually a feasible goal. Without the company's help, things look bleak.

Although Google is an advertising business, its core is composed of creative and intelligent individuals who care deeply about the impact their work has on the world. This is evidenced by the recent letter signed by more than 3,100 Google employees protesting the use of their work in warfare technology. Nearly a dozen Google workers went so far as to resign in protest.

Perhaps the day is fast approaching when Google will step up, as Facebook, Twitter and Reddit have, to help defend democracy from the new world of computational propaganda. Perhaps there is already a letter circulating internally and gathering signatures. With state and federal primary elections already underway, let's hope so.

*Ronald Robertson is a Ph.D. Student in Network Science, Northeastern University

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original <a href="https://theconversation.com/when-will-google-defend-democracy-96838">article</a>.)

As the 2018 midterm elections approach in the U.S., Google's power to influence undecided voters remains overshadowed by Facebook's personal data crisis

By: Ronald Robertson* As the 2018 midterm elections approach in the U.S., Google's power to influence undecided voters remains overshadowed by Facebook's personal data crisis. Facebook has "taken it on the chin" for its role in the 2016 presidential election, and organisations like the political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica and the Russian troll farm known as the Internet Research Agency have dominated headlines. Yet, despite having a troubling history and collecting more personal data through more products than Facebook, Google has somehow managed to evade the public spotlight on this one. That may be changing. The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee recently sent Google a letter asking a series of questions about the company’s personal data protection. As one of the researchers who helped discover that search engines can substantially influence users' voting preferences, I found the last question to be the most intriguing: "Are you aware of any foreign entities seeking to influence or interfere with U.S. elections through your platforms?" If Google’s response to this question exists, it has not been made public. Search engine influence Since 2013, I've been involved in the design and execution of a long series of experiments that have demonstrated how search engines can influence undecided voters' candidate choices through nearly undetectable manipulations to search rankings. We labeled this powerful new form of influence the search engine manipulation effect. The way these effect works is simple: Favoritism for a particular candidate in election-related search rankings leads to people preferring that candidate. For example, a search related to an upcoming election might return results favoring candidate A higher than results favoring candidate B. That's called partisan ranking bias. Since people tend to click on and trust highly ranked results, more people will then trust and consume the information supporting candidate A. In turn, that consumption increases their preference for candidate A. The most important aspect of this effect, however, is that most people can't detect the partisan ranking bias – and it's virtually impossible to defend yourself from influences you can't perceive. Fortunately, in three follow-up experiments, involving 3,600 participants, we demonstrated that alerting people to partisan ranking bias can help suppress the effect – though only laws or regulations actually preventing partisan ranking could eliminate the effect entirely. Why focus on Google? Google handles more than 60 percent of internet search activity in the U.S., and nearly 90 percent worldwide. Every year, this translates to trillions of queries related to people's private thoughts, concerns and questions. With respect to news, search engines are a bigger source than social media. Although an often cited 2016 Pew study found that a majority, 62 percent, of U.S. adults got news on social media, the devil is in the details. If you unpack that statistic, you'll find that 18 percent do so "hardly ever." Added to the 38 percent of Americans who "never" got news on social media, the same study suggests that social media is a negligible source of news for 56 percent of Americans, also a majority. Think about it: When you need to fact-check something or learn more about a topic, what do you do? You Google it. This fact is supported by a recent international survey that found that 74 percent of participants reported using search engines to fact-check information they found on social media. The same survey found that 68 percent reported that the information they found while searching was "important to influencing their decisions about voting." What does Google think? Google’s executives rarely make public responses to critiques of its search system. But in 2015, my colleague Robert Epstein published an article in Politico – entitled "How Google Could Rig the 2016 Election" – and that did the trick. Google's head of search at the time, Amit Singhal, responded with his own article, calling Epstein a conspiracy theorist, stating that "there is absolutely no truth to Epstein's hypothesis that Google could work secretly to influence election outcomes" and that "Google has never ever re-ranked search results on any topic (including elections) to manipulate user sentiment." Singhal's first claim is hard to believe, unless you dismiss our research, our replication, and the independent research built on our findings. Search engines do have the capacity to shift people's opinions, including who to vote for. His second claim, that Google "never ever re-ranked search results," also doesn’t quite hold up: The EU recently fined the company US$2.7 billion for ranking its own services higher in search results than its competitors. Defending democracy Another one of the Judiciary Committee’s questions to Google also struck a chord with me: "How do you monitor the ability of foreign entities to influence and interfere with U.S. elections?" This question struck me because I've been developing systems for exactly this purpose – preserving search rankings and analysing them for systematic differences – for several years. In the course of this work, however, I've come to believe that freeing the democratic process from technologically enabled influences is virtually impossible without the cooperation of modern tech giants. Facebook is now offering to collaborate with academic researchers who can measure and perhaps lessen or prevent undue influence on elections, and Twitter is doing something similar. Related efforts are also bringing transparency to other platforms like YouTube and Reddit. When will Google get on board? At an upcoming conference, I will present the latest system I've been designing with Christo Wilson, a leading scientist in the field of algorithm auditing, for monitoring search rankings for partisan bias. With a little assistance from Google, no more than Facebook is offering, accurately monitoring or preventing search engine influence in the 2018 elections is actually a feasible goal. Without the company's help, things look bleak. Although Google is an advertising business, its core is composed of creative and intelligent individuals who care deeply about the impact their work has on the world. This is evidenced by the recent letter signed by more than 3,100 Google employees protesting the use of their work in warfare technology. Nearly a dozen Google workers went so far as to resign in protest. Perhaps the day is fast approaching when Google will step up, as Facebook, Twitter and Reddit have, to help defend democracy from the new world of computational propaganda. Perhaps there is already a letter circulating internally and gathering signatures. With state and federal primary elections already underway, let's hope so. *Ronald Robertson is a Ph.D. Student in Network Science, Northeastern University (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.)

Opinion: When will Google defend democracy?

Alphabet Inc's Google will not renew a contract to help the US military analyse aerial drone imagery when it expires in March, a person familiar with the matter said on Friday, as the company moves to defuse the internal uproar over the deal.

The defence program, called Project Maven, set off a revolt inside Google, as factions of employees opposed Google technology being used in warfare. The dissidents said it clashed with the company`s stated principle of doing no harm and cited risks around using a nascent artificial intelligence technology in lethal situations.

Google plans to honour what is left of its contract on Project Maven, the person said. More than 4,600 employees signed a petition calling for Google to cancel the deal, with at least 13 employees resigning in recent weeks in protest at Google`s involvement, according to a second person familiar with the deal.

Through Project Maven, Google provides artificial intelligence technology to the Pentagon to help humans detect and identify targets captured by drone images. Company executives have defended the contract, saying its cloud computing and data analysis tools were being used for non-offensive tasks and would help save lives.

Tech publication Gizmodo first reported that Google Cloud Chief Executive Diane Greene told employees on Friday Google`s role in the program would end.

A source confirmed that, but Google declined to comment.

"I am incredibly happy about this decision and have a deep respect for the many people who worked and risked to make it happen. Google should not be in the business of war," Meredith Whittaker, a research scientist affiliated with Google and New York University, wrote on Twitter.

More than 700 Google employees had joined an online group inside the company called Maven Conscientious Objectors, using it to vent their concerns about the project and discuss ways of protesting against it.

Some employees planned to hold a public rally in San Francisco in July, coinciding with a Google conference, according to one source. Company officials have told employees in recent months that the deal was seen as a gateway to further, more lucrative government work, the source said.

As Google ventures into new territory, a group of nine people are working on a set of ethical guidelines for any future military contracts. The guidelines will be released, "very, very soon," Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai said in a recording of a staff meeting last week reviewed by Reuters.

Maven had an initial budget of $70 million. Google has told employees it was getting less than $10 million for its work on the program, according to one source who requested anonymity because the information has not been made public.

Selling cloud computing services, including the object detection tool being used with drone footage, is one of the top areas Google is counting on to diversify revenue. But Amazon.com Inc and Microsoft Corp have won far more cloud business.

Google in August 2017 hosted defence executives to demonstrate its artificial intelligence capabilities, according to a document shared with Google employees and seen by Reuters.

An internal email sent in October 2017 entitled "MAVEN Kickoff Meeting Notes" quoted Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan as saying during a meeting with Google in Mountain View, California, that he wanted "a built-in AI capability" in all future Department of Defense systems deployed in the field.

The email was shared with the Maven Conscientious Objectors and Reuters viewed it on the group`s online forum.

Google declined to comment on internal documents and messages seen by Reuters.

Project Maven includes several subcontractors. Pentagon spokeswoman Major Audricia Harris said in an email to Reuters on Friday that the Pentagon values "all of our relationships with academic institutions and commercial companies involved with Project Maven."

The primary contractor on the project, ECS Federal, did not respond to a request to comment.

As Google ventures into new territory, a group of nine people are working on a set of ethical guidelines for any future military contracts.

Alphabet Inc's Google will not renew a contract to help the US military analyse aerial drone imagery when it expires in March, a person familiar with the matter said on Friday, as the company moves to defuse the internal uproar over the deal. The defence program, called Project Maven, set off a revolt inside Google, as factions of employees opposed Google technology being used in warfare. The dissidents said it clashed with the company`s stated principle of doing no harm and cited risks around using a nascent artificial intelligence technology in lethal situations. Google plans to honour what is left of its contract on Project Maven, the person said. More than 4,600 employees signed a petition calling for Google to cancel the deal, with at least 13 employees resigning in recent weeks in protest at Google`s involvement, according to a second person familiar with the deal. Through Project Maven, Google provides artificial intelligence technology to the Pentagon to help humans detect and identify targets captured by drone images. Company executives have defended the contract, saying its cloud computing and data analysis tools were being used for non-offensive tasks and would help save lives. Tech publication Gizmodo first reported that Google Cloud Chief Executive Diane Greene told employees on Friday Google`s role in the program would end. A source confirmed that, but Google declined to comment. "I am incredibly happy about this decision and have a deep respect for the many people who worked and risked to make it happen. Google should not be in the business of war," Meredith Whittaker, a research scientist affiliated with Google and New York University, wrote on Twitter. More than 700 Google employees had joined an online group inside the company called Maven Conscientious Objectors, using it to vent their concerns about the project and discuss ways of protesting against it. Some employees planned to hold a public rally in San Francisco in July, coinciding with a Google conference, according to one source. Company officials have told employees in recent months that the deal was seen as a gateway to further, more lucrative government work, the source said. As Google ventures into new territory, a group of nine people are working on a set of ethical guidelines for any future military contracts. The guidelines will be released, "very, very soon," Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai said in a recording of a staff meeting last week reviewed by Reuters. Maven had an initial budget of $70 million. Google has told employees it was getting less than $10 million for its work on the program, according to one source who requested anonymity because the information has not been made public. Selling cloud computing services, including the object detection tool being used with drone footage, is one of the top areas Google is counting on to diversify revenue. But Amazon.com Inc and Microsoft Corp have won far more cloud business. Google in August 2017 hosted defence executives to demonstrate its artificial intelligence capabilities, according to a document shared with Google employees and seen by Reuters. An internal email sent in October 2017 entitled "MAVEN Kickoff Meeting Notes" quoted Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan as saying during a meeting with Google in Mountain View, California, that he wanted "a built-in AI capability" in all future Department of Defense systems deployed in the field. The email was shared with the Maven Conscientious Objectors and Reuters viewed it on the group`s online forum. Google declined to comment on internal documents and messages seen by Reuters. Project Maven includes several subcontractors. Pentagon spokeswoman Major Audricia Harris said in an email to Reuters on Friday that the Pentagon values "all of our relationships with academic institutions and commercial companies involved with Project Maven." The primary contractor on the project, ECS Federal, did not respond to a request to comment.

