Government & Policy

UK’s privacy watchdog takes credit for rise of ‘consent or pay’

The UK’s data protection watchdog claims a crack down on websites that don’t ask for consent from visitors to track and profile their activity for ad targeting is bearing fruit. However it’s admitted some of the changes driven by the intervention have seen sites adopting a controversial type of paywall that demands users pay a […]

UK’s privacy watchdog takes credit for rise of ‘consent or pay’ Read More »

Alternative app stores will be allowed on Apple iPad in the EU from September 16

It was a matter of time, but Apple is going to allow third-party app stores on the iPad starting next week, on September 16. This change will occur with the next major release of iPadOS, the operating system specifically designed for the iPad. The move is related to the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA),

Alternative app stores will be allowed on Apple iPad in the EU from September 16 Read More »

Bad credits: consumer group files EU suit over ‘manipulative’ payments in games like Fortnite and Minecraft, calls for a ban

Video games are some of most lucrative apps in the world, thanks in part because of how they lure people into spending money on credits to play games and buy digital goods, to the tune of more than $50 billion annually worldwide. But a powerful consumer group in Europe believes games publishers are “purposefully tricking

Bad credits: consumer group files EU suit over ‘manipulative’ payments in games like Fortnite and Minecraft, calls for a ban Read More »

SpaceX calls out “superfluous” regulatory delays holding up Starship flights

SpaceX has put on its most public and aggressive offensive against regulators to date, with a blog post published Tuesday urging more expeditious launch licensing — lest the country lose its place as the leader in the global space race.  Orbital launch is a tightly regulated industry governed chiefly by the Federal Aviation Administration, though

SpaceX calls out “superfluous” regulatory delays holding up Starship flights Read More »

Google loses appeal against EU’s €2.4B Shopping antitrust decision, as bloc also wins Apple state aid appeal

Google has once again lost in its bid to overturn a 2017 antitrust decision by the European Commission. The bloc found its shopping comparison service had broken competition rules — hitting Alphabet, Google’s parent, with an at-the-time record-breaking €2.42 billion penalty (around $2.7 billion at current exchange rates) and ordering changes to how it operates

Google loses appeal against EU’s €2.4B Shopping antitrust decision, as bloc also wins Apple state aid appeal Read More »

U.S., China and other nations convene in Seoul for summit on AI use in military

More than 90 nations, including the U.S. and China, will convene at a two-day summit in Seoul starting Monday to attempt to establish a blueprint for the use of AI in the military. As Reuters reports, participants hope to establish minimum guardrails and suggest principles for “responsible” AI deployment aligned with NATO principles. The summit

U.S., China and other nations convene in Seoul for summit on AI use in military Read More »

Telegram reportedly ‘inundated’ with illegal and extremist activity

A New York Times analysis of more than 3.2 million Telegram messages from 16,000 channels found that the messaging platform has been “inundated” with illegal and extremist activity. Specifically, The Times found 1,500 channels operated by white supremacists, two dozen channels selling weapons, and at least 22 channels where MDMA, cocaine, heroin and other drugs were

Telegram reportedly ‘inundated’ with illegal and extremist activity Read More »

Google to receive punishment for search monopoly by next August, says judge

A federal judge says he will deliver a punishment in Google’s antitrust case by August 2025, according to The New York Times, after ruling earlier this month that Google had abused its monopoly power over the search industry. Judge Amit P. Mehta established a timeline for the remedies phase of Google’s antirust trial during a

Google to receive punishment for search monopoly by next August, says judge Read More »

Wealthy Harris donors are reportedly pressing for ouster of FTC Chair Lina Khan

Some of Vice President Kamala Harris’ wealthier donors are informally asking for FTC Chair Lina Khan to be replaced, reports Bloomberg. It’s not really surprising: Her expansive definition of antitrust enforcement has countless industries frantic, and the largest corporations opposed her appointment from the start. Khan’s FTC, which has opposed mergers that would have been

Wealthy Harris donors are reportedly pressing for ouster of FTC Chair Lina Khan Read More »

Google faces provisional antitrust charges in UK for ‘self-preferencing’ its ad exchange

More antitