Google has agreed to buy Fitbit for $2.1 billion in a move giving the United States tech giant entry into the wearable technology space, the two companies announced Friday.

The move comes with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/google-unveils-quantum-computer-breakthrough-critics-say-wait-a-qubit-257805">Google</a> seeking to expand beyond its core business of online search into hardware, and with Fitbit struggling against rivals including Apple.

"We have built a trusted brand that supports more than 28 million active users around the globe who rely on our products to live a healthier, more active life," Fitbit co-founder and chief executive James Park said in a statement by the two firms announcing the deal.

"Google is an ideal partner to advance our mission.&nbsp;Fitbit will be able to accelerate innovation in the wearables category, scale faster, and make health even more accessible to everyone. I could not be more excited for what lies ahead."

Rick Osterloh, Google senior vice president for devices and services, said the deal for the wearable tech pioneer is one "bringing together the best hardware, software and AI, to build wearables to help even more people around the world."

While Fitbit was among the first to popularize fitness bands, it has lost ground in recent years to rivals.

A survey by research firm IDC for the second quarter of 2019 found Fitbit in fourth place in a market led by China's Xiaomi leading the global market, followed by Apple, which makes the leading smartwatch, and Chinese-based Huawei.

Fitbit has introduced its own smartwatch in 2017 but it has failed to keep pace with the Apple Watch.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/google-completes-first-drone-delivery-in-united-states-256963">Google</a>, which faces pressure from regulators around the world over its dominance of internet search, has been boosting its hardware offerings, including a line of Pixel smartphones and tablets, along with connected speakers.

Google has agreed to buy Fitbit for $2.1 billion in a move giving the United States tech giant entry into the wearable technology space, the two companies announced Friday.

Google has agreed to buy Fitbit for $2.1 billion in a move giving the United States tech giant entry into the wearable technology space, the two companies announced Friday. The move comes with Google seeking to expand beyond its core business of online search into hardware, and with Fitbit struggling against rivals including Apple. "We have built a trusted brand that supports more than 28 million active users around the globe who rely on our products to live a healthier, more active life," Fitbit co-founder and chief executive James Park said in a statement by the two firms announcing the deal. "Google is an ideal partner to advance our mission. Fitbit will be able to accelerate innovation in the wearables category, scale faster, and make health even more accessible to everyone. I could not be more excited for what lies ahead." Rick Osterloh, Google senior vice president for devices and services, said the deal for the wearable tech pioneer is one "bringing together the best hardware, software and AI, to build wearables to help even more people around the world." While Fitbit was among the first to popularize fitness bands, it has lost ground in recent years to rivals. A survey by research firm IDC for the second quarter of 2019 found Fitbit in fourth place in a market led by China's Xiaomi leading the global market, followed by Apple, which makes the leading smartwatch, and Chinese-based Huawei. Fitbit has introduced its own smartwatch in 2017 but it has failed to keep pace with the Apple Watch. Google, which faces pressure from regulators around the world over its dominance of internet search, has been boosting its hardware offerings, including a line of Pixel smartphones and tablets, along with connected speakers.

Google to buy wearable maker Fitbit for $2.1 billion

Google Ceo Sundar Pichai said on October 23that Google have achieved a breakthrough in computer research, by solving a complex problem in minutes with a so-called quantum computer that would take today's most powerful supercomputer thousands of years to crack.

Google claims quantum supremacy

Alphabet (Google) subsidiary Wing has become the first company in the United States to deliver packages by drone.

In Christiansburg, the small Virginia town was chosen as Wing's test location, the 22,000 residents can order products normally shipped by FedEx, medicine from Walgreens and a selection of candy from a local business, all of which will arrive via drone.

Wing, which already operates in two Australian cities as well as Helsinki, announced in a statement that the first drone-powered deliveries had taken place Friday afternoon in Christiansburg, "paving the way for the most advanced drone delivery service in the nation."

One family used the Wing app to order Tylenol, cough drops, Vitamin C tablets, bottled water and tissues, the statement said.

An older resident ordered a birthday present for his wife. Although the majority of the delivery was done by a FedEx truck, the last mile was completed by drone.

The yellow and white drones are loaded with packages at a local centre of operations called the "Nest," where Wing employees pack them with up to three pounds (1.3 kilograms) of goods, deliverable within a 10-kilometre radius.

Once they have arrived at their destination, the drones don't land. Instead, they hover above the house and lower the package with a cable.

Other companies are working to launch similar services, most notably Amazon, UPS and Uber Eats. But Wing was the first to obtain a license from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), authorising company pilots to fly multiple drones at the same time.

Alphabet (Google) subsidiary Wing has become the first company in the United States to deliver packages by drone. In Christiansburg, the small Virginia town was chosen as Wing's test location, the 22,000 residents can order products normally shipped by FedEx, medicine from Walgreens and a selection of candy from a local business, all of which will arrive via drone.

Alphabet (Google) subsidiary Wing has become the first company in the United States to deliver packages by drone. In Christiansburg, the small Virginia town was chosen as Wing's test location, the 22,000 residents can order products normally shipped by FedEx, medicine from Walgreens and a selection of candy from a local business, all of which will arrive via drone. Wing, which already operates in two Australian cities as well as Helsinki, announced in a statement that the first drone-powered deliveries had taken place Friday afternoon in Christiansburg, "paving the way for the most advanced drone delivery service in the nation." One family used the Wing app to order Tylenol, cough drops, Vitamin C tablets, bottled water and tissues, the statement said. An older resident ordered a birthday present for his wife. Although the majority of the delivery was done by a FedEx truck, the last mile was completed by drone. The yellow and white drones are loaded with packages at a local centre of operations called the "Nest," where Wing employees pack them with up to three pounds (1.3 kilograms) of goods, deliverable within a 10-kilometre radius. Once they have arrived at their destination, the drones don't land. Instead, they hover above the house and lower the package with a cable. Other companies are working to launch similar services, most notably Amazon, UPS and Uber Eats. But Wing was the first to obtain a license from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), authorising company pilots to fly multiple drones at the same time.

Google completes first drone delivery in United States

Google cannot escape French law obliging the US online giant to pay royalties to media outlets for displaying their articles, pictures and videos in search results, French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday.

Google routinely shows extracts of news articles or small "thumbnail" images in its results and on Google News, without paying the publishers.

A new EU rule, which France is the first to implement, requires internet companies to pay for such content.

Google has baulked, saying it will not use the content in search results unless publishers make it available for free.

But Macron criticised Google's operations in France and Germany and said that "the desire of an operator today is not to pay the newspaper, not to pay the journalists".&nbsp;

"A company, even a very large company, can not get away with it when it decides to operate in France," the French president insisted, during a visit to mark the centenary of the La Montagne newspaper in the city of Clermont-Ferrand in central France.

"We are going to start implementing the law," he said.

The new European legislation, which comes into force on October 24, seeks to ensure media firms are paid for original content displayed by Google, Facebook and other technology giants which dominate the online advertising market.

The new rules create "neighbouring rights" to ensure a form of copyright protection -- and compensation -- for media firms when their content is used on websites such as search engines.

However, on September 25, Google said it had no intention of paying European media outlets.&nbsp;

"It's up to the publishers to decide how they promote their content," Richard Gingras, Google's vice president in charge of news, told journalists in Paris then, after meeting French Culture Minister Franck Riester.&nbsp;

At Google, he added, "we don't pay for links to be included in search results" because "it would undermine the trust of users".

Google cannot escape French law obliging the US online giant to pay royalties to media outlets for displaying their articles, pictures and videos in search results, French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday.

Google cannot escape French law obliging the US online giant to pay royalties to media outlets for displaying their articles, pictures and videos in search results, French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday. Google routinely shows extracts of news articles or small "thumbnail" images in its results and on Google News, without paying the publishers. A new EU rule, which France is the first to implement, requires internet companies to pay for such content. Google has baulked, saying it will not use the content in search results unless publishers make it available for free. But Macron criticised Google's operations in France and Germany and said that "the desire of an operator today is not to pay the newspaper, not to pay the journalists". "A company, even a very large company, can not get away with it when it decides to operate in France," the French president insisted, during a visit to mark the centenary of the La Montagne newspaper in the city of Clermont-Ferrand in central France. "We are going to start implementing the law," he said. The new European legislation, which comes into force on October 24, seeks to ensure media firms are paid for original content displayed by Google, Facebook and other technology giants which dominate the online advertising market. The new rules create "neighbouring rights" to ensure a form of copyright protection -- and compensation -- for media firms when their content is used on websites such as search engines. However, on September 25, Google said it had no intention of paying European media outlets. "It's up to the publishers to decide how they promote their content," Richard Gingras, Google's vice president in charge of news, told journalists in Paris then, after meeting French Culture Minister Franck Riester. At Google, he added, "we don't pay for links to be included in search results" because "it would undermine the trust of users".

Google can't escape copyright laws: France's Emmanuel Macron

&nbsp;Alphabet Inc's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/google-wins-right-to-be-forgotten-case-against-frances-privacy-watchdog-251737">Google</a> is rolling out new privacy features to its Maps, YouTube and Voice Assistant services, with options including incognito mode and automatic data deletion, the company said on Wednesday.

Google has raced to launch a slew of privacy-related features like the search giant and social media companies face heat from users and regulators globally on how their platforms handle user data.

The incognito mode on Google Maps will stop saving maps activity to users' accounts, including the places they search for, though it would take away their personalized recommendations.

Google also launched Password Checkup, a new feature that tells users whether their accounts have been compromised or if any of their passwords are weak.

The company said it will also expand its auto-delete option to YouTube, letting users to set a time period after which their viewing history data will be automatically erased.

In the coming weeks, Google will also roll out an option to delete voice assistant activity by verbal command: "Hey Google, delete the last thing I said to you."

Alphabet Inc's Google is rolling out new privacy features to its Maps, YouTube and Voice Assistant services, with options including incognito mode and automatic data deletion, the company said on Wednesday.

Alphabet Inc's Google is rolling out new privacy features to its Maps, YouTube and Voice Assistant services, with options including incognito mode and automatic data deletion, the company said on Wednesday. Google has raced to launch a slew of privacy-related features like the search giant and social media companies face heat from users and regulators globally on how their platforms handle user data. The incognito mode on Google Maps will stop saving maps activity to users' accounts, including the places they search for, though it would take away their personalized recommendations. Google also launched Password Checkup, a new feature that tells users whether their accounts have been compromised or if any of their passwords are weak. The company said it will also expand its auto-delete option to YouTube, letting users to set a time period after which their viewing history data will be automatically erased. In the coming weeks, Google will also roll out an option to delete voice assistant activity by verbal command: "Hey Google, delete the last thing I said to you."

Google offers incognito mode for Maps in privacy push

Google&nbsp;is not required to apply an EU "right to be forgotten" to its search engine domains outside Europe, the EU's top court ruled Tuesday in a landmark decision.

The European Court of Justice handed victory to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/european-union-fines-google-149-billion-euros-for-anti-trust-breach-204538">Google</a>&nbsp;in the case, seen as crucial in determining whether EU online regulation should apply beyond Europe's borders or not.&nbsp;

The US internet giant had argued that the removal of search results required under EU law should not extend to its&nbsp;google.com domain or its other non-EU sites.

The court ruled that, while a search engine operator such as&nbsp;Google&nbsp;must carry out "de-referencing" of links as demanded by a regulator or court in an EU state to all European versions of its sites, that "right to be forgotten" did not need to go further.

"There is no obligation under EU law" for search engine operators such as&nbsp;Google&nbsp;"to carry out such a de-referencing on all the versions of its search engine," the court said.

The case, seen as pitting individuals' rights to privacy online against freedom of information, stemmed from a legal battle waged by France since 2014 to have&nbsp;Google&nbsp;apply the "right to be forgotten" to all its search domains.

If France had won, it could have deepened <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-preparing-antitrust-probe-of-google-report-223296">a rift between Europe and the United States</a>, which is home to most of the internet's behemoths and whose President Donald Trump has railed against what he sees as EU meddling in US business.

In the end, though, the EU court found that EU law on the issue did not seek to have its "right to be forgotten" extend beyond its borders.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/google-translates-sad-to-happy-angering-hong-kong-protesters-against-china-extradition-law-228536">Google</a>&nbsp;hailed Tuesday's decision by the EU court.

"It's good to see that the court agreed with our arguments," its lawyer, Peter Fleischer, said in a statement, adding that&nbsp;Google&nbsp;has worked "to strike a sensible balance between people's rights of access to information and privacy".

The US company and other stakeholders had warned that authoritarian countries outside Europe could abuse global de-referencing requests to cover up rights violations.

Closely Watched Case

Google's position was bolstered in January by a non-binding opinion from the EU court's top legal advisor, advocate general Maciej Szpunar, that recommended the judges "should limit the scope of the de-referencing that search engine operators are required to carry out, to the EU".

The case had been closely watched, especially as Europe has also already emerged as a global rule-setter in terms of data protection on the internet.&nbsp;

A 2016 General Data Protection Regulation it enacted that covers all EU citizens and residents has forced many sites and companies around the globe to comply with its measures.

In terms of the "right to be forgotten" legal fight, France's data regulator, the Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertes (CNIL), had argued that, for de-referencing to be effective, it must apply to all domains wherever they are.

In 2016, CNIL fined&nbsp;Google&nbsp;100,000 euros ($110,000) for non-compliance.&nbsp;Google&nbsp;appealed to France's highest court, which in turn referred to the European Court of Justice, ending up with Tuesday's ruling.

Google is not required to apply an EU "right to be forgotten" to its search engine domains outside Europe, the EU's top court ruled Tuesday in a landmark decision.

Google is not required to apply an EU "right to be forgotten" to its search engine domains outside Europe, the EU's top court ruled Tuesday in a landmark decision. The European Court of Justice handed victory to Google in the case, seen as crucial in determining whether EU online regulation should apply beyond Europe's borders or not. The US internet giant had argued that the removal of search results required under EU law should not extend to its google.com domain or its other non-EU sites. The court ruled that, while a search engine operator such as Google must carry out "de-referencing" of links as demanded by a regulator or court in an EU state to all European versions of its sites, that "right to be forgotten" did not need to go further. "There is no obligation under EU law" for search engine operators such as Google "to carry out such a de-referencing on all the versions of its search engine," the court said. The case, seen as pitting individuals' rights to privacy online against freedom of information, stemmed from a legal battle waged by France since 2014 to have Google apply the "right to be forgotten" to all its search domains. If France had won, it could have deepened a rift between Europe and the United States, which is home to most of the internet's behemoths and whose President Donald Trump has railed against what he sees as EU meddling in US business. In the end, though, the EU court found that EU law on the issue did not seek to have its "right to be forgotten" extend beyond its borders. Google hailed Tuesday's decision by the EU court. "It's good to see that the court agreed with our arguments," its lawyer, Peter Fleischer, said in a statement, adding that Google has worked "to strike a sensible balance between people's rights of access to information and privacy". The US company and other stakeholders had warned that authoritarian countries outside Europe could abuse global de-referencing requests to cover up rights violations. Closely Watched Case Google's position was bolstered in January by a non-binding opinion from the EU court's top legal advisor, advocate general Maciej Szpunar, that recommended the judges "should limit the scope of the de-referencing that search engine operators are required to carry out, to the EU". The case had been closely watched, especially as Europe has also already emerged as a global rule-setter in terms of data protection on the internet. A 2016 General Data Protection Regulation it enacted that covers all EU citizens and residents has forced many sites and companies around the globe to comply with its measures. In terms of the "right to be forgotten" legal fight, France's data regulator, the Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertes (CNIL), had argued that, for de-referencing to be effective, it must apply to all domains wherever they are. In 2016, CNIL fined Google 100,000 euros ($110,000) for non-compliance. Google appealed to France's highest court, which in turn referred to the European Court of Justice, ending up with Tuesday's ruling.

Google wins 'right to be forgotten' case against France's privacy watchdog

Huawei launches what could be the world's smartest 5G phone on Thursday, but its fate in Europe will hang on whether customers will buy a device lacking access to software and apps supported by Google.

The Chinese telecoms giant will showcase its Mate 30 range in Munich, Germany, in its first unveiling of an all-new phone since President Donald Trump hit the Shenzhen-based company with an export ban in May.

"The launch will be the most-watched ever," said telecoms and media analyst Paolo Pescatore.

"Despite all the concerns surrounding Huawei, and the challenges it faces, it remains defiant and prepared to soldier on."

Washington effectively banned US firms from supplying Huawei in May, alleging the Chinese firm is a national security risk as its equipment could be used by Beijing to spy, which Huawei has repeatedly denied.

The No.2 smartphone maker expects the US ban to cost it $10 billion.

Huawei's new phone launch has been marked by uncertainty over whether buyers of the flagship Android device will be able to use apps supported by Google, a unit of Silicon Valley giant Alphabet.

Holding the launch in Europe underlines the importance of the region's 500 million consumers to Huawei. It lost five percentage points in market share here following the US ban, even as buyers rallied to its brand at home.

Huawei has been running an online marketing campaign, with the slogan "Rethink Possibilities", recruiting fans to spread the word about the launch. The same website will livestream the event, which starts at 2 pm (1200 GMT).

Unboxed delight

The Mate 30 range will run on an open-source version of Android - and not on the current version licensed from Google, a source familiar with the matter said.

The smartphones will not be able to use Google Mobile Services to use the Play Store and download apps like Gmail, Youtube or Maps. Instead, Huawei will offer its own interface that will allow users to access some Google apps.

Without those, say analysts, consumers won't want the phone - unless Huawei can find a way to convince them that its features are unmatched and the alternative software offering is stable and easy to use.

Huawei says the phone's 'brain' - the Kirin 990 chipset unveiled at a recent tech fair in Berlin - outperforms the Qualcomm-powered 5G phones already on the market from market leader Samsung.

In particular, the 'big core-tiny core' configuration of the hardware means it can run power-hungry applications like artificial intelligence or support online gaming, while saving battery on routine tasks.

The Mate 30 range's look and feel will be superior to Apple's new iPhone 11s, according to analyst Richard Windsor, who said leaked photos showed an attractive circular triple-camera set-up.

"Huawei has Apple soundly beaten when it comes to form factor design but even these beautiful-looking devices are going to struggle to see any volume without the Google ecosystem," Windsor said in a note.

Analysts are keen to learn when the phone will actually ship and how the pricing of the top-end Mate 30 Pro compares with Samsung's Galaxy S10 5G, which retails at $1,299, and the iPhone 11 Pro that starts at $999 but lacks 5G connectivity.

Huawei is expected to showcase the Mate 30 Pro, the Mate 30 and Mate 30 Lite - in line with its existing marketing strategy that targets buyers on different budgets. The phones would come in both 5G and 4G versions.

Huawei launches what could be the world's smartest 5G phone on Thursday, but its fate in Europe will hang on whether customers will buy a device lacking access to software and apps supported by Google.

Huawei launches what could be the world's smartest 5G phone on Thursday, but its fate in Europe will hang on whether customers will buy a device lacking access to software and apps supported by Google. The Chinese telecoms giant will showcase its Mate 30 range in Munich, Germany, in its first unveiling of an all-new phone since President Donald Trump hit the Shenzhen-based company with an export ban in May. "The launch will be the most-watched ever," said telecoms and media analyst Paolo Pescatore. "Despite all the concerns surrounding Huawei, and the challenges it faces, it remains defiant and prepared to soldier on." Washington effectively banned US firms from supplying Huawei in May, alleging the Chinese firm is a national security risk as its equipment could be used by Beijing to spy, which Huawei has repeatedly denied. The No.2 smartphone maker expects the US ban to cost it $10 billion. Huawei's new phone launch has been marked by uncertainty over whether buyers of the flagship Android device will be able to use apps supported by Google, a unit of Silicon Valley giant Alphabet. Holding the launch in Europe underlines the importance of the region's 500 million consumers to Huawei. It lost five percentage points in market share here following the US ban, even as buyers rallied to its brand at home. Huawei has been running an online marketing campaign, with the slogan "Rethink Possibilities", recruiting fans to spread the word about the launch. The same website will livestream the event, which starts at 2 pm (1200 GMT). Unboxed delight The Mate 30 range will run on an open-source version of Android - and not on the current version licensed from Google, a source familiar with the matter said. The smartphones will not be able to use Google Mobile Services to use the Play Store and download apps like Gmail, Youtube or Maps. Instead, Huawei will offer its own interface that will allow users to access some Google apps. Without those, say analysts, consumers won't want the phone - unless Huawei can find a way to convince them that its features are unmatched and the alternative software offering is stable and easy to use. Huawei says the phone's 'brain' - the Kirin 990 chipset unveiled at a recent tech fair in Berlin - outperforms the Qualcomm-powered 5G phones already on the market from market leader Samsung. In particular, the 'big core-tiny core' configuration of the hardware means it can run power-hungry applications like artificial intelligence or support online gaming, while saving battery on routine tasks. The Mate 30 range's look and feel will be superior to Apple's new iPhone 11s, according to analyst Richard Windsor, who said leaked photos showed an attractive circular triple-camera set-up. "Huawei has Apple soundly beaten when it comes to form factor design but even these beautiful-looking devices are going to struggle to see any volume without the Google ecosystem," Windsor said in a note. Analysts are keen to learn when the phone will actually ship and how the pricing of the top-end Mate 30 Pro compares with Samsung's Galaxy S10 5G, which retails at $1,299, and the iPhone 11 Pro that starts at $999 but lacks 5G connectivity. Huawei is expected to showcase the Mate 30 Pro, the Mate 30 and Mate 30 Lite - in line with its existing marketing strategy that targets buyers on different budgets. The phones would come in both 5G and 4G versions.

Huawei's new phone lacks Google access after US ban

Huawei Technologies' device business, comprising mainly smartphones, made $1.55 billion profit in the first half of this year - as much as it earned in all of 2018 - a rare regulatory filing showed.

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-says-to-decide-on-huawei-soon-but-china-must-play-by-rules-249046">Chinese tech giant was put on a trade blacklist</a> by the United States in May, which <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/huawei-denies-us-allegations-of-technology-theft-247310">cut off its access to essential US components</a> and technology. The ban stops US&nbsp;companies such as Alphabet's Google from doing business with Huawei.

Analysts have said that the consumer business is the most vulnerable to Washington's sanctions, with the main impact likely to be felt in the second half of the year.

Huawei said last month that, while the impact of the curbs was weaker than previously expected, it would still push the smartphone unit's revenue lower by about $10 billion this year.

The company had so far disclosed annual profit figures for the entire company and the filing provide a rare window into the growing profit contribution from Huawei's consumer business.

Huawei previously said smartphone shipments in the first half of the year jumped 24 per cent jump to 118 million units, as demand surged from patriotic Chinese buyers amid rising rhetoric in local media that Huawei was being treated unfairly by the United States.

Its market share rose more than 10 percentage points to 38 per cent&nbsp;in the June quarter in China, the world's biggest smartphone market, according to market research firm Canalys showed.

The new profit numbers were disclosed in a bonds prospectus published on September 11 from Huawei's parent Huawei Investment &amp; Holding Co Ltd, looking to raise up to 20 billion yuan in its first attempt to tap the onshore yuan bond market.

Profit at Huawei Device (Shenzhen) Ltd, a wholly-owned unit of the parent and a proxy for the behemoth's smartphone business, was 11.2 billion yuan in the first half of 2019, while revenue was 211 billion yuan.

The unit earned the same amount of money in all of 2018 on revenue of 329 billion yuan, according to the prospectus that did not provide numbers for just the first half.

The filing also showed Huawei Technologies Limited, Huawei's main business entity, made a net profit of 30.27 billion yuan and revenue of 353 billion yuan in the first half of 2019.

The group recorded increases in gross margins across all three businesses of carrier network, consumer and enterprise business in the period. Revenue contribution from China rose to 58.12% in the first half, up from 52.02% for the full year of 2018.