After employee backlash, Google says no to Pentagon work

Google workers have got word that the internet titan will retreat from a deal to help the US military use artificial intelligence to analyze drone video following an outcry from staff, according to reports. The collaboration with the US Department of Defense was said to have sparked rebellion inside the California-based company. An internal petition calling for Google to stay out of "the business of war" garnered thousands of signatures, and some workers reportedly quit to protest a collaboration with the military.

The New York Times and tech news website Gizmodo cited unnamed sources as saying that a Google's cloud team executive announced told employees on Friday that the company would not seek to renew the controversial contract after it expires next year. The contract was reported to be worth less than $10 million to Google but was thought to have potential to lead to more lucrative technology collaborations with the military.

Google did not respond to a request for comment. Google has remained mum about Project Maven, which reportedly uses machine learning and engineering talent to distinguish people and objects in drone videos for the Defense Department. "We believe that Google should not be in the business of war," the employee petition reads, according to copies posted online. "Therefore, we ask that Project Maven be cancelled and that Google draft, publicize and enforce a clear policy stating that neither Google nor its contractors will ever build warfare technology."

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, an internet rights group and the International Committee for Robot Arms Control (ICRAC) were among those who have weighed in with support.

"As military commanders come to see the object recognition algorithms as reliable, it will be tempting to attenuate or even remove human review and oversight for these systems," ICRAC said in an open letter.

"We are then just a short step away from authorizing autonomous drones to kill automatically, without human supervision or meaningful human control." Google has gone on the record saying that its work to improve machines' ability to recognize objects is not for offensive uses. 
The EFF and others stressed the need for moral and ethical frameworks regarding the use of artificial intelligence in weaponry.

"The use of AI in weapons systems is a crucially important topic and one that deserves an international public discussion and likely some international agreements to ensure global safety," the EFF said in a blog post on the topic.&nbsp

Google workers have got word that the internet titan will retreat from a deal to help the US military use artificial intelligence to analyze drone video following an outcry from staff, according to reports

Google workers have got word that the internet titan will retreat from a deal to help the US military use artificial intelligence to analyze drone video following an outcry from staff, according to reports. The collaboration with the US Department of Defense was said to have sparked rebellion inside the California-based company. An internal petition calling for Google to stay out of "the business of war" garnered thousands of signatures, and some workers reportedly quit to protest a collaboration with the military. The New York Times and tech news website Gizmodo cited unnamed sources as saying that a Google's cloud team executive announced told employees on Friday that the company would not seek to renew the controversial contract after it expires next year. The contract was reported to be worth less than $10 million to Google but was thought to have potential to lead to more lucrative technology collaborations with the military. Google did not respond to a request for comment. Google has remained mum about Project Maven, which reportedly uses machine learning and engineering talent to distinguish people and objects in drone videos for the Defense Department. "We believe that Google should not be in the business of war," the employee petition reads, according to copies posted online. "Therefore, we ask that Project Maven be cancelled and that Google draft, publicize and enforce a clear policy stating that neither Google nor its contractors will ever build warfare technology." The Electronic Frontier Foundation, an internet rights group and the International Committee for Robot Arms Control (ICRAC) were among those who have weighed in with support. "As military commanders come to see the object recognition algorithms as reliable, it will be tempting to attenuate or even remove human review and oversight for these systems," ICRAC said in an open letter. "We are then just a short step away from authorizing autonomous drones to kill automatically, without human supervision or meaningful human control." Google has gone on the record saying that its work to improve machines' ability to recognize objects is not for offensive uses. The EFF and others stressed the need for moral and ethical frameworks regarding the use of artificial intelligence in weaponry. "The use of AI in weapons systems is a crucially important topic and one that deserves an international public discussion and likely some international agreements to ensure global safety," the EFF said in a blog post on the topic.

Google retreating from military AI project: Reports

For its updated news application, Google is doubling down on the use of artificial intelligence as part of an effort to weed our disinformation and help users get viewpoints beyond their own "filter bubble."

Google chief Sundar Pichai, who unveiled the updated Google News earlier this month, said the app now "surfaces the news you care about from trusted sources while still giving you a full range of perspectives on events."

It marks Google's latest effort to be at the center of online news and includes a new push to help publishers get paid subscribers through the tech giant's platform.

According to product chief Trystan Upstill, the news app "uses the best of artificial intelligence to find the best of human intelligence -- the great reporting done by journalists around the globe."

While the app will enable users to get "personalized" news, it will also include top stories for all readers, aiming to break the so-called filter bubble of information designed to reinforce people's biases.

"Having a productive conversation or debate requires everyone to have access to the same information," Upstill said.

He said the "full coverage" feed would be the same for everyone -- "an unpersonalized view of events from a range of trusted news sources."

Some journalism industry veterans were skeptical about the effort to replace human editors with machine curators.

"There's been a fantasy of (algorithmic) personalized news for a log time," said New York University journalism professor Meredith Broussard.

"Nobody has ever gotten it right. I think that news designers and home page editors do a good job of curating already."

Google and Facebook have also been criticized for scooping up most online ad revenues and for enabling false information to spread.

Recently, News Corp. CEO Robert Thomson called for an "algorithm review board" that would "oversee these historically influential digital platforms and ensure that there is no algorithmic abuse or censorship."

- Changing news ecosystem - 
In the new app, Google's "newsstand" addresses some concerns by allowing users to sign up for subscriptions using their Google accounts, and will enable publishers to connect with readers directly.

Dan Kennedy, a Northeastern University journalism professor, said the revamped news app appears to be positive for the news ecosystem.

"For many years, Google refused to share ad revenues with news organizations on the grounds that Google was driving traffic to them, and that it was up to those organizations to figure out how to monetize that traffic," Kennedy said.

"Now, with more than 90 percent of all new digital ad revenues going to Google and Facebook, Google is finally acknowledging that it's time to try something else."

Nicholas Diakopoulos, a Northwestern University professor specializing in computational and data journalism, said the impact of Google's changes remain to be seen.

Diakopoulos said algorithmic and personalized news can be positive for "engagement" but may only benefit a handful of news organizations.

His research found that "Google concentrates its attention on a relatively small number of publishers, it's quite concentrated."

Google's effort to identify and prioritize "trusted" news sources may also be problematic, according to Diakopoulos.

"Maybe it's good for the big guys, or the (publishers) who have figured out how to game the algorithm," he said. "But what about the local news sites, what about the new news sites that don't have a long track record?"

Diakopoulos said that while AI can offer some advantages in news curation, "you still need people involved in many different ways. you need to reflect human values, editorial values... you can't quantify every aspect that might be important to an editorial decision."

The growing importance of the platforms raise the questions of whether Google and Facebook are "media" companies and not simply technology firms, a moniker both have resisted.

Diakopoulos said Google "is becoming more and more like a media company," although that is sometimes difficult to define.

"Yahoo started as a tech company and became a media company, and maybe Google is headed in that direction," he said.

According to product chief Trystan Upstill, the news app 'uses the best of artificial intelligence to find the best of human intelligence — the great reporting done by journalists around the globe'

For its updated news application, Google is doubling down on the use of artificial intelligence as part of an effort to weed our disinformation and help users get viewpoints beyond their own "filter bubble." Google chief Sundar Pichai, who unveiled the updated Google News earlier this month, said the app now "surfaces the news you care about from trusted sources while still giving you a full range of perspectives on events." It marks Google's latest effort to be at the center of online news and includes a new push to help publishers get paid subscribers through the tech giant's platform. According to product chief Trystan Upstill, the news app "uses the best of artificial intelligence to find the best of human intelligence -- the great reporting done by journalists around the globe." While the app will enable users to get "personalized" news, it will also include top stories for all readers, aiming to break the so-called filter bubble of information designed to reinforce people's biases. "Having a productive conversation or debate requires everyone to have access to the same information," Upstill said. He said the "full coverage" feed would be the same for everyone -- "an unpersonalized view of events from a range of trusted news sources." Some journalism industry veterans were skeptical about the effort to replace human editors with machine curators. "There's been a fantasy of (algorithmic) personalized news for a log time," said New York University journalism professor Meredith Broussard. "Nobody has ever gotten it right. I think that news designers and home page editors do a good job of curating already." Google and Facebook have also been criticized for scooping up most online ad revenues and for enabling false information to spread. Recently, News Corp. CEO Robert Thomson called for an "algorithm review board" that would "oversee these historically influential digital platforms and ensure that there is no algorithmic abuse or censorship." - Changing news ecosystem - In the new app, Google's "newsstand" addresses some concerns by allowing users to sign up for subscriptions using their Google accounts, and will enable publishers to connect with readers directly. Dan Kennedy, a Northeastern University journalism professor, said the revamped news app appears to be positive for the news ecosystem. "For many years, Google refused to share ad revenues with news organizations on the grounds that Google was driving traffic to them, and that it was up to those organizations to figure out how to monetize that traffic," Kennedy said. "Now, with more than 90 percent of all new digital ad revenues going to Google and Facebook, Google is finally acknowledging that it's time to try something else." Nicholas Diakopoulos, a Northwestern University professor specializing in computational and data journalism, said the impact of Google's changes remain to be seen. Diakopoulos said algorithmic and personalized news can be positive for "engagement" but may only benefit a handful of news organizations. His research found that "Google concentrates its attention on a relatively small number of publishers, it's quite concentrated." Google's effort to identify and prioritize "trusted" news sources may also be problematic, according to Diakopoulos. "Maybe it's good for the big guys, or the (publishers) who have figured out how to game the algorithm," he said. "But what about the local news sites, what about the new news sites that don't have a long track record?" Diakopoulos said that while AI can offer some advantages in news curation, "you still need people involved in many different ways. you need to reflect human values, editorial values... you can't quantify every aspect that might be important to an editorial decision." The growing importance of the platforms raise the questions of whether Google and Facebook are "media" companies and not simply technology firms, a moniker both have resisted. Diakopoulos said Google "is becoming more and more like a media company," although that is sometimes difficult to define. "Yahoo started as a tech company and became a media company, and maybe Google is headed in that direction," he said.

To filter out fake news, Google's news app is using AI

Google's Artificial Intelligence programme for the Pentagon has met with severe opposition from its employees. Nearly 4000 Google employees have signed a petition to roll back the project more than dozens have already quit.

Google's ambitious AI programme, Project Maven, aims to work with the US military and facilitate easy and faster analysis of footage captured by military drones.

Through machine learning, Google's AI assistance would help the military distinguish people, object and spot targets easily. However, employees at Google have questioned the project on ethical grounds.&nbsp;

The internal petition, that seeks Google to rollback the project, involves nearly 4000 employees who want Google to stay out of the "business of war". Some petitioners have called for a treaty against autonomous weapons systems.&nbsp;

Google, for now, continues with the project explaining that the technology used in Maven is open source and that the US military can access it with or without Google's direct involvement.

Time and again, Google has maintained that it will not apply AI for combat operations.&nbsp;

Time and again, Google has maintained that it will not apply AI for combat operations

Google's Artificial Intelligence programme for the Pentagon has met with severe opposition from its employees. Nearly 4000 Google employees have signed a petition to roll back the project more than dozens have already quit. Google's ambitious AI programme, Project Maven, aims to work with the US military and facilitate easy and faster analysis of footage captured by military drones. Through machine learning, Google's AI assistance would help the military distinguish people, object and spot targets easily. However, employees at Google have questioned the project on ethical grounds. The internal petition, that seeks Google to rollback the project, involves nearly 4000 employees who want Google to stay out of the "business of war". Some petitioners have called for a treaty against autonomous weapons systems. Google, for now, continues with the project explaining that the technology used in Maven is open source and that the US military can access it with or without Google's direct involvement. Time and again, Google has maintained that it will not apply AI for combat operations.

Watch: Row over Google's US military AI project 'Maven', several employees quit

Google is under investigation in Australia following claims that it collects data from millions of Android smartphones users, who unwittingly pay their telecom service providers for gigabytes consumed during the harvesting, regulators said on Tuesday.

Responding to the latest privacy concerns surrounding Google, a spokesman for the US-based search engine operator said the company has users' permission to collect data.

The Australian investigations stem from allegations made by Oracle Corp in a report provided as part of an Australian review into the impact that Google, owned by Alphabet Inc, and Facebook have on the advertising market.

Both the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and the country's Privacy Commissioner said they were reviewing the report's findings.

"The ACCC met with Oracle and is considering information it has provided about Google services," said Geesche Jacobsen, a spokeswoman for the competition regulator.

"We are exploring how much consumers know about the use of location data and are working closely with the Privacy Commissioner."

Oracle, according to The Australian newspaper, said Alphabet receives detailed information about people's internet searches and user locations if they have a phone that carries Android - the mobile operating system developed by Google.

Transferring that information to Google means using up gigabytes of data that consumers have paid for under data packages purchased from local telecom service providers, according to the Oracle report.

Reuters was unable to immediately verify the content of the Oracle report.

Data privacy advocates said many consumers are unlikely to understand what they agreed to when signing up to use a smartphone.

Industry analysts estimate there are more than 10 million Android users in Australia.

"Some mobile plans may only include a few gigabytes of data so if Google is harvesting a gigabyte of data, it is a very real cost to consumers," said David Vaile, chairman of the industry group, the Australian Privacy Foundation.

Australian telecommunications companies said they were seeking confirmation from Google on the allegations.

"We are aware of the reports in the media and we have asked Google to advise whether they are accurate," a spokesman for Australia's biggest telecom company Telsta said.

The investigations will raise more questions about the way big technology companies collect and use people's data online.

Earlier this year, social media giant Facebook Inc apologised after web marketing firm Cambridge Analytica was accused of obtaining users' data without permission for the 2016 election campaign of United States President Donald Trump.

Oracle has its own long-running dispute with Google.

The US-based software company is seeking royalties for Google's use of some of the Java language, while Google argues it should be able to use Java without paying a fee.

Responding to the latest privacy concerns surrounding Google, a spokesman for the US-based search engine operator said the company has users' permission to collect dat

Google is under investigation in Australia following claims that it collects data from millions of Android smartphones users, who unwittingly pay their telecom service providers for gigabytes consumed during the harvesting, regulators said on Tuesday. Responding to the latest privacy concerns surrounding Google, a spokesman for the US-based search engine operator said the company has users' permission to collect data. The Australian investigations stem from allegations made by Oracle Corp in a report provided as part of an Australian review into the impact that Google, owned by Alphabet Inc, and Facebook have on the advertising market. Both the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and the country's Privacy Commissioner said they were reviewing the report's findings. "The ACCC met with Oracle and is considering information it has provided about Google services," said Geesche Jacobsen, a spokeswoman for the competition regulator. "We are exploring how much consumers know about the use of location data and are working closely with the Privacy Commissioner." Oracle, according to The Australian newspaper, said Alphabet receives detailed information about people's internet searches and user locations if they have a phone that carries Android - the mobile operating system developed by Google. Transferring that information to Google means using up gigabytes of data that consumers have paid for under data packages purchased from local telecom service providers, according to the Oracle report. Reuters was unable to immediately verify the content of the Oracle report. Data privacy advocates said many consumers are unlikely to understand what they agreed to when signing up to use a smartphone. Industry analysts estimate there are more than 10 million Android users in Australia. "Some mobile plans may only include a few gigabytes of data so if Google is harvesting a gigabyte of data, it is a very real cost to consumers," said David Vaile, chairman of the industry group, the Australian Privacy Foundation. Australian telecommunications companies said they were seeking confirmation from Google on the allegations. "We are aware of the reports in the media and we have asked Google to advise whether they are accurate," a spokesman for Australia's biggest telecom company Telsta said. The investigations will raise more questions about the way big technology companies collect and use people's data online. Earlier this year, social media giant Facebook Inc apologised after web marketing firm Cambridge Analytica was accused of obtaining users' data without permission for the 2016 election campaign of United States President Donald Trump. Oracle has its own long-running dispute with Google. The US-based software company is seeking royalties for Google's use of some of the Java language, while Google argues it should be able to use Java without paying a fee.

Australia probes claim Google harvests data, consumers pay

In a setback to Google India, the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal has upheld a tax demand on the search engine's remittances of advertisement revenue to Google Ireland Ltd.

The Bangalore bench of ITAT, in a 331-page order, upheld the tax department's contention that such payments are royalty and therefore subject to withholding tax.

Google India said it will challenge the ruling in the High Court.

The company had filed an appeal in the ITAT against "characterization of the payment made by it to Google Ireland Ltd in respect of the purchase of advertisement space for resale to the advertisers in India under the Google AdWords programme distribution agreements".

For the assessment year 2012-13, the tax department had found Rs 1,114.91 crore to have been credited to Google Ireland Ltd (GIL) without deduction of tax at source. And so, it issued a tax demand of Rs 258.84 crore.

In its submissions, Google India Ltd said it was a mere non-exclusive distributor/reseller of AdWords programme to the advertisers in the country. Distribution fee payable to GIL on the distribution of AdWords in India was not in relation to any 'transfer of any right' or 'right to use' any patent/invention and so cannot be taxed as royalty.

ITAT, however, said Google India had "access to patent, technical know-how, IPRs, trademark, the process, derivative works, brand features, etc., of the GIL".

"Therefore the payments of advertisement fees made by the assessee (Google India) after retaining a particular part of it to GIL is not the payment simpliciter towards the purchase of AdWord space which may be treated as business profit in the hands of the recipient but it is a payment of royalty," it ruled.

It went on to rule that the payment made by Google India to GIL is a payment of royalty and is an income deemed to accrue or arise in India.

A Google spokesperson said: "We comply with all tax laws in India and pay all applicable taxes. We will file an appeal in the High Court as this ruling is an inaccurate representation of our business operations in India. The order is also a clear departure from previous judgments on the issues and is not in line with India's double taxation avoidance agreement."

The ITAT held that payments aggregating to Rs 1,457 crore made by Google India to Google Ireland between 2007-08 and 2012-13 are taxable as royalty.&nbsp

The Bangalore bench of ITAT, in a 331-page order, upheld the tax department's contention that such payments are royalty and therefore subject to withholding tax

In a setback to Google India, the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal has upheld a tax demand on the search engine's remittances of advertisement revenue to Google Ireland Ltd. The Bangalore bench of ITAT, in a 331-page order, upheld the tax department's contention that such payments are royalty and therefore subject to withholding tax. Google India said it will challenge the ruling in the High Court. The company had filed an appeal in the ITAT against "characterization of the payment made by it to Google Ireland Ltd in respect of the purchase of advertisement space for resale to the advertisers in India under the Google AdWords programme distribution agreements". For the assessment year 2012-13, the tax department had found Rs 1,114.91 crore to have been credited to Google Ireland Ltd (GIL) without deduction of tax at source. And so, it issued a tax demand of Rs 258.84 crore. In its submissions, Google India Ltd said it was a mere non-exclusive distributor/reseller of AdWords programme to the advertisers in the country. Distribution fee payable to GIL on the distribution of AdWords in India was not in relation to any 'transfer of any right' or 'right to use' any patent/invention and so cannot be taxed as royalty. ITAT, however, said Google India had "access to patent, technical know-how, IPRs, trademark, the process, derivative works, brand features, etc., of the GIL". "Therefore the payments of advertisement fees made by the assessee (Google India) after retaining a particular part of it to GIL is not the payment simpliciter towards the purchase of AdWord space which may be treated as business profit in the hands of the recipient but it is a payment of royalty," it ruled. It went on to rule that the payment made by Google India to GIL is a payment of royalty and is an income deemed to accrue or arise in India. A Google spokesperson said: "We comply with all tax laws in India and pay all applicable taxes. We will file an appeal in the High Court as this ruling is an inaccurate representation of our business operations in India. The order is also a clear departure from previous judgments on the issues and is not in line with India's double taxation avoidance agreement." The ITAT held that payments aggregating to Rs 1,457 crore made by Google India to Google Ireland between 2007-08 and 2012-13 are taxable as royalty.

ITAT says Google India should pay tax on advt revenue sent to parent

Anna Faris says she has made a conscious effort to stay away from the social media chatter surrounding her personal life.

 
The 41-year-old actor, who announced her separation from Chris Pratt in August last year, says she realised after a point of time that she does not need to know everything that is being talked about her online. 
"I think that I just sort of learned to not Google myself, and when my sweet assistant is like, 'Look what just popped up.' I'm like, 'F**k off. I love you but I don't know if I need to know everything'," Faris told Marie Claire magazine.

Recently, comments by Pratt, 38, that going through a divorce "sucks" had invited lot of criticism.But the "Mom" actor feels her ex's remarks may have been blown out of proportion. 
"It feels like it's more dramatic than it is. Chris and I have a great friendship and Jack is so happy and so loved," she said.

The former couple has five-year-old son, Jack together.

Anna Faris doesn't care anymore about what the society says about her. She has simply learned not to google herself at all. She also speaks about her relationship with her husband even after they have got divorced

Anna Faris says she has made a conscious effort to stay away from the social media chatter surrounding her personal life. The 41-year-old actor, who announced her separation from Chris Pratt in August last year, says she realised after a point of time that she does not need to know everything that is being talked about her online. "I think that I just sort of learned to not Google myself, and when my sweet assistant is like, 'Look what just popped up.' I'm like, 'F**k off. I love you but I don't know if I need to know everything'," Faris told Marie Claire magazine. Recently, comments by Pratt, 38, that going through a divorce "sucks" had invited lot of criticism.But the "Mom" actor feels her ex's remarks may have been blown out of proportion. "It feels like it's more dramatic than it is. Chris and I have a great friendship and Jack is so happy and so loved," she said. The former couple has five-year-old son, Jack together.

Anna Faris: Chris and I have a great friendship

Celebrating Mother`s Day, Google today dedicated an adorable doodle to all the mothers out there.

Today`s doodle shows a mother dinosaur and her baby walking side by side showing how a mother is always there for her children, guiding and protecting them.

The day is especially dedicated to the woman who devotes all her life to the well-being of her child and in return for this selfless love from her, she expects nothing.

The custom of celebrating Mother's Day on the second Sunday of May was first adopted by the United States, following which many other countries adopted the same.&nbsp

It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, most commonly in the months of March or May. The modern holiday of Mother's Day was first celebrated in 1908 when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother at St Andrew`s Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia.

Jarvis wanted to honour her mother, hence set aside a day to recognise and appreciate the devotion of all mothers towards their child or children because she believed a mother is "the person who has done more for you than anyone in the world."Happy Mother`s Day to all the lovely mothers out there!

The modern holiday of Mother's Day was first celebrated in 1908 when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother at St Andrew`s Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia.

Celebrating Mother`s Day, Google today dedicated an adorable doodle to all the mothers out there. Today`s doodle shows a mother dinosaur and her baby walking side by side showing how a mother is always there for her children, guiding and protecting them. The day is especially dedicated to the woman who devotes all her life to the well-being of her child and in return for this selfless love from her, she expects nothing. The custom of celebrating Mother's Day on the second Sunday of May was first adopted by the United States, following which many other countries adopted the same. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, most commonly in the months of March or May. The modern holiday of Mother's Day was first celebrated in 1908 when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother at St Andrew`s Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia. Jarvis wanted to honour her mother, hence set aside a day to recognise and appreciate the devotion of all mothers towards their child or children because she believed a mother is "the person who has done more for you than anyone in the world."Happy Mother`s Day to all the lovely mothers out there!