Huawei Technologies' device business, comprising mainly smartphones, made $1.55 billion profit in the first half of this year - as much as it earned in all of 2018 - a rare regulatory filing showed.

Huawei Technologies' device business, comprising mainly smartphones, made $1.55 billion profit in the first half of this year - as much as it earned in all of 2018 - a rare regulatory filing showed. The Chinese tech giant was put on a trade blacklist by the United States in May, which cut off its access to essential US components and technology. The ban stops US companies such as Alphabet's Google from doing business with Huawei. Analysts have said that the consumer business is the most vulnerable to Washington's sanctions, with the main impact likely to be felt in the second half of the year. Huawei said last month that, while the impact of the curbs was weaker than previously expected, it would still push the smartphone unit's revenue lower by about $10 billion this year. The company had so far disclosed annual profit figures for the entire company and the filing provide a rare window into the growing profit contribution from Huawei's consumer business. Huawei previously said smartphone shipments in the first half of the year jumped 24 per cent jump to 118 million units, as demand surged from patriotic Chinese buyers amid rising rhetoric in local media that Huawei was being treated unfairly by the United States. Its market share rose more than 10 percentage points to 38 per cent in the June quarter in China, the world's biggest smartphone market, according to market research firm Canalys showed. The new profit numbers were disclosed in a bonds prospectus published on September 11 from Huawei's parent Huawei Investment & Holding Co Ltd, looking to raise up to 20 billion yuan in its first attempt to tap the onshore yuan bond market. Profit at Huawei Device (Shenzhen) Ltd, a wholly-owned unit of the parent and a proxy for the behemoth's smartphone business, was 11.2 billion yuan in the first half of 2019, while revenue was 211 billion yuan. The unit earned the same amount of money in all of 2018 on revenue of 329 billion yuan, according to the prospectus that did not provide numbers for just the first half. The filing also showed Huawei Technologies Limited, Huawei's main business entity, made a net profit of 30.27 billion yuan and revenue of 353 billion yuan in the first half of 2019. The group recorded increases in gross margins across all three businesses of carrier network, consumer and enterprise business in the period. Revenue contribution from China rose to 58.12% in the first half, up from 52.02% for the full year of 2018.

Despite US blacklist, Huawei smartphones made $1.55 billion profit in first half of 2019, records show

Google to pay $170 million for violating kids' privacy on YouTube. Watch video to know more.

Google to pay $170 million for violating kids' privacy on YouTube

Google security experts uncovered an "indiscriminate" hacking operation that targeted iPhones over a period of at least two years and used websites to implant malicious software to access photos, user locations and other data.

In a post on Thursday on the blog of Google's Project Zero security taskforce, cyber experts did not name the hacked websites hosting the attacks, but estimated they received thousands of visitors a week. &nbsp;

"Simply visiting the hacked site was enough for the exploit server to attack your device, and if it was successful, install a monitoring implant," said Project Zero's Ian Beer.

Once installed, the malicious software "primarily focused on stealing files and uploading live location data," Beer said, adding it had been able to access encrypted messenger apps like Telegram, WhatsApp and iMessage.

Google hangouts and Gmail had also been affected, he added in the post, which provided a detailed breakdown of how the malicious software targeted and exploited iPhone vulnerabilities.

Most of the vulnerabilities targeted were found in the iPhone's default Safari web browser, Beer said, adding that the Project Zero team had discovered them in almost every operating system from iOS 10 through to the current iOS 12 version.

Once embedded in a user's iPhone, the malicious software sent back stolen data, including live user location data back to a "command and control server" every 60 seconds.

Beer said Google had informed Apple of the attacks in February, and Apple subsequently released a security patch for the iOS 12.1.

Long the driver of Apple's money-making machine, iPhone revenue overall was down 12 percent from last year to $26 billion.

The tech giant sent out invitations on Thursday to a September event at its Silicon Valley campus where it is expected to unveil a new-generation iPhone.

Google security experts uncovered an "indiscriminate" hacking operation that targeted iPhones over a period of at least two years and used websites to implant malicious software to access photos, user locations and other data.

Google security experts uncovered an "indiscriminate" hacking operation that targeted iPhones over a period of at least two years and used websites to implant malicious software to access photos, user locations and other data. In a post on Thursday on the blog of Google's Project Zero security taskforce, cyber experts did not name the hacked websites hosting the attacks, but estimated they received thousands of visitors a week. "Simply visiting the hacked site was enough for the exploit server to attack your device, and if it was successful, install a monitoring implant," said Project Zero's Ian Beer. Once installed, the malicious software "primarily focused on stealing files and uploading live location data," Beer said, adding it had been able to access encrypted messenger apps like Telegram, WhatsApp and iMessage. Google hangouts and Gmail had also been affected, he added in the post, which provided a detailed breakdown of how the malicious software targeted and exploited iPhone vulnerabilities. Most of the vulnerabilities targeted were found in the iPhone's default Safari web browser, Beer said, adding that the Project Zero team had discovered them in almost every operating system from iOS 10 through to the current iOS 12 version. Once embedded in a user's iPhone, the malicious software sent back stolen data, including live user location data back to a "command and control server" every 60 seconds. Beer said Google had informed Apple of the attacks in February, and Apple subsequently released a security patch for the iOS 12.1. Long the driver of Apple's money-making machine, iPhone revenue overall was down 12 percent from last year to $26 billion. The tech giant sent out invitations on Thursday to a September event at its Silicon Valley campus where it is expected to unveil a new-generation iPhone.

Google reveals years-long 'indiscriminate' iPhone hack

Huawei Technologies plans to forge ahead with the launch of new high-end smartphones in Europe even though it may not be able to offer Google's official <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ex-google-engineer-indicted-for-stealing-self-driving-car-secrets-pleads-not-guilty-246130">Android operating system</a> and widely used apps such as Google Maps, company executives told Reuters.

The world’s No. 2 smartphone maker is set to unveil its new Mate 30 line of phones on Sept. 18 in Munich, according to a source familiar with the matter, though it is not clear when the devices would go on sale.

The Mate 30, made to work on new 5G mobile networks, is <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mike-pompeo-no-mixed-messages-from-us-on-huawei-244498">Huawei</a>'s first major flagship smartphone launch since US President Donald Trump's administration effectively blacklisted the company in mid-May, alleging it is involved in activities that compromise US national security, a charge the company denies.

A Google spokesman told Reuters the Mate 30 cannot be sold with licensed Google apps and services due to the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-gives-huawei-another-90-days-reprieve-from-ban-amid-economic-blacklist-244165">US ban on sales to Huawei</a>. A temporary reprieve that the US government announced last week does not apply to new products such as the Mate 30, the spokesman said.

US companies can seek a license for specific products to be exempted from the ban. Google, a part of Alphabet Inc, would not say whether it had applied for a license to offer its apps and services known as Google Mobile Services, though it has said in the past that it wants to continue supplying Huawei.

Reuters reported this week that the US Commerce Department has received more than 130 applications from companies for licenses to sell US goods to Huawei, but none have been granted.

The uncertainty surrounding the Mate 30 shows the confusion that reigns for Huawei and its business partners as a result of the escalating trade war between China and the United States. While the Huawei blacklisting was cast as a response to security concerns, President Trump has indicated it could be lifted as part of a trade deal.

"Huawei will continue to use the Android OS and ecosystem if the US government allows us to do so," Huawei spokesman Joe Kelly told Reuters. "Otherwise, we will continue to develop our own operating system and ecosystem."

The Commerce Department declined to comment.

No google, no sales?

Huawei can likely use an open-source version of Android without falling foul of the US ban on sales to them. But Google's apps can only be used in Europe under a paid license from the search giant. There is no fee for the license outside of Europe.

"Without Google Services, no one will buy the device," said independent analyst Richard Windsor. Google software normally comes pre-loaded on Android devices.

Huawei earlier this month announced its own mobile operating system, dubbed Harmony. But analysts and Huawei executives are sceptical that it is yet a viable alternative to Android.