Google celebrates 'Mother's Day' with a cute doodle

If you think you spend too much time browsing videos on YouTube, Google's latest feature is just for you.

The company has rolled out a feature that lets a user set a "Take a break" reminder and limit video viewing time.&nbsp

A user will be able to set a reminder for every 15, 30, 60, 90 or 180 minutes. During the break, the video will pause automatically and a "Take a Break" notification will pop on the screen notifying that they have been binge-watching videos for longer than they decided to.

However, users can choose to dismiss the reminder and keep watching. The new feature will be rolled out in the latest update of YouTube.

However, users can choose to dismiss the reminder and keep watching

If you think you spend too much time browsing videos on YouTube, Google's latest feature is just for you. The company has rolled out a feature that lets a user set a "Take a break" reminder and limit video viewing time. A user will be able to set a reminder for every 15, 30, 60, 90 or 180 minutes. During the break, the video will pause automatically and a "Take a Break" notification will pop on the screen notifying that they have been binge-watching videos for longer than they decided to. However, users can choose to dismiss the reminder and keep watching. The new feature will be rolled out in the latest update of YouTube.

Google's new YouTube feature lets users take break from binge-watching

A girl from Patna, Madhumita Sharma, bagged a job of Rs 1 crore at Google as a technical solution engineer at its Switzerland office on Monday, reports said.&nbsp;

The girl went through seven rounds of interviews between November through January before she got shortlisted.&nbsp;

Madhumita had always dreamt of working in big IT firms, she got selected for Amazon India with an annual package of Rs24 lakh, Mercedes with Rs23 lakh and Microsoft with Rs18 lakh but was determined that she would be selected in Google. &nbsp;

She got her offer letter from Google in February and recently had her first day at the company.&nbsp;

Madhumita studying in DAV Public School Valmi in Patna and scored 88% in class X and 88% in class XII after which she qualified the All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) in 2010.&nbsp;

She completed her BTech (IT) from Arya College of Engineering in Jaipur. Previously, she had worked in Cognizant and two other companies in Bangalore.

The girl went through seven rounds of interviews between November through January before she got shortlisted

A girl from Patna, Madhumita Sharma, bagged a job of Rs 1 crore at Google as a technical solution engineer at its Switzerland office on Monday, reports said. The girl went through seven rounds of interviews between November through January before she got shortlisted. Madhumita had always dreamt of working in big IT firms, she got selected for Amazon India with an annual package of Rs24 lakh, Mercedes with Rs23 lakh and Microsoft with Rs18 lakh but was determined that she would be selected in Google. She got her offer letter from Google in February and recently had her first day at the company. Madhumita studying in DAV Public School Valmi in Patna and scored 88% in class X and 88% in class XII after which she qualified the All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) in 2010. She completed her BTech (IT) from Arya College of Engineering in Jaipur. Previously, she had worked in Cognizant and two other companies in Bangalore.

Patna girl gets job in Google with an annual package of Rs 1 crore

Today's Google Doodle honours French illusionist and film director Georges Melies. On the same day, over hundred years ago, Melies' silent film À la conquete du pole (The Conquest of the Pole, 1912) was released.

During his early years, Melies perfected and pioneered special effects and narrative film techniques and contributes heavily to the development of early cinema.

Today's doodle is called "Back to the Moon" which depicts an illusionist chasing the queen of hearts on an adventure that spans the stars and oceans.

The doodle is Google's first-ever VR or 360-degree interactive doodle which enables a viewer to enjoy an immersive experience. One can also navigate within the doodle to have an all-around experience.&nbsp;

The doodle is an outcome of a collaboration between Google Spotlight Stories (the company's VR storytelling arm), Google Arts & Culture, and Cinematheque Française.

(With inputs from ANI)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The doodle is Google's first-ever 360-degree interactive doodle

Today's Google Doodle honours French illusionist and film director Georges Melies. On the same day, over hundred years ago, Melies' silent film À la conquete du pole (The Conquest of the Pole, 1912) was released. During his early years, Melies perfected and pioneered special effects and narrative film techniques and contributes heavily to the development of early cinema. Today's doodle is called "Back to the Moon" which depicts an illusionist chasing the queen of hearts on an adventure that spans the stars and oceans. The doodle is Google's first-ever VR or 360-degree interactive doodle which enables a viewer to enjoy an immersive experience. One can also navigate within the doodle to have an all-around experience. The doodle is an outcome of a collaboration between Google Spotlight Stories (the company's VR storytelling arm), Google Arts & Culture, and Cinematheque Française. (With inputs from ANI)

Google Doodle celebrates French illusionist Georges Melies

Today's Google Doodle celebrates the 148th birth anniversary of the father of Indian Cinema, Dhundiraj Govind Phalke.

Born in Trimbak, Maharashtra in 1870, Phalke was popularly known as Dadasaheb Phalke.

In 1913, Phalke gave Indian Cinema its first silent film, 'Raja Harishchandra'. The film was a huge hit owing to its special effects.

Phalke's legendary career spanned nearly a couple of decades where he made 95 movies and 27 short films until 1937. He travelled to London to learn filmmaking from Cecil Hepworth.&nbsp;

Phalke left behind a world of cinema which now flourishes and blooms into multifarious dimensions.

Dadasaheb's areas of interest did not stay limited to film-making, he is also known to have lived as a painter, draftsman, theatrical set designer, and lithographer.

Phalke drew inspiration from Alice Guy's silent film, The Life of Christ which was released in the year 1910 he was then resolved to bring Indian culture to the silver screen.

The Dadasaheb Phalke Award, one of the most prestigious accolades in the Indian film industry, is awarded to exceptional talent in Indian cinema for their lifetime contribution. The award was instituted by the government of India in the year 1969.

Phalke last breathed on February 16, 1944 in Nasik, Maharashtra.&nbsp;

Phalke drew inspiration from Alice Guy's silent film, The Life of Christ which was released in the year 1910

Today's Google Doodle celebrates the 148th birth anniversary of the father of Indian Cinema, Dhundiraj Govind Phalke. Born in Trimbak, Maharashtra in 1870, Phalke was popularly known as Dadasaheb Phalke. In 1913, Phalke gave Indian Cinema its first silent film, 'Raja Harishchandra'. The film was a huge hit owing to its special effects. Phalke's legendary career spanned nearly a couple of decades where he made 95 movies and 27 short films until 1937. He travelled to London to learn filmmaking from Cecil Hepworth. Phalke left behind a world of cinema which now flourishes and blooms into multifarious dimensions. Dadasaheb's areas of interest did not stay limited to film-making, he is also known to have lived as a painter, draftsman, theatrical set designer, and lithographer. Phalke drew inspiration from Alice Guy's silent film, The Life of Christ which was released in the year 1910 he was then resolved to bring Indian culture to the silver screen. The Dadasaheb Phalke Award, one of the most prestigious accolades in the Indian film industry, is awarded to exceptional talent in Indian cinema for their lifetime contribution. The award was instituted by the government of India in the year 1969. Phalke last breathed on February 16, 1944 in Nasik, Maharashtra.

Google Doodle celebrates 148th birth anniversary of Dadasaheb Phalke

Recently re-elected Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani made a strange analogy on Monday during a gathering in Ahmedabad. He compared&nbsp;search engine giant Google to mythological Indian sage Narada.

Rupani said Narada had information, all of it, just like Google, which has information about all the world.&nbsp;

Rupani made his comments at a Devrshi Narada Jayanti&nbsp;event organised by the Vishwa Samvad Kendra at Ahmedabad.

The Vishwa Samvad Kendra is a media wing of Rashtra Swayam Sevak organisation. Rupani was addressing journalists at the event.

News reports quoted Rupani as saying, "Narada had information of the whole world and can be compared with Google in today's time. However, he only shared the information which was beneficial, and not harmful, to mankind."

Rupani called Narada a "true journalist", advising the journalists there to be like Narada and show news that is good for mankind.

Meanwhile, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb — who has also been making a number of, well, strange remarks — has been summoned to Delhi by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.&nbsp;

On Sunday, Deb told Tripura's youth that instead of running after government jobs and wasting their time, they could rear cows or open paan shops for a livelihood.

Deb had earlier said Diana Hayden, who was crowned Miss World in 1997, did not represent Indian women. But that Aishwarya Rai did.

And before that, he had said the&nbsp;internet and satellite communication existed during the Mahabharata.&nbsp;

Modi has before this told BJP leaders to not make comments that give the media "masala".&nbsp;

'Narada had information of the whole world and can be compared with Google in today's time. However, he only shared the information which was beneficial, and not harmful, to mankind,' said Rupani

Recently re-elected Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani made a strange analogy on Monday during a gathering in Ahmedabad. He compared search engine giant Google to mythological Indian sage Narada. Rupani said Narada had information, all of it, just like Google, which has information about all the world. Rupani made his comments at a Devrshi Narada Jayanti event organised by the Vishwa Samvad Kendra at Ahmedabad. The Vishwa Samvad Kendra is a media wing of Rashtra Swayam Sevak organisation. Rupani was addressing journalists at the event. News reports quoted Rupani as saying, "Narada had information of the whole world and can be compared with Google in today's time. However, he only shared the information which was beneficial, and not harmful, to mankind." Rupani called Narada a "true journalist", advising the journalists there to be like Narada and show news that is good for mankind. Meanwhile, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb — who has also been making a number of, well, strange remarks — has been summoned to Delhi by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On Sunday, Deb told Tripura's youth that instead of running after government jobs and wasting their time, they could rear cows or open paan shops for a livelihood. Deb had earlier said Diana Hayden, who was crowned Miss World in 1997, did not represent Indian women. But that Aishwarya Rai did. And before that, he had said the internet and satellite communication existed during the Mahabharata. Modi has before this told BJP leaders to not make comments that give the media "masala".

Narada was today's Google: Gujarat Chief Minister Rupani

Alphabet Inc President Sergey Brin said on Friday that technology companies must take greater responsibility for the social impact of their work, his first comments following a year of heightened global awareness about misuse of digital services.

Brin delivered the message through Alphabet`s annual shareholder letter, which he signed for the first time since 2014 instead of Chief Executive Larry Page.

"We’re in an era of great inspiration and possibility, but with this opportunity comes the need for tremendous thoughtfulness and responsibility as technology is deeply and irrevocably interwoven into our societies," Brin wrote after quoting from Charles Dickens’ novel "A Tale of Two Cities" about the "the best of times" and "the worst of times."

Alphabet's primary unit, Google, has become a top target in Silicon Valley for regulators, authorities and critics in advertising and media. It has drawn global scrutiny for its dominance in online search advertising, its policies around user privacy and its role in helping politically consequential misinformation spread online.&nbsp

Brin did not touch on those issues, nor did he specify any actions the company would take to recognise new responsibilities.&nbsp

But Brin focused on artificial intelligence, computer systems that are able to learn without humans hard-coding them. Artificial intelligence enables self-driving cars and software that can identify diseases.

Brin said that Alphabet would tread with "serious thought and research" about societal consequences such as eliminating jobs and advancing biases as the company expands use of artificial intelligence.&nbsp

"While I am optimistic about the potential to bring technology to bear on the greatest problems in the world, we are on a path that we must tread with deep responsibility, care and humility," he said.

Alphabet separately announced Friday details regarding its annual shareholder meeting, which it scheduled for June 6. The company recommended shareholders reject each of the seven proposals brought by investors that call for it to provide more information around gender pay disparity, environmental impact policies, content moderation and other issues.

Brin focused on artificial intelligence, computer systems that are able to learn without humans hard-coding them

Alphabet Inc President Sergey Brin said on Friday that technology companies must take greater responsibility for the social impact of their work, his first comments following a year of heightened global awareness about misuse of digital services. Brin delivered the message through Alphabet`s annual shareholder letter, which he signed for the first time since 2014 instead of Chief Executive Larry Page. "We’re in an era of great inspiration and possibility, but with this opportunity comes the need for tremendous thoughtfulness and responsibility as technology is deeply and irrevocably interwoven into our societies," Brin wrote after quoting from Charles Dickens’ novel "A Tale of Two Cities" about the "the best of times" and "the worst of times." Alphabet's primary unit, Google, has become a top target in Silicon Valley for regulators, authorities and critics in advertising and media. It has drawn global scrutiny for its dominance in online search advertising, its policies around user privacy and its role in helping politically consequential misinformation spread online. Brin did not touch on those issues, nor did he specify any actions the company would take to recognise new responsibilities. But Brin focused on artificial intelligence, computer systems that are able to learn without humans hard-coding them. Artificial intelligence enables self-driving cars and software that can identify diseases. Brin said that Alphabet would tread with "serious thought and research" about societal consequences such as eliminating jobs and advancing biases as the company expands use of artificial intelligence. "While I am optimistic about the potential to bring technology to bear on the greatest problems in the world, we are on a path that we must tread with deep responsibility, care and humility," he said. Alphabet separately announced Friday details regarding its annual shareholder meeting, which it scheduled for June 6. The company recommended shareholders reject each of the seven proposals brought by investors that call for it to provide more information around gender pay disparity, environmental impact policies, content moderation and other issues.

Alphabet's Sergey Brin says company must assume greater responsibility

Google is certainly the know-all of our time but the same was not exhibited when the global search engine was recently asked&nbsp;who the first Prime Minister of India was.

The query threw up a search page that had Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru's name on the Wikipedia page of 'List of Indian Prime Ministers' with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's picture on the side.&nbsp;

In its first, Google India seemed to have the present Indian Prime Minister mixed up with the first that the country got after independence.&nbsp;

Once a user clicked on the webpage link, it redirected to a Wikipedia page that correctly displayed all the details of the Prime Ministers of the country along with their correct pictures.&nbsp;

<img alt="first.pm.google.jpg" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="430" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/first.pm.google.jpg" width="770" />

The goof-up stirred a wave of reactions on social media, here's taking a look at someone of them.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Your search keywords should have been- 
'First prime minister of India' or 'Jawahar Lal Nehru' then u wd hv got d desired results. 
Here u are searching- 
'India first PM' 
So google is suggesting the foto of the PM who keeps 'India First'.
— #Assam ? ?? (@AssamElection16) <a href="https://twitter.com/AssamElection16/status/989369525484142592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2018</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>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
What good is <a href="https://twitter.com/Google?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Google</a> when it does not even know India's 1st Prime Minister?
— Rohin Makkar (@Rohino) <a href="https://twitter.com/Rohino/status/989195615459422209?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2018</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>

The Google glitch seems to be currently under repair after getting much flaking.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I always thought <a href="https://twitter.com/Google?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Google</a> is a best search engine of the world but today I searched about India's first prime minister and <a href="https://twitter.com/GoogleIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GoogleIndia</a> showed picture of Narendra modi. 
 
Now I am not surprised, why I reached in wrong direction by Google map.<a href="https://twitter.com/divyaspandana?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@divyaspandana</a><a href="https://twitter.com/priyankac19?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@priyankac19</a> <a href="https://t.co/fUU5A1BsOL">pic.twitter.com/fUU5A1BsOL</a>
— Ashfaque Khan (@ashfaaaque) <a href="https://twitter.com/ashfaaaque/status/989196264339206145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2018</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>

Some even started trolling Congress social media in-charge Divya Spandana for not knowing the first Prime Minister of the country.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Oh..You had to google to know name of India first Prime Minister!!!!! 
 
Tch...Tch....So Sad.. <a href="https://t.co/36f8KoFSG9">https://t.co/36f8KoFSG9</a>
— Praveen Agrawal (@agrawalp2001) <a href="https://twitter.com/agrawalp2001/status/989177790640590848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2018</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>

&nbsp;

In its first, Google India seemed to have the present Indian Prime Minister mixed up with the first that the country got after its independence

Google is certainly the know-all of our time but the same was not exhibited when the global search engine was recently asked who the first Prime Minister of India was. The query threw up a search page that had Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru's name on the Wikipedia page of 'List of Indian Prime Ministers' with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's picture on the side. In its first, Google India seemed to have the present Indian Prime Minister mixed up with the first that the country got after independence. Once a user clicked on the webpage link, it redirected to a Wikipedia page that correctly displayed all the details of the Prime Ministers of the country along with their correct pictures. The goof-up stirred a wave of reactions on social media, here's taking a look at someone of them. Your search keywords should have been- 'First prime minister of India' or 'Jawahar Lal Nehru' then u wd hv got d desired results. Here u are searching- 'India first PM' So google is suggesting the foto of the PM who keeps 'India First'. — #Assam ? ?? (@AssamElection16) April 26, 2018 × What good is @Google when it does not even know India's 1st Prime Minister? — Rohin Makkar (@Rohino) April 25, 2018 × The Google glitch seems to be currently under repair after getting much flaking. I always thought @Google is a best search engine of the world but today I searched about India's first prime minister and @GoogleIndia showed picture of Narendra modi. Now I am not surprised, why I reached in wrong direction by Google map.@divyaspandana@priyankac19 pic.twitter.com/fUU5A1BsOL — Ashfaque Khan (@ashfaaaque) April 25, 2018 × Some even started trolling Congress social media in-charge Divya Spandana for not knowing the first Prime Minister of the country. Oh..You had to google to know name of India first Prime Minister!!!!! Tch...Tch....So Sad.. https://t.co/36f8KoFSG9 — Praveen Agrawal (@agrawalp2001) April 25, 2018 ×

Google thinks 'India's first PM' looks like this

Alphabet Inc's Google unveiled on Wednesday its first Gmail redesign since 2013, capping what the company says was an expensive overhaul two years in the making to adopt security and offline functionality and better resemble Microsoft Outlook.

It is Google's most extensive update to software in its G Suite workplace bundle since accelerating efforts to steal business from Microsoft Corp's dominant Office workplace software suite. Previously, G Suite added instant-messaging and spreadsheet features.

With Gmail, Google said it restructured email storage databases, unified three dueling systems for syncing messages across devices and upgraded computers underpinning the service. That shift to Google's self-developed Tensor processing chips enables smart-assistant features such as "suggested replies" to messages and "nudges" to respond to forgotten emails.

"This is an entire rewrite of our flagship, most-used product," said Jacob Bank, product manager lead for Gmail, which 1.4 billion people use each month.

Unreliable offline access to email has long discouraged would-be customers, while recent high-profile corporate data breaches have increased their desire to lock down email. Analysts estimate G Suite generated about $2 billion in revenue last year, 10 times behind Office.

Google declined to specify costs associated with the redesign. But parent Alphabet reported Monday that first-quarter capital expenditures nearly tripled year-over-year to $7.3 billion.

Chief Financial Officer Ruth Porat told analysts that half of the spending resulted from hardware purchases to support expanding use of machine learning, which describes automated programs that can, among other things, identify spam and predict which emails users would find most important.

Security and smarts&nbsp

Google's Bank said the overhaul was required primarily to provide offline access to up to 90 days of emails for users who turn on the feature.

The changes also fulfill another top demand of business executives - message expiration.

Users who enable a "confidential" option when sending an email can time-limit its access to recipients and also require they enter a one-time passcode sent to their phones to read it.

The new setting does not override corporate email retention policies or present new obstacles to law enforcement.

"Nudges" and a higher bar for new-mail notifications round out Google's revised sales pitch. The company estimated that nudges will lead 8 percent of business users each week to remember to follow-up on something important.

Cosmetic changes bring Gmail's website in line with Office by placing Google's calendar, tasks and note-taking services within the same page as emails.

Bank said testers have advanced from "neutral to positive to very positive" on the new look.

It is Google's most extensive update to software in its G Suite workplace bundle since accelerating efforts to steal business from Microsoft Corp's dominant Office workplace software suite.

Alphabet Inc's Google unveiled on Wednesday its first Gmail redesign since 2013, capping what the company says was an expensive overhaul two years in the making to adopt security and offline functionality and better resemble Microsoft Outlook. It is Google's most extensive update to software in its G Suite workplace bundle since accelerating efforts to steal business from Microsoft Corp's dominant Office workplace software suite. Previously, G Suite added instant-messaging and spreadsheet features. With Gmail, Google said it restructured email storage databases, unified three dueling systems for syncing messages across devices and upgraded computers underpinning the service. That shift to Google's self-developed Tensor processing chips enables smart-assistant features such as "suggested replies" to messages and "nudges" to respond to forgotten emails. "This is an entire rewrite of our flagship, most-used product," said Jacob Bank, product manager lead for Gmail, which 1.4 billion people use each month. Unreliable offline access to email has long discouraged would-be customers, while recent high-profile corporate data breaches have increased their desire to lock down email. Analysts estimate G Suite generated about $2 billion in revenue last year, 10 times behind Office. Google declined to specify costs associated with the redesign. But parent Alphabet reported Monday that first-quarter capital expenditures nearly tripled year-over-year to $7.3 billion. Chief Financial Officer Ruth Porat told analysts that half of the spending resulted from hardware purchases to support expanding use of machine learning, which describes automated programs that can, among other things, identify spam and predict which emails users would find most important. Security and smarts Google's Bank said the overhaul was required primarily to provide offline access to up to 90 days of emails for users who turn on the feature. The changes also fulfill another top demand of business executives - message expiration. Users who enable a "confidential" option when sending an email can time-limit its access to recipients and also require they enter a one-time passcode sent to their phones to read it. The new setting does not override corporate email retention policies or present new obstacles to law enforcement. "Nudges" and a higher bar for new-mail notifications round out Google's revised sales pitch. The company estimated that nudges will lead 8 percent of business users each week to remember to follow-up on something important. Cosmetic changes bring Gmail's website in line with Office by placing Google's calendar, tasks and note-taking services within the same page as emails. Bank said testers have advanced from "neutral to positive to very positive" on the new look.

Google overhauls Gmail to lure businesses away from Microsoft

YouTube has come under scrutiny again after ads from over 300 companies were shown on channels which promoted and included content about white nationalists, Nazis pedophilia, conspiracy theories and North Korean propaganda, as per a report by CNN.&nbsp

Companies like Adidas, Under Armour, Facebook, Hilton, LinkedIn, Amazon etc have possibly&nbspunknowingly financed a few of these channels through these advertisements they paid for on YouTube. Ads from five US government agencies, such as the Department of Transportation and Centers for Disease Control, appeared on the channels.

According to the reports, the companies had no idea that their ads were being shown before videos which promoted extremist content and are now investigating the matter in more detail.&nbsp

However, this is not the first time YouTube has been in trouble. Previously, the company had come under fire for putting extremist content and for letting those channels make money for the videos. This is why many companies had removed themselves from YouTube's ad program while many others reduced the number of ads shared.

For example, a number of ads ran on Brian Ruhe's Nazi channel. YouTube subsequently deleted the channel for violating its community guidelines against spreading hate speech. But before its deletion, ads ran frequently on the channel.

The incidents have raised questions about whether YouTube can adequately safeguard ads and brands' integrity, or whether its automated systems mean that advertisers will always be at risk of such ad placements.