Huawei vaulted quickly into the top ranks of the global smartphone business in recent years with highly regarded hardware, and Europe has been a key market.

But the US&nbsp;ban has dealt a body blow to sales outside of China, with Huawei’s market share in Europe sliding to 19.3% in the second quarter from 24.9% in the first, figures from Counterpoint Research show.

As late as last week, senior Huawei executives struck a confident tone regarding Android and Google.

"Our new phones will still be based on Android," Vincent Pang, senior vice president and board director of Huawei, told a media gathering at the top of New York City's One World Trade Center, an iconic American symbol of perseverance.

"We want to maintain one standard, one ecosystem, one technology," he said.

Chips in clear

Huawei is confident that other hardware in the new phone will be compliant with US law.

The brains of the Mate 30 line, the Kirin 990 chipset, will be formally unveiled on Sept. 6 by Richard Yu, Huawei’s top consumer executive, when he gives the opening keynote address at the IFA consumer tech fair in Berlin.

The Kirin 990 was developed by HiSilicon, Huawei's chips unit, based on blueprints from British chip designer ARM Holdings, owned by Japan's SoftBank.

ARM severed relations with Huawei after the US ban because its designs contain technology of US origin. But a source familiar with Huawei's plan said its ARM license is based on work that predated the blacklisting of Huawei.

Huawei last week said it has perpetual ownership of the ARMv8 license and chips based on it, including the Kirin 990, would not be affected by the ban.

ARM declined to comment on its relationship with Huawei, saying only that "ARM continues to remain compliant with the latest US&nbsp;Commerce Department restrictions and we are adhering to the guidelines related to the specific types of conversations permitted, technical or otherwise."

Huawei Technologies plans to forge ahead with the launch of new high-end smartphones in Europe even though it may not be able to offer Google's official Android operating system and widely used apps such as Google Maps, company executives told Reuters.

Huawei Technologies plans to forge ahead with the launch of new high-end smartphones in Europe even though it may not be able to offer Google's official Android operating system and widely used apps such as Google Maps, company executives told Reuters. The world’s No. 2 smartphone maker is set to unveil its new Mate 30 line of phones on Sept. 18 in Munich, according to a source familiar with the matter, though it is not clear when the devices would go on sale. The Mate 30, made to work on new 5G mobile networks, is Huawei's first major flagship smartphone launch since US President Donald Trump's administration effectively blacklisted the company in mid-May, alleging it is involved in activities that compromise US national security, a charge the company denies. A Google spokesman told Reuters the Mate 30 cannot be sold with licensed Google apps and services due to the US ban on sales to Huawei. A temporary reprieve that the US government announced last week does not apply to new products such as the Mate 30, the spokesman said. US companies can seek a license for specific products to be exempted from the ban. Google, a part of Alphabet Inc, would not say whether it had applied for a license to offer its apps and services known as Google Mobile Services, though it has said in the past that it wants to continue supplying Huawei. Reuters reported this week that the US Commerce Department has received more than 130 applications from companies for licenses to sell US goods to Huawei, but none have been granted. The uncertainty surrounding the Mate 30 shows the confusion that reigns for Huawei and its business partners as a result of the escalating trade war between China and the United States. While the Huawei blacklisting was cast as a response to security concerns, President Trump has indicated it could be lifted as part of a trade deal. "Huawei will continue to use the Android OS and ecosystem if the US government allows us to do so," Huawei spokesman Joe Kelly told Reuters. "Otherwise, we will continue to develop our own operating system and ecosystem." The Commerce Department declined to comment. No google, no sales? Huawei can likely use an open-source version of Android without falling foul of the US ban on sales to them. But Google's apps can only be used in Europe under a paid license from the search giant. There is no fee for the license outside of Europe. "Without Google Services, no one will buy the device," said independent analyst Richard Windsor. Google software normally comes pre-loaded on Android devices. Huawei earlier this month announced its own mobile operating system, dubbed Harmony. But analysts and Huawei executives are sceptical that it is yet a viable alternative to Android. Huawei vaulted quickly into the top ranks of the global smartphone business in recent years with highly regarded hardware, and Europe has been a key market. But the US ban has dealt a body blow to sales outside of China, with Huawei’s market share in Europe sliding to 19.3% in the second quarter from 24.9% in the first, figures from Counterpoint Research show. As late as last week, senior Huawei executives struck a confident tone regarding Android and Google. "Our new phones will still be based on Android," Vincent Pang, senior vice president and board director of Huawei, told a media gathering at the top of New York City's One World Trade Center, an iconic American symbol of perseverance. "We want to maintain one standard, one ecosystem, one technology," he said. Chips in clear Huawei is confident that other hardware in the new phone will be compliant with US law. The brains of the Mate 30 line, the Kirin 990 chipset, will be formally unveiled on Sept. 6 by Richard Yu, Huawei’s top consumer executive, when he gives the opening keynote address at the IFA consumer tech fair in Berlin. The Kirin 990 was developed by HiSilicon, Huawei's chips unit, based on blueprints from British chip designer ARM Holdings, owned by Japan's SoftBank. ARM severed relations with Huawei after the US ban because its designs contain technology of US origin. But a source familiar with Huawei's plan said its ARM license is based on work that predated the blacklisting of Huawei. Huawei last week said it has perpetual ownership of the ARMv8 license and chips based on it, including the Kirin 990, would not be affected by the ban. ARM declined to comment on its relationship with Huawei, saying only that "ARM continues to remain compliant with the latest US Commerce Department restrictions and we are adhering to the guidelines related to the specific types of conversations permitted, technical or otherwise."

Huawei plans high-end phone launch under cloud of Google ban

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/climate-change-defence-and-kashmir-in-the-spotlight-as-modi-meets-macron-ahead-of-g7-summit-244916">Climate change, defence and Kashmir in the spotlight as Modi meets Macron ahead of G7 summit&nbsp;</a>

Climate change, cybersecurity, defence, space cooperation and Kashmir were in the spotlight as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday met for the fifth time ahead of G7 Summit in Biarritz.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/amazon-rainforest-fires-our-house-is-on-fire-says-macron-ahead-of-g7-summit-244910">Amazon rainforest fires: 'Our house is on fire', says Macron ahead of G7 Summit</a>

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday said the Amazon wildfires were "an international crisis" and called on the globe's most industrialized nations to address it at their summit this weekend.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-says-ready-for-dialogue-or-confrontation-with-us-244911">North Korea says ready for dialogue or confrontation with US</a>

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho said on Friday Pyongyang is ready for both dialogue and confrontation with the United States, warning Washington that continuing with sanctions would be a miscalculation, according to state media KCNA.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/google-says-youtube-campaign-targeted-hong-kong-protests-244915">Google says YouTube campaign targeted Hong Kong protests</a>

Google on Thursday said it disabled a series of YouTube channels that appeared to be part of a coordinated influence campaign against pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-launches-floating-nuclear-reactor-in-arctic-despite-warnings-244918">Russia launches floating nuclear reactor in Arctic despite warnings</a>

Russia will launch the world's first floating nuclear reactor and send it on an epic journey across the Arctic on Friday, despite environmentalists warning of serious risks to the region.

Climate change, defence and Kashmir in the spotlight as Modi meets Macron ahead of G7 summit Climate change, cybersecurity, defence, space cooperation and Kashmir were in the spotlight as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday met for the fifth time ahead of G7 Summit in Biarritz.

Climate change, defence and Kashmir in the spotlight as Modi meets Macron ahead of G7 summit Climate change, cybersecurity, defence, space cooperation and Kashmir were in the spotlight as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday met for the fifth time ahead of G7 Summit in Biarritz. Amazon rainforest fires: 'Our house is on fire', says Macron ahead of G7 Summit French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday said the Amazon wildfires were "an international crisis" and called on the globe's most industrialized nations to address it at their summit this weekend. North Korea says ready for dialogue or confrontation with US North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho said on Friday Pyongyang is ready for both dialogue and confrontation with the United States, warning Washington that continuing with sanctions would be a miscalculation, according to state media KCNA. Google says YouTube campaign targeted Hong Kong protests Google on Thursday said it disabled a series of YouTube channels that appeared to be part of a coordinated influence campaign against pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. Russia launches floating nuclear reactor in Arctic despite warnings Russia will launch the world's first floating nuclear reactor and send it on an epic journey across the Arctic on Friday, despite environmentalists warning of serious risks to the region.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Google on Thursday said it disabled a series of YouTube channels that appeared to be part of a coordinated influence campaign against pro-democracy <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-students-to-boycott-new-term-as-protests-continue-244795">protests in Hong Kong</a>.