YouTube has made no comment over the reason behind the issue which have been continuing for a while.&nbsp

This is how YouTubers make money:&nbsp

YouTubers link their accounts with Google's AdSense program which delivers ads in exchange for a cut of ad revenue. However, a channel can only apply for monetisation if it reaches 4000 watch hours in the previous 12 months and 1000 subscribers so as to prevent spammers, impersonators and other bad actors from exploiting the ecosystem.&nbsp

One thing to note here is that there is no clarity as to how much a Youtuber is paid. There is fixed revenue model but it is believed that Youtube keeps about 40% of the revenue for itself.&nbsp

A lot of YouTubers remain totally clueless about how they are paid.&nbsp

Companies like Adidas, Under Armour, Facebook, Hilton, LinkedIn, Amazon etc have possible unknowingly financed a few of these channels through these advertisements they paid for on YouTube

YouTube has come under scrutiny again after ads from over 300 companies were shown on channels which promoted and included content about white nationalists, Nazis pedophilia, conspiracy theories and North Korean propaganda, as per a report by CNN. Companies like Adidas, Under Armour, Facebook, Hilton, LinkedIn, Amazon etc have possibly&nbspunknowingly financed a few of these channels through these advertisements they paid for on YouTube. Ads from five US government agencies, such as the Department of Transportation and Centers for Disease Control, appeared on the channels. According to the reports, the companies had no idea that their ads were being shown before videos which promoted extremist content and are now investigating the matter in more detail. However, this is not the first time YouTube has been in trouble. Previously, the company had come under fire for putting extremist content and for letting those channels make money for the videos. This is why many companies had removed themselves from YouTube's ad program while many others reduced the number of ads shared. For example, a number of ads ran on Brian Ruhe's Nazi channel. YouTube subsequently deleted the channel for violating its community guidelines against spreading hate speech. But before its deletion, ads ran frequently on the channel. The incidents have raised questions about whether YouTube can adequately safeguard ads and brands' integrity, or whether its automated systems mean that advertisers will always be at risk of such ad placements. YouTube has made no comment over the reason behind the issue which have been continuing for a while. This is how YouTubers make money: YouTubers link their accounts with Google's AdSense program which delivers ads in exchange for a cut of ad revenue. However, a channel can only apply for monetisation if it reaches 4000 watch hours in the previous 12 months and 1000 subscribers so as to prevent spammers, impersonators and other bad actors from exploiting the ecosystem. One thing to note here is that there is no clarity as to how much a Youtuber is paid. There is fixed revenue model but it is believed that Youtube keeps about 40% of the revenue for itself. A lot of YouTubers remain totally clueless about how they are paid.

YouTube under scanner for showing ads on extremist channels: Report

Google Doodle is celebrating Earth Day on Sunday as they put up a video of renowned ethologist and conservationist Dr Jane Goodall who delivered a message of hope and planet's future.

The Google doodle is created in partnership with The Goodall Institute and was aimed at bringing personal stories of Goodall's childhood to directly connect with viewers.

In an official statement of Google doodle's site, Goodall said ''It is so important in the world today that we feel hopeful and do our part to protect life on Earth. I am hopeful that this Earth Day Google Doodle will live as a reminder for people across the globe that there is still so much in the world worth fighting for...With all of us working together, I am hopeful that it is not too late to turn things around, if we all do our part for this beautiful planet.”

In a video produced for Earth day doodle, Goodall is talking about the importance for every individual to come forward &nbspwork together for envournment

She says, ''every single individual matters, every single individual makes some impact on the planet every single day, and we have a choice as to what kind of difference we’re going to make”.

Goodall also says that she thinks she was born loving animals, and that her whole childhood was&nbsp''animals, animals, animals.” It was her passion for animals that led Goodall to Gombe, Tanzania where she began studying chimpanzees.

Earth Day is an annual event celebrated on April 22 of every year across the world. It was first celebrated in 1970 and was first proposed by peace activist John McConnel to honour Earth and the concept of peace in 1969.

However, a separate Earth Day was founded by the United States Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in first held on April 22, 1970.

 
&nbsp

Google Doodle is celebrating Earth Day on Sunday as they put up a video of renowned ethologist and conservationist Dr Jane Goodall who delivered a message of hope and planet's future

Google Doodle is celebrating Earth Day on Sunday as they put up a video of renowned ethologist and conservationist Dr Jane Goodall who delivered a message of hope and planet's future. The Google doodle is created in partnership with The Goodall Institute and was aimed at bringing personal stories of Goodall's childhood to directly connect with viewers. In an official statement of Google doodle's site, Goodall said ''It is so important in the world today that we feel hopeful and do our part to protect life on Earth. I am hopeful that this Earth Day Google Doodle will live as a reminder for people across the globe that there is still so much in the world worth fighting for...With all of us working together, I am hopeful that it is not too late to turn things around, if we all do our part for this beautiful planet.” In a video produced for Earth day doodle, Goodall is talking about the importance for every individual to come forward &nbspwork together for envournment She says, ''every single individual matters, every single individual makes some impact on the planet every single day, and we have a choice as to what kind of difference we’re going to make”. Goodall also says that she thinks she was born loving animals, and that her whole childhood was ''animals, animals, animals.” It was her passion for animals that led Goodall to Gombe, Tanzania where she began studying chimpanzees. Earth Day is an annual event celebrated on April 22 of every year across the world. It was first celebrated in 1970 and was first proposed by peace activist John McConnel to honour Earth and the concept of peace in 1969. However, a separate Earth Day was founded by the United States Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in first held on April 22, 1970.

Google Doodle celebrates Earth Day in partnership with ethologist and conservationist Dr Jane Goodall

The Unique Identification Authority of India has made the startling claim that Google and smart card companies do not want the Aadhaar programme to succeed.&nbsp

The claim was made before the Supreme Court on Tuesday.&nbsp

News reports quoted Rakesh Dwivedi, the counsel appearing for the UIDAI, as saying that a campaign had been unelashed against Aadhaar.

Dwivedi told the Supreme Court that if the Aadhaar programme were to succeed —&nbsp should it turn into a foolproof way to authenticate someone's identity — the smart card companies&nbspwould go out of business. "Google does not want it. Smart card lobby does not want Aadhaar to succeed," he said.&nbsp

The Cambridge Analytica data leak controversy also found mention on Tuesday in the court, which red-flagged the threat of probable misuse of citizens' information by entities which were getting Aadhaar details authenticated by the UIDAI.&nbsp

A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, hearing clutch of petitions challenging Aadhaar and enabling 2016 law, referred to the Cambridge Analytica controversy and said these are not "imaginary apprehensions" and, in the absence of robust data protection law, the issue of misuse of information becomes relevant.

"The real apprehension is that elections are swayed using data analytics. These problems are symptomatic of the world we live in," the bench, also comprising Justices A K Sikri, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Ashok Bhushan, said.

"Please do not bring Cambridge Analytica into this. The UIDAI simply does not have the learning algorithms like Facebook, Google to analyse details of users," senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, appearing for Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and the Gujarat government, said.&nbsp

Besides the Aadhaar Act does not authorise any kind of data analysis, he said, adding the UIDAI has "simple matching algorithms" which give answers like 'yes' or 'no' after it receives a request for Aadhaar authentication from a requesting entity.

The bench, which posed several searching questions, asked the lawyer why the authorities were allowing private entities to use the Aadhaar platform for various purposes and referred to the legal provision to this effect.

"Why are words 'body corporate or any person' used in section 57 of the Act. It breaks the nexus of the Act with the Consolidated Fund of India... What is the point of involving private parties in the Aadhaar infrastructure," the bench asked.

Dwivedi responded by saying that "it does not allow any 'chaiwala' or a 'panwala' to become a requesting entity under the Act. It is a limited exercise. The UIDAI will not approve anyone to become an requesting entity (RE) unless it is satisfied that the particular entity needs to use facility of authentication."&nbsp

He also referred to private companies like Reliance venturing into the defence sector and said at some point in time, the court will have to decide the aspect where private firms were dealing with public functions of the state, which are currently being carried out by public sector companies.

Dwivedi also dealt with the persistent allegation that the people were being given a number identity as was done by dictator Adolf Hitler in Germany.&nbsp

"Hitler counted citizens to identify Jews, Christians etc. Here, we do not seek details like caste, creed and religion from the citizens," he said, adding that the history of numbers began in India and "numbers are beautiful and fascinating".

He also urged the bench not to give in to the "hyper phobia" against the Aadhaar created by the petitioners opposed to the "inclusive scheme" of the government based on a law and the proper infrastructure.&nbsp

(With inputs from PTI)

The counsel for the UIDAI told the court that should the Aadhaar programme succeed — should it turn into a foolproof way to authenticate someone's identity — the smart card companies would go out of business

The Unique Identification Authority of India has made the startling claim that Google and smart card companies do not want the Aadhaar programme to succeed. The claim was made before the Supreme Court on Tuesday. News reports quoted Rakesh Dwivedi, the counsel appearing for the UIDAI, as saying that a campaign had been unelashed against Aadhaar. Dwivedi told the Supreme Court that if the Aadhaar programme were to succeed — should it turn into a foolproof way to authenticate someone's identity — the smart card companies&nbspwould go out of business. "Google does not want it. Smart card lobby does not want Aadhaar to succeed," he said. The Cambridge Analytica data leak controversy also found mention on Tuesday in the court, which red-flagged the threat of probable misuse of citizens' information by entities which were getting Aadhaar details authenticated by the UIDAI. A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, hearing clutch of petitions challenging Aadhaar and enabling 2016 law, referred to the Cambridge Analytica controversy and said these are not "imaginary apprehensions" and, in the absence of robust data protection law, the issue of misuse of information becomes relevant. "The real apprehension is that elections are swayed using data analytics. These problems are symptomatic of the world we live in," the bench, also comprising Justices A K Sikri, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Ashok Bhushan, said. "Please do not bring Cambridge Analytica into this. The UIDAI simply does not have the learning algorithms like Facebook, Google to analyse details of users," senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, appearing for Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and the Gujarat government, said. Besides the Aadhaar Act does not authorise any kind of data analysis, he said, adding the UIDAI has "simple matching algorithms" which give answers like 'yes' or 'no' after it receives a request for Aadhaar authentication from a requesting entity. The bench, which posed several searching questions, asked the lawyer why the authorities were allowing private entities to use the Aadhaar platform for various purposes and referred to the legal provision to this effect. "Why are words 'body corporate or any person' used in section 57 of the Act. It breaks the nexus of the Act with the Consolidated Fund of India... What is the point of involving private parties in the Aadhaar infrastructure," the bench asked. Dwivedi responded by saying that "it does not allow any 'chaiwala' or a 'panwala' to become a requesting entity under the Act. It is a limited exercise. The UIDAI will not approve anyone to become an requesting entity (RE) unless it is satisfied that the particular entity needs to use facility of authentication." He also referred to private companies like Reliance venturing into the defence sector and said at some point in time, the court will have to decide the aspect where private firms were dealing with public functions of the state, which are currently being carried out by public sector companies. Dwivedi also dealt with the persistent allegation that the people were being given a number identity as was done by dictator Adolf Hitler in Germany. "Hitler counted citizens to identify Jews, Christians etc. Here, we do not seek details like caste, creed and religion from the citizens," he said, adding that the history of numbers began in India and "numbers are beautiful and fascinating". He also urged the bench not to give in to the "hyper phobia" against the Aadhaar created by the petitioners opposed to the "inclusive scheme" of the government based on a law and the proper infrastructure. (With inputs from PTI)

Google, smart card companies do not want Aadhaar to succeed: UIDAI to Supreme Court

Russia’s state communications regulator on Tuesday said it had blocked IP addresses owned by Google and Amazon, saying they were being used by the Telegram messaging service which Moscow moved to ban this week.