The announcement by YouTube's parent company came after Twitter and Facebook accused the Chinese government of backing a social media campaign to discredit Hong Kong's protest movement and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/masked-protesters-mark-triad-attack-at-hong-kong-metro-station-244678">sow political discord in the city</a>.

Google disabled 210 YouTube channels that it found behaved in a coordinated manner while uploading videos related to the Hong Kong protests, according to Shane Huntley of the company's security threat analysis group.

"This discovery was consistent with recent observations and actions related to China announced by Facebook and Twitter," Huntley said in an online post.

Twitter and Facebook announced this week that they suspended nearly 1,000 active accounts linked to a coordinated influence campaign. Twitter said it had shut down about 200,000 more before they could inflict any damage.

"These accounts were deliberately and specifically attempting to sow political discord in Hong Kong, including undermining the legitimacy and political positions of the protest movement on the ground," Twitter said, referring to the active accounts it shut down.

Facebook said some of the posts from accounts it banned compared the protesters in Hong Kong with Islamic State group militants, branded them "cockroaches" and alleged they planned to kill people using slingshots.

China has "taken a page from Russia's playbook" as it uses social media platforms outside the country to wage a disinformation campaign against the protests, according to the non-profit Soufan Center for research, analysis, and strategic dialogue related to global security issues.

WION Wideangle: Inside the Hong Kong movement

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-wideangle-inside-the-hong-kong-movement-244880/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"Beijing has deployed a relentless disinformation campaign on Twitter and Facebook powered by unknown numbers of bots, trolls, and so-called 'sock puppets,'" the centre said on its website, referring to fake online identities created for deception.

"China's behaviour will likely grow more aggressive in both the physical and virtual realms, using on-the-ground actions to complement an intensifying cyber campaign characterized by disinformation, deflection, and obfuscation."

Unprecedented political crisis

While social media platforms have been tools for people to advocate for rights, justice or freedom in their countries, the services are being turned on them by oppressive governments, according to the Soufan Center.

"Autocratic governments are now using these same platforms to disparage demonstrators, divide protest movements, and confuse sympathetic onlookers," the centre said.

Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous southern Chinese city and one of the world's most important financial hubs, is in the grip of an unprecedented political crisis that has seen millions of people take to the streets demanding greater freedoms.

China's government has publicly largely left the city's leaders and police force to try and resolve the crisis, but behind the scenes online, Beijing is seeking to sway public opinion about Hong Kong, according to Twitter and Facebook.

"We are disclosing a significant state-backed information operation focused on the situation in Hong Kong, specifically the protest movement and their calls for political change," Twitter said.

It said it had pulled 936 accounts originating in China that were spreading disinformation.

Twitter and Facebook are banned in China, part of the government's so-called "Great Firewall" of censorship.

Because of the bans, many of the fake accounts were accessed using "virtual private networks" that give a deceptive picture of the user's location, Twitter said.

Facebook said it had acted on a tip from Twitter, removing seven pages, three groups and five Facebook accounts that had about 15,500 followers.

"Although the people behind this activity attempted to conceal their identities, our investigation found links to individuals associated with the Chinese government," Facebook said.

Google on Thursday said it disabled a series of YouTube channels that appeared to be part of a coordinated influence campaign against pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.

Google on Thursday said it disabled a series of YouTube channels that appeared to be part of a coordinated influence campaign against pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. The announcement by YouTube's parent company came after Twitter and Facebook accused the Chinese government of backing a social media campaign to discredit Hong Kong's protest movement and sow political discord in the city. Google disabled 210 YouTube channels that it found behaved in a coordinated manner while uploading videos related to the Hong Kong protests, according to Shane Huntley of the company's security threat analysis group. "This discovery was consistent with recent observations and actions related to China announced by Facebook and Twitter," Huntley said in an online post. Twitter and Facebook announced this week that they suspended nearly 1,000 active accounts linked to a coordinated influence campaign. Twitter said it had shut down about 200,000 more before they could inflict any damage. "These accounts were deliberately and specifically attempting to sow political discord in Hong Kong, including undermining the legitimacy and political positions of the protest movement on the ground," Twitter said, referring to the active accounts it shut down. Facebook said some of the posts from accounts it banned compared the protesters in Hong Kong with Islamic State group militants, branded them "cockroaches" and alleged they planned to kill people using slingshots. China has "taken a page from Russia's playbook" as it uses social media platforms outside the country to wage a disinformation campaign against the protests, according to the non-profit Soufan Center for research, analysis, and strategic dialogue related to global security issues. WION Wideangle: Inside the Hong Kong movement "Beijing has deployed a relentless disinformation campaign on Twitter and Facebook powered by unknown numbers of bots, trolls, and so-called 'sock puppets,'" the centre said on its website, referring to fake online identities created for deception. "China's behaviour will likely grow more aggressive in both the physical and virtual realms, using on-the-ground actions to complement an intensifying cyber campaign characterized by disinformation, deflection, and obfuscation." Unprecedented political crisis While social media platforms have been tools for people to advocate for rights, justice or freedom in their countries, the services are being turned on them by oppressive governments, according to the Soufan Center. "Autocratic governments are now using these same platforms to disparage demonstrators, divide protest movements, and confuse sympathetic onlookers," the centre said. Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous southern Chinese city and one of the world's most important financial hubs, is in the grip of an unprecedented political crisis that has seen millions of people take to the streets demanding greater freedoms. China's government has publicly largely left the city's leaders and police force to try and resolve the crisis, but behind the scenes online, Beijing is seeking to sway public opinion about Hong Kong, according to Twitter and Facebook. "We are disclosing a significant state-backed information operation focused on the situation in Hong Kong, specifically the protest movement and their calls for political change," Twitter said. It said it had pulled 936 accounts originating in China that were spreading disinformation. Twitter and Facebook are banned in China, part of the government's so-called "Great Firewall" of censorship. Because of the bans, many of the fake accounts were accessed using "virtual private networks" that give a deceptive picture of the user's location, Twitter said. Facebook said it had acted on a tip from Twitter, removing seven pages, three groups and five Facebook accounts that had about 15,500 followers. "Although the people behind this activity attempted to conceal their identities, our investigation found links to individuals associated with the Chinese government," Facebook said.

Google says YouTube campaign targeted Hong Kong protests

Russia's state communications watchdog has asked Google to stop advertising "<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-moscow-acknowledges-mysterious-rocket-explosion-involved-nuclear-workers-242103">illegal mass events</a>" on its YouTube video platform, it said on Sunday.

Tens of thousands of Russians staged what observers called the country's biggest political protest for eight years on Saturday, defying a crackdown to demand free elections to Moscow's city legislature. Multiple YouTube channels broadcast the event live.

The watchdog, Roscomnadzor, said some entities had been buying advertising tools from YouTube, such as push notifications, in order to spread information about illegal mass protests, including those aimed at disrupting elections.

It said Russia would consider a failure by Google to respond to the request as "interference in its sovereign affairs" and "hostile influence (over) and obstruction of democratic elections in Russia".

If the company does not take measures to prevent events from being promoted on its platforms, Russia reserves the right to respond accordingly, Roscomnadzor said, without giving details.

Over the past five years, Russia has introduced tougher laws requiring search engines to delete some search results, messaging services to share encryption keys with security services, and social networks to store Russian users' personal data on servers within the country.

A Google spokesperson in Russia declined to comment on Sunday.

Moscow has a track record of putting regulatory pressure on Google, one of the main rivals of Russian internet search company Yandex.

In late 2018, Russia fined Google 500,000 roubles ($7,663) for failing to comply with a legal requirement to remove certain entries from its search results.