Russia’s Roskomnadzor watchdog began blocking Telegram, a messaging service popular in Russia, on Monday after it refused to comply with a court order to grant state security services access to its users’ encrypted messages.

Roskomnadzor’s head Alexander Zharov said it had blocked 18 sub-networks and a significant number of IP-addresses belonging to Google and Amazon, the Interfax news agency reported.

“We have currently informed both companies that a significant number of IP addresses located in the clouds of these two services have fallen under the block on the basis of the court ruling (to block Telegram),” Zharov was quoted as saying.

Blocking the IP addresses has prevented Russian internet users from accessing Telegram and other services that route content through Google and Amazon servers.

Some users have circumvented the block by using virtual private networks, which make it seem as though they were accessing the internet from another country.

Zharov told Interfax that Roskomnadzor hoped it would receive “legally meaningful” responses from Amazon and Google by Wednesday.

The U.S. companies did not immediately respond on Tuesday to a request from Reuters for comment on the Russian move.&nbsp

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov called on Tuesday for “digital resistance”, saying he was prepared to give out millions of dollars worth of grants in bitcoin digital currency to individuals and companies that run proxies and VPNs to support internet freedom.

Writing on his Telegram channel, Durov said there had not been a significant drop in users of the service in Russia since the ban took effect because users were using VPNs and proxies to access the messenger. He also thanked Apple, Google, Amazon and Microsoft “for not taking part in political censorship”.

Durov, a pioneer of social media in Russia, left the country in 2014 and has become a vocal critic of the Kremlin’s policies on internet freedom.

Telegram is widely used in countries across the former Soviet Union and Middle East. Durov said on Tuesday that Russians account for about 7 percent of its users.

As well as being popular with journalists and members of Russia’s political opposition, Telegram has also been used by the Kremlin to communicate with reporters and arrange regular conference calls with President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman.

On Monday the spokesman’s office asked journalists who were previously subscribed to a chat in Telegram to switch to a chat that had been set up in a different messaging service, ICQ, which is part of the Russian Mail.ru technology group.

Russia’s Roskomnadzor watchdog began blocking Telegram, a messaging service popular in Russia, on Monday after it refused to comply with a court order to grant state security services access to its users’ encrypted messages

Russia’s state communications regulator on Tuesday said it had blocked IP addresses owned by Google and Amazon, saying they were being used by the Telegram messaging service which Moscow moved to ban this week. Russia’s Roskomnadzor watchdog began blocking Telegram, a messaging service popular in Russia, on Monday after it refused to comply with a court order to grant state security services access to its users’ encrypted messages. Roskomnadzor’s head Alexander Zharov said it had blocked 18 sub-networks and a significant number of IP-addresses belonging to Google and Amazon, the Interfax news agency reported. “We have currently informed both companies that a significant number of IP addresses located in the clouds of these two services have fallen under the block on the basis of the court ruling (to block Telegram),” Zharov was quoted as saying. Blocking the IP addresses has prevented Russian internet users from accessing Telegram and other services that route content through Google and Amazon servers. Some users have circumvented the block by using virtual private networks, which make it seem as though they were accessing the internet from another country. Zharov told Interfax that Roskomnadzor hoped it would receive “legally meaningful” responses from Amazon and Google by Wednesday. The U.S. companies did not immediately respond on Tuesday to a request from Reuters for comment on the Russian move. Telegram CEO Pavel Durov called on Tuesday for “digital resistance”, saying he was prepared to give out millions of dollars worth of grants in bitcoin digital currency to individuals and companies that run proxies and VPNs to support internet freedom. Writing on his Telegram channel, Durov said there had not been a significant drop in users of the service in Russia since the ban took effect because users were using VPNs and proxies to access the messenger. He also thanked Apple, Google, Amazon and Microsoft “for not taking part in political censorship”. Durov, a pioneer of social media in Russia, left the country in 2014 and has become a vocal critic of the Kremlin’s policies on internet freedom. Telegram is widely used in countries across the former Soviet Union and Middle East. Durov said on Tuesday that Russians account for about 7 percent of its users. As well as being popular with journalists and members of Russia’s political opposition, Telegram has also been used by the Kremlin to communicate with reporters and arrange regular conference calls with President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman. On Monday the spokesman’s office asked journalists who were previously subscribed to a chat in Telegram to switch to a chat that had been set up in a different messaging service, ICQ, which is part of the Russian Mail.ru technology group.

Russia blocks Google, Amazon IP addresses in bid to ban Telegram

Technology companies such as Google, Microsoft and Facebook will be forced to hand over users' data to European law enforcement officials even when it is stored on servers outside the bloc, under a law proposed by the EU on Tuesday.

The law would allow European prosecutors to force companies to turn over data such as emails, text messages and pictures stored online in another country, within 10 days or as little as six hours in urgent cases.

The European Union executive says the proposed law, which would apply to data stored inside and outside the bloc, is necessary because current legal procedures between countries to obtain such electronic evidence can drag on for months.

"Electronic evidence is increasingly important in criminal proceedings," said European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans.

"We cannot allow criminals and terrorists to exploit modern and electronic communication technologies to hide their criminal actions and evade justice."

Digital borders are a growing global issue in an era where big companies operate so-called cloud networks of giant data centres, which mean that an individual's data can reside anywhere.

Technology companies have found themselves torn between protecting consumers' privacy while cooperating with law enforcement. The political pressure has intensified after Islamist-inspired attacks across Europe in recent years.

The United States recently moved to address the same problem, passing a law making it clear that U. judges could issue warrants for data held abroad while giving companies an avenue to object if the request conflicts with foreign law.

Prosecutors and police will have to ask a judge to approve their request for electronic evidence where it concerns more sensitive data, such as the actual content of messages, emails, pictures and videos.

They will also be able to ask companies to ensure electronic evidence is not deleted while they prepare their so-called production order.

The proposal will apply only in cases where crimes carry a minimum jail sentence of three years. In cases of cyber crime there will be no minimum penalty requirement.

Where companies find themselves in a conflict-of-law situation because the country where data is stored forbids them from handing it over to a foreign authority, they will be able to challenge the seizure request.

However, such extraterritorial rules are fraught with complexity, legal and privacy experts warn.

In the United States, for example, certain companies are prohibited from disclosing information to foreign governments, while in Europe consumers' data privacy is strictly protected and companies are restricted in how they can transfer data outside the bloc.

"The Commission is proposing dangerous shortcuts to allow national authorities to obtain people's data directly from companies, basically turning them into judicial authorities," said Maryant Fernandez Perez, senior policy adviser at campaign group European Digital Rights.

CCIA, a tech association that includes Google and Facebook, welcomed the proposal but said it only offered a limited mechanism for addressing the risk that companies find themselves torn between two conflicting national laws.

"We welcome today’s proposals, which can help authorities obtain digital evidence more effectively and with more transparency and legal clarity," said Alexandre Roure, CCIA Europe's senior manager.

Ultimately, the Commission hopes to start talks with the United States on a deal to help law enforcement authorities to seize evidence held on each other's territories.

"We always think it's useful to have an EU-U.S. coordinated approach instead of a French-U.S. approach, a Belgian-U.S. approach because that leads to fragmentation," a Commission official said.

The European Union executive says the proposed law, which would apply to data stored inside and outside the bloc, is necessary because current legal procedures

Technology companies such as Google, Microsoft and Facebook will be forced to hand over users' data to European law enforcement officials even when it is stored on servers outside the bloc, under a law proposed by the EU on Tuesday. The law would allow European prosecutors to force companies to turn over data such as emails, text messages and pictures stored online in another country, within 10 days or as little as six hours in urgent cases. The European Union executive says the proposed law, which would apply to data stored inside and outside the bloc, is necessary because current legal procedures between countries to obtain such electronic evidence can drag on for months. "Electronic evidence is increasingly important in criminal proceedings," said European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans. "We cannot allow criminals and terrorists to exploit modern and electronic communication technologies to hide their criminal actions and evade justice." Digital borders are a growing global issue in an era where big companies operate so-called cloud networks of giant data centres, which mean that an individual's data can reside anywhere. Technology companies have found themselves torn between protecting consumers' privacy while cooperating with law enforcement. The political pressure has intensified after Islamist-inspired attacks across Europe in recent years. The United States recently moved to address the same problem, passing a law making it clear that U. judges could issue warrants for data held abroad while giving companies an avenue to object if the request conflicts with foreign law. Prosecutors and police will have to ask a judge to approve their request for electronic evidence where it concerns more sensitive data, such as the actual content of messages, emails, pictures and videos. They will also be able to ask companies to ensure electronic evidence is not deleted while they prepare their so-called production order. The proposal will apply only in cases where crimes carry a minimum jail sentence of three years. In cases of cyber crime there will be no minimum penalty requirement. Where companies find themselves in a conflict-of-law situation because the country where data is stored forbids them from handing it over to a foreign authority, they will be able to challenge the seizure request. However, such extraterritorial rules are fraught with complexity, legal and privacy experts warn. In the United States, for example, certain companies are prohibited from disclosing information to foreign governments, while in Europe consumers' data privacy is strictly protected and companies are restricted in how they can transfer data outside the bloc. "The Commission is proposing dangerous shortcuts to allow national authorities to obtain people's data directly from companies, basically turning them into judicial authorities," said Maryant Fernandez Perez, senior policy adviser at campaign group European Digital Rights. CCIA, a tech association that includes Google and Facebook, welcomed the proposal but said it only offered a limited mechanism for addressing the risk that companies find themselves torn between two conflicting national laws. "We welcome today’s proposals, which can help authorities obtain digital evidence more effectively and with more transparency and legal clarity," said Alexandre Roure, CCIA Europe's senior manager. Ultimately, the Commission hopes to start talks with the United States on a deal to help law enforcement authorities to seize evidence held on each other's territories. "We always think it's useful to have an EU-U.S. coordinated approach instead of a French-U.S. approach, a Belgian-U.S. approach because that leads to fragmentation," a Commission official said.

EU proposes law to force tech companies to give police overseas data

Concern about Facebook&nbsp;respect for data privacy is widening to include the information it collects about non-users, after Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said the world's largest social network tracks people whether they have accounts or not.

Privacy concerns have swamped Facebook since it acknowledged last month that information about millions of users wrongly ended up in the hands of political consultancy Cambridge Analytica, a firm that has counted US President Donald Trump's 2016 electoral campaign among its clients.&nbsp;

Zuckerberg said on Wednesday under questioning by US Representative Ben Luján that, for security reasons, Facebook also collects "data of people who have not signed up for Facebook."

Lawmakers and privacy advocates immediately protested the practice, with many saying Facebook needed to develop a way for non-users to find out what the company knows about them.&nbsp;

"We've got to fix that," Representative Luján, a Democrat, told Zuckerberg, calling for such disclosure, a move that would have unclear effects on the company's ability to target ads. Zuckerberg did not respond. On Friday Facebook said it had no plans to build such a tool.

Critics said that Zuckerberg has not said enough about the extent and use of the data. "It's not clear what Facebook is doing with that information," said Chris Calabrese, vice president for policy at the Center for Democracy & Technology, a Washington advocacy group.

Cookies Everywhere

Facebook gets some data on non-users from people on its network, such as when a user uploads email addresses of friends. Other information comes from "cookies," small files stored via a browser and used by Facebook and others to track people on the internet, sometimes to target them with ads.

"This kind of data collection is fundamental to how the internet works," Facebook said in a statement to Reuters.