Earlier that year, Google removed a YouTube advert by Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny after authorities complained that the videos violated a law prohibiting campaigning ahead of a vote for regional governors.

Russia's state communications watchdog has asked Google to stop advertising "illegal mass events" on its YouTube video platform, it said on Sunday. Tens of thousands of Russians staged what observers called the country's biggest political protest for eight years on Saturday, defying a crackdown to demand free elections to Moscow's city legislature.

Russia's state communications watchdog has asked Google to stop advertising "illegal mass events" on its YouTube video platform, it said on Sunday. Tens of thousands of Russians staged what observers called the country's biggest political protest for eight years on Saturday, defying a crackdown to demand free elections to Moscow's city legislature. Multiple YouTube channels broadcast the event live. The watchdog, Roscomnadzor, said some entities had been buying advertising tools from YouTube, such as push notifications, in order to spread information about illegal mass protests, including those aimed at disrupting elections. It said Russia would consider a failure by Google to respond to the request as "interference in its sovereign affairs" and "hostile influence (over) and obstruction of democratic elections in Russia". If the company does not take measures to prevent events from being promoted on its platforms, Russia reserves the right to respond accordingly, Roscomnadzor said, without giving details. Over the past five years, Russia has introduced tougher laws requiring search engines to delete some search results, messaging services to share encryption keys with security services, and social networks to store Russian users' personal data on servers within the country. A Google spokesperson in Russia declined to comment on Sunday. Moscow has a track record of putting regulatory pressure on Google, one of the main rivals of Russian internet search company Yandex. In late 2018, Russia fined Google 500,000 roubles ($7,663) for failing to comply with a legal requirement to remove certain entries from its search results. Earlier that year, Google removed a YouTube advert by Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny after authorities complained that the videos violated a law prohibiting campaigning ahead of a vote for regional governors.

Russia tells Google not to advertise 'illegal' events after election protests

Russia accused Google of spreading false information.

WION Playlist: Russia's warning to Google on protest coverage

Wion Dispatch: Ross Cullen on Russia's warning to Google on protest coverage

Donald Trump said that Google worked in favour of Hillary and he is watching google closely. Know more about Trump's latest baseless allegation.

Trump vs Google: Donald Trump attacks Google

This segment of WION brings to you top stories of the morning from across the globe. Watch this video to get updated with the latest information.

WION Speed News: Watch top national and international news of the morning - August 7th, 2019

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-federal-trade-commission-probes-facebooks-acquisition-practices-report-240072">Facebook</a> Inc started adding its name to some screens on its<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/artificial-intelligence-to-help-curb-cyber-bullying-on-instagram-with-pop-up-warning-234138"> Instagram </a>photo-sharing platform this week, one of the first links it has given users to its ownership of the popular platform.

The move comes as the world's largest social media company faces greater scrutiny from regulators around the world for more transparency over data privacy practices and how and with whom Facebook shares user information.

While not immediately visible to users, "Instagram from Facebook" can be seen a few clicks away at the bottom of the settings page in the Instagram app on some iOS devices.

"We want to be clearer about the products and services that are part of Facebook," a company spokesman told Reuters.

Some US lawmakers, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democratic presidential candidate, have pushed for action to break up Facebook, Amazon.com Inc &lt;AMZN.O&gt; and Alphabet Inc's Google.

Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes in an opinion piece in the New York Times in May urged US regulators to split the company into three.

Facebook will also add its name to its <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-asks-rbi-to-confirm-whatsapps-compliance-with-local-data-rules-240210">WhatsApp</a> messaging service, The Information reported earlier on Friday.

Facebook bought Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014, and each is now used by more than 1 billion people.

Instagram has become especially important in adding to Facebook's revenue as the app largely stayed out of its parent's privacy scandals, and it pulls in younger consumers at a much faster rate, attracting more advertisers.

Facebook in July said new rules and product changes aimed at protecting users’ privacy would slow its revenue growth into next year. It also agreed to pay $5 billion to settle a US Federal Trade Commission data privacy probe

The FTC is also investigating Facebook for anti-competitive behaviour.

Facebook Inc started adding its name to some screens on its Instagram photo-sharing platform this week, one of the first links it has given users to its ownership of the popular platform.

Facebook Inc started adding its name to some screens on its Instagram photo-sharing platform this week, one of the first links it has given users to its ownership of the popular platform. The move comes as the world's largest social media company faces greater scrutiny from regulators around the world for more transparency over data privacy practices and how and with whom Facebook shares user information. While not immediately visible to users, "Instagram from Facebook" can be seen a few clicks away at the bottom of the settings page in the Instagram app on some iOS devices. "We want to be clearer about the products and services that are part of Facebook," a company spokesman told Reuters. Some US lawmakers, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democratic presidential candidate, have pushed for action to break up Facebook, Amazon.com Inc <AMZN.O> and Alphabet Inc's Google. Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes in an opinion piece in the New York Times in May urged US regulators to split the company into three. Facebook will also add its name to its WhatsApp messaging service, The Information reported earlier on Friday. Facebook bought Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014, and each is now used by more than 1 billion people. Instagram has become especially important in adding to Facebook's revenue as the app largely stayed out of its parent's privacy scandals, and it pulls in younger consumers at a much faster rate, attracting more advertisers. Facebook in July said new rules and product changes aimed at protecting users’ privacy would slow its revenue growth into next year. It also agreed to pay $5 billion to settle a US Federal Trade Commission data privacy probe The FTC is also investigating Facebook for anti-competitive behaviour.

Facebook begins adding its name to some screens on Instagram

Multinational IT company, IBM &nbsp;fired "50,000 to 100,000" people in the last few years to boost its appeal to the Millenials and look "cool and trendy" like other giants such as Facebook, Google and Amazon.

"50,000 to 100,000 Big Blue staff have been axed in the past five or so years," &nbsp;Alan Wild former vice president of Human Resources said during the deposition in an ongoing case regarding the allegations that IBM discriminates on the basis of age.

Wild also said that IBM wanted potential hires do not see the company as "an old fuddy-duddy organisation," but as "cool and trendy".&nbsp;

IBM is battling a case filed by its former salesman Jonathan Langley who also laid off from the company.&nbsp;Langley in his case alleged that the company is "unfairly ditching older capable staff to replace them with so-called early professional hires".

However, the company denies such a claim and said it does not discriminate on age.

According to a report, IBM fired third of its global workforce while hiring as well at the same time in the last few years. 
&nbsp;

Multinational IT company, IBM fired "50,000 to 100,000" people in the last few years to boost its appeal to the Millenials and look "cool and trendy" like other giants such as Facebook, Google and Amazon.

Multinational IT company, IBM fired "50,000 to 100,000" people in the last few years to boost its appeal to the Millenials and look "cool and trendy" like other giants such as Facebook, Google and Amazon. "50,000 to 100,000 Big Blue staff have been axed in the past five or so years," Alan Wild former vice president of Human Resources said during the deposition in an ongoing case regarding the allegations that IBM discriminates on the basis of age. Wild also said that IBM wanted potential hires do not see the company as "an old fuddy-duddy organisation," but as "cool and trendy". IBM is battling a case filed by its former salesman Jonathan Langley who also laid off from the company. Langley in his case alleged that the company is "unfairly ditching older capable staff to replace them with so-called early professional hires". However, the company denies such a claim and said it does not discriminate on age. According to a report, IBM fired third of its global workforce while hiring as well at the same time in the last few years.

IBM fired 100,000 employees to look 'cool and trendy': Lawsuit

Democratic presidential candidate, Tulsi Gabbard sues Google for $ 50 Mn as Google suspended Gabbard's ad account briefly. Gabbard is a vocal anti-big tech crusader. Google said that the account was suspended due to payment issues. Watch this video to know more.

Presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard sues Google for $ 50 Mn

Tulsi Gabbard is a democratic presidential candidate. Google suspended Gabbard's ad account briefly. Gabbard is a vocal anti-big tech crusader. Google said that the account was suspended due to payment issues. Watch this video to know more.

U.S representative Tulsi Gabbard takes on Google

China's Huawei Technologies laid off more than two-thirds of the 850-strong workforce at its Futurewei Technologies research arm in the United States, after being blacklisted by the government.

Futurewei, which has offices in Silicon Valley and the greater Seattle, Chicago and Dallas areas, said it cut more than 600 jobs. The unit, set up in part to work with universities and researchers, recorded $510 million in operating costs last year.

Huawei is the world's largest telecommunications equipment manufacturers. The US Commerce Department in May placed the firm on its "entity list" of organizations that pose security risks. The Justice Department has filed charges against the firm alleging theft of trade secrets and other crimes.

Huawei said the job cuts, effective July 22, were "due to the curtailment of business operations" caused by the US government's actions.

The trade blacklist has made it illegal for Futurewei to transfer sensitive technologies to its parent. The blacklist also restricts Huawei from purchasing products from US technology companies.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump agreed at a meeting with the heads of top technology companies including Alphabet Inc's Google to make "timely" decisions on requests by US companies to sell to Huawei.

Futurewei began laying off workers on Monday, Reuters had reported earlier citing employees, including one who spoke as he left the company's Silicon Valley campus.

One employee, who declined to give his name, said he had been laid off, as he put a bag full of personal belongings into his car. At least half a dozen staff with boxes were seen leaving the office before noon on Monday.

An employee not affected by the layoffs said work had come to a standstill since Huawei was blacklisted.

"On the 17th of May, Huawei asked everyone at Futurewei to upload everything to the Huawei cloud, right before the ban took effect," that employee said. "After that basically Futurewei has stopped doing any work - almost stopped everything."

Futurewei has filed more than 2,100 patents in such areas as telecommunications, 5G cellular networks, and video and camera technologies, according to data from the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Huawei employed around 1,500 people in the United States including the 850 in Futurewei prior to the layoffs. The rest of Huawei's US employees manage its supply chain, customer support, or service functions such as public affairs.

It had added sales executives and chip certification engineers given plans to enter the U.S. smartphone market.

But its headcount has steadily declined since January 2018, when a highly-anticipated deal to enter the U.S. smartphone market with AT&amp;T and Verizon collapsed last minute due to pressure from the US government.

China's Huawei Technologies laid off more than two-thirds of the 850-strong workforce at its Futurewei Technologies research arm in the United States, after being blacklisted by the government.

China's Huawei Technologies laid off more than two-thirds of the 850-strong workforce at its Futurewei Technologies research arm in the United States, after being blacklisted by the government. Futurewei, which has offices in Silicon Valley and the greater Seattle, Chicago and Dallas areas, said it cut more than 600 jobs. The unit, set up in part to work with universities and researchers, recorded $510 million in operating costs last year. Huawei is the world's largest telecommunications equipment manufacturers. The US Commerce Department in May placed the firm on its "entity list" of organizations that pose security risks. The Justice Department has filed charges against the firm alleging theft of trade secrets and other crimes. Huawei said the job cuts, effective July 22, were "due to the curtailment of business operations" caused by the US government's actions. The trade blacklist has made it illegal for Futurewei to transfer sensitive technologies to its parent. The blacklist also restricts Huawei from purchasing products from US technology companies. On Monday, US President Donald Trump agreed at a meeting with the heads of top technology companies including Alphabet Inc's Google to make "timely" decisions on requests by US companies to sell to Huawei. Futurewei began laying off workers on Monday, Reuters had reported earlier citing employees, including one who spoke as he left the company's Silicon Valley campus. One employee, who declined to give his name, said he had been laid off, as he put a bag full of personal belongings into his car. At least half a dozen staff with boxes were seen leaving the office before noon on Monday. An employee not affected by the layoffs said work had come to a standstill since Huawei was blacklisted. "On the 17th of May, Huawei asked everyone at Futurewei to upload everything to the Huawei cloud, right before the ban took effect," that employee said. "After that basically Futurewei has stopped doing any work - almost stopped everything." Futurewei has filed more than 2,100 patents in such areas as telecommunications, 5G cellular networks, and video and camera technologies, according to data from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Huawei employed around 1,500 people in the United States including the 850 in Futurewei prior to the layoffs. The rest of Huawei's US employees manage its supply chain, customer support, or service functions such as public affairs. It had added sales executives and chip certification engineers given plans to enter the U.S. smartphone market. But its headcount has steadily declined since January 2018, when a highly-anticipated deal to enter the U.S. smartphone market with AT&T and Verizon collapsed last minute due to pressure from the US government.

Huawei's US research arm slashes jobs as trade ban bites

Chief executives from several US tech companies met with President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-to-host-meeting-with-tech-executives-on-huawei-ban-sources-237207">Donald Trump</a> on Monday and expressed "strong support" for policies restricting the use of products from Chinese telecom giant Huawei.

Washington accuses <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/huawei-plans-extensive-layoffs-at-its-us-operations-report-235708">Huawei</a> of working directly with the Chinese government and its intelligence services, which it says could pose security risks -- claims the company denies.

In May, Trump hit Huawei with an executive order that effectively banned it from trading with any US companies, although a temporary license was issued shortly after.

At the meeting were Sundar Pichai of Google, Chuck Robbins, of Cisco, Robert Swan of Intel, Sanjay Mehrotra of Micron, Stephen Milligan of Western Digital Corporation, Steven Mollenkopf of Qualcomm, and Hock Tan of Broadcom.

"The CEOs expressed strong support of the president's policies, including national security restrictions on United States telecom equipment purchases and sales to Huawei," the White House said.

"They requested timely licensing decisions from the Department of Commerce, and the president agreed. The group was also optimistic about United States 5G innovation and deployments," the statement read.

Huawei -- a leader in next-generation 5G wireless technology -- is barred from developing such networks in the United States.

Trump has put Huawei on its so-called entity list, which meant US companies needed a license to supply US technology to the Chinese firm.

Washington has been pressuring its allies to avoid using Huawei for deployment of 5G wireless.

The news comes as The Washington Post reported that Huawei secretly helped North Korea build and maintain the country's commercial wireless network.

The Post, citing internal documents it obtained and people familiar with the arrangement, said Huawei has partnered with a Chinese state-owned firm Panda International Information Technology on projects in North Korea over at least eight years.

By doing so Huawei, which has used US technology in its components, may have violated US controls on exports to the isolated North Korea regime.

Chief executives from several US tech companies met with President Donald Trump on Monday and expressed "strong support" for policies restricting the use of products from Chinese telecom giant Huawei.

Chief executives from several US tech companies met with President Donald Trump on Monday and expressed "strong support" for policies restricting the use of products from Chinese telecom giant Huawei. Washington accuses Huawei of working directly with the Chinese government and its intelligence services, which it says could pose security risks -- claims the company denies. In May, Trump hit Huawei with an executive order that effectively banned it from trading with any US companies, although a temporary license was issued shortly after. At the meeting were Sundar Pichai of Google, Chuck Robbins, of Cisco, Robert Swan of Intel, Sanjay Mehrotra of Micron, Stephen Milligan of Western Digital Corporation, Steven Mollenkopf of Qualcomm, and Hock Tan of Broadcom. "The CEOs expressed strong support of the president's policies, including national security restrictions on United States telecom equipment purchases and sales to Huawei," the White House said. "They requested timely licensing decisions from the Department of Commerce, and the president agreed. The group was also optimistic about United States 5G innovation and deployments," the statement read. Huawei -- a leader in next-generation 5G wireless technology -- is barred from developing such networks in the United States. Trump has put Huawei on its so-called entity list, which meant US companies needed a license to supply US technology to the Chinese firm. Washington has been pressuring its allies to avoid using Huawei for deployment of 5G wireless. The news comes as The Washington Post reported that Huawei secretly helped North Korea build and maintain the country's commercial wireless network. The Post, citing internal documents it obtained and people familiar with the arrangement, said Huawei has partnered with a Chinese state-owned firm Panda International Information Technology on projects in North Korea over at least eight years. By doing so Huawei, which has used US technology in its components, may have violated US controls on exports to the isolated North Korea regime.

US tech CEOs support Trump on Huawei restrictions: White House

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