Asked if people could opt out, Facebook added, "There are basic things you can do to limit the use of this information for advertising, like using browser or device settings to delete cookies. This would apply to other services beyond Facebook because, as mentioned, it is standard to how the internet works."&nbsp;

Facebook often installs cookies on non-users` browsers if they visit sites with Facebook "like" and "share" buttons, whether or not a person pushes a button. Facebook said it uses browsing data to create analytics reports, including about traffic to a site.

The company said it does not use the data to target ads, except those inviting people to join Facebook.

Targeting Facebook

Advocates and lawmakers say they are singling out Facebook because of its size, rivaled outside China only by Alphabet Google, and because they allege Zuckerberg was not forthcoming about the extent and reasons for the tracking.

"He's either deliberately misunderstanding some of the questions, or he's not clear about what's actually happening inside Facebook's operation," said Daniel Kahn Gillmor, a senior staff technologist at the American Civil Liberties Union.

Zuckerberg, for instance, said the collection was done for security purposes, without explaining further or saying whether it was also used for measurement or analytics, Gillmor said, adding that Facebook had a business incentive to use the non-user data to target ads.&nbsp;

Facebook declined to comment on why Zuckerberg referred to security only.&nbsp;

Gillmor said Facebook could build databases on non-users by combining web browsing history with uploaded contacts. Facebook said on Friday that it does not do so.&nbsp;

The ACLU is pushing US lawmakers to enact broad privacy legislation including a requirement for consent prior to data collection.

The first regulatory challenge to Facebook's practices for non-users may come next month when a new European Union law, known as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), takes effect and requires notice and consent prior to data collection.

At a minimum, "Facebook is going to have to think about ways to structure their technology to give that proper notice," said Woodrow Hartzog, a Northeastern University professor of law and computer science.

Facebook said in its statement on Friday, "Our products and services comply with applicable law and will comply with GDPR."&nbsp;

The social network would be wise to recognize at least a right to know, said Michael Froomkin, a University of Miami law professor.

"If I'm not a Facebook user, I ought to have a right to know what data Facebook has about me," Froomkin said.&nbsp;

Facebook also collects 'data of people who have not signed up for Facebook', Zuckerberg said while being questioned in the US Congress

Concern about Facebook respect for data privacy is widening to include the information it collects about non-users, after Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said the world's largest social network tracks people whether they have accounts or not. Privacy concerns have swamped Facebook since it acknowledged last month that information about millions of users wrongly ended up in the hands of political consultancy Cambridge Analytica, a firm that has counted US President Donald Trump's 2016 electoral campaign among its clients. Zuckerberg said on Wednesday under questioning by US Representative Ben Luján that, for security reasons, Facebook also collects "data of people who have not signed up for Facebook." Lawmakers and privacy advocates immediately protested the practice, with many saying Facebook needed to develop a way for non-users to find out what the company knows about them. "We've got to fix that," Representative Luján, a Democrat, told Zuckerberg, calling for such disclosure, a move that would have unclear effects on the company's ability to target ads. Zuckerberg did not respond. On Friday Facebook said it had no plans to build such a tool. Critics said that Zuckerberg has not said enough about the extent and use of the data. "It's not clear what Facebook is doing with that information," said Chris Calabrese, vice president for policy at the Center for Democracy & Technology, a Washington advocacy group. Cookies Everywhere Facebook gets some data on non-users from people on its network, such as when a user uploads email addresses of friends. Other information comes from "cookies," small files stored via a browser and used by Facebook and others to track people on the internet, sometimes to target them with ads. "This kind of data collection is fundamental to how the internet works," Facebook said in a statement to Reuters. Asked if people could opt out, Facebook added, "There are basic things you can do to limit the use of this information for advertising, like using browser or device settings to delete cookies. This would apply to other services beyond Facebook because, as mentioned, it is standard to how the internet works." Facebook often installs cookies on non-users` browsers if they visit sites with Facebook "like" and "share" buttons, whether or not a person pushes a button. Facebook said it uses browsing data to create analytics reports, including about traffic to a site. The company said it does not use the data to target ads, except those inviting people to join Facebook. Targeting Facebook Advocates and lawmakers say they are singling out Facebook because of its size, rivaled outside China only by Alphabet Google, and because they allege Zuckerberg was not forthcoming about the extent and reasons for the tracking. "He's either deliberately misunderstanding some of the questions, or he's not clear about what's actually happening inside Facebook's operation," said Daniel Kahn Gillmor, a senior staff technologist at the American Civil Liberties Union. Zuckerberg, for instance, said the collection was done for security purposes, without explaining further or saying whether it was also used for measurement or analytics, Gillmor said, adding that Facebook had a business incentive to use the non-user data to target ads. Facebook declined to comment on why Zuckerberg referred to security only. Gillmor said Facebook could build databases on non-users by combining web browsing history with uploaded contacts. Facebook said on Friday that it does not do so. The ACLU is pushing US lawmakers to enact broad privacy legislation including a requirement for consent prior to data collection. The first regulatory challenge to Facebook's practices for non-users may come next month when a new European Union law, known as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), takes effect and requires notice and consent prior to data collection. At a minimum, "Facebook is going to have to think about ways to structure their technology to give that proper notice," said Woodrow Hartzog, a Northeastern University professor of law and computer science. Facebook said in its statement on Friday, "Our products and services comply with applicable law and will comply with GDPR." The social network would be wise to recognize at least a right to know, said Michael Froomkin, a University of Miami law professor. "If I'm not a Facebook user, I ought to have a right to know what data Facebook has about me," Froomkin said.

Facebook also tracks non-users, says Mark Zuckerberg

Consumer and activist groups called Monday for an investigation into Google-owned YouTube for allowing advertising to be targeted at children in apparent violation of US law.

The organizations said that although YouTube claims that the site is only for users 13 and up, Google generates significant profits from kid-targeted advertising on the video-sharing service.

Twenty-three organizations signed a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), arguing that YouTube is among the most popular online platforms for children and offers many programs designed and promoted for children.

According to the complaint, Google collects personal information about minors on YouTube, including location, unique device identifiers and mobile telephone numbers, and uses that to target advertisements to kids across the internet, apparently without their parents' consent.

It noted that YouTube contains child-oriented channels such as ChuChu TV Nursery Rhymes & Kids Songs, with millions of subscribers, and that advertisers pay Google a premium to place their ads on a "parenting and family" lineup including channels aimed at children.

"For years, Google has abdicated its responsibility to kids and families by disingenuously claiming YouTube -- a site rife with popular cartoons, nursery rhymes and toy ads -- is not for children under 13," said Josh Golin of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, one of the groups filing the complaint.

Golin added: "Google profits immensely by delivering ads to kids and must comply with COPPA," the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.

Jeff Chester of the Center for Digital Democracy, another group signing the complaint, said that Google "has acted duplicitously by falsely claiming in its terms of service that YouTube is only for those who are age 13 or older, while it deliberately lured young people into an ad-filled digital playground."

Contacted by AFP, a Google spokesman said the company had not seen the complaint but that "protecting kids and families has always been a top priority for us."

The spokesman added in a statement, "Because YouTube is not for children, we've invested significantly in the creation of the YouTube Kids app to offer an alternative specifically designed for children."

Other groups signing the FTC complaint included Common Sense, Consumer Action, the Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union and the Electronic Privacy Information Center.

COPPA, passed by Congress in 1998, restricts websites' handling of data and advertising for children.&nbsp;

Several website operators have faced fines for violations, including Yelp and a unit of the Walt Disney Co.

The organizations said that although YouTube claims that the site is only for users 13 and up, Google generates significant profits from kid-targeted advertising on the video-sharing service

Consumer and activist groups called Monday for an investigation into Google-owned YouTube for allowing advertising to be targeted at children in apparent violation of US law. The organizations said that although YouTube claims that the site is only for users 13 and up, Google generates significant profits from kid-targeted advertising on the video-sharing service. Twenty-three organizations signed a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), arguing that YouTube is among the most popular online platforms for children and offers many programs designed and promoted for children. According to the complaint, Google collects personal information about minors on YouTube, including location, unique device identifiers and mobile telephone numbers, and uses that to target advertisements to kids across the internet, apparently without their parents' consent. It noted that YouTube contains child-oriented channels such as ChuChu TV Nursery Rhymes & Kids Songs, with millions of subscribers, and that advertisers pay Google a premium to place their ads on a "parenting and family" lineup including channels aimed at children. "For years, Google has abdicated its responsibility to kids and families by disingenuously claiming YouTube -- a site rife with popular cartoons, nursery rhymes and toy ads -- is not for children under 13," said Josh Golin of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, one of the groups filing the complaint. Golin added: "Google profits immensely by delivering ads to kids and must comply with COPPA," the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. Jeff Chester of the Center for Digital Democracy, another group signing the complaint, said that Google "has acted duplicitously by falsely claiming in its terms of service that YouTube is only for those who are age 13 or older, while it deliberately lured young people into an ad-filled digital playground." Contacted by AFP, a Google spokesman said the company had not seen the complaint but that "protecting kids and families has always been a top priority for us." The spokesman added in a statement, "Because YouTube is not for children, we've invested significantly in the creation of the YouTube Kids app to offer an alternative specifically designed for children." Other groups signing the FTC complaint included Common Sense, Consumer Action, the Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union and the Electronic Privacy Information Center. COPPA, passed by Congress in 1998, restricts websites' handling of data and advertising for children. Several website operators have faced fines for violations, including Yelp and a unit of the Walt Disney Co.

Consumer groups seek probe of YouTube over ads for kids

Google forays into the smart speakers market with its recent launch of Google Home and Home mini smart speakers at an event in New Delhi today.&nbsp

Google Home is available in India for Rs 9,999 while Home Mini comes at a price of Rs 4,499. The newly launched devices will be exclusively available on Flipkart as well as at Google offline stores.

Both Google Home and Home Mini come with Google Assistant, company's direct competition to Amazon Alexa, Microsoft Cortana and Apple's Siri.

Users can direct Google Home to read out emails, news, recipes latest news and play music apart from carrying out a range of other functions.&nbsp

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Play music, switch the lights on and feed your curiosity. Get the most out of your <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoogleHome?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoogleHome</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MakeGoogleDoIt?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MakeGoogleDoIt</a> <a href="https://t.co/9CRfWbpteA">https://t.co/9CRfWbpteA</a> <a href="https://t.co/kGi3OMym8k">pic.twitter.com/kGi3OMym8k</a>
— Google India (@GoogleIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/GoogleIndia/status/983598635656122368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Google Home can efficiently run on Wi-Fi dual-band connectivity and is compatible with Android and iOS platforms.&nbsp

The Home Mini speaker shares almost the same specifications and features as Google Home. 
&nbsp

Google Home can be efficiently run on Wi-Fi dual-band connectivity and is compatible with Android and iOS platforms

Google forays into the smart speakers market with its recent launch of Google Home and Home mini smart speakers at an event in New Delhi today. Google Home is available in India for Rs 9,999 while Home Mini comes at a price of Rs 4,499. The newly launched devices will be exclusively available on Flipkart as well as at Google offline stores. Both Google Home and Home Mini come with Google Assistant, company's direct competition to Amazon Alexa, Microsoft Cortana and Apple's Siri. Users can direct Google Home to read out emails, news, recipes latest news and play music apart from carrying out a range of other functions. Play music, switch the lights on and feed your curiosity. Get the most out of your #GoogleHome. #MakeGoogleDoIt https://t.co/9CRfWbpteA pic.twitter.com/kGi3OMym8k — Google India (@GoogleIndia) April 10, 2018 × Google Home can efficiently run on Wi-Fi dual-band connectivity and is compatible with Android and iOS platforms. The Home Mini speaker shares almost the same specifications and features as Google Home.

Google Home, Home Mini launched in India, available on Flipkart and offline stores

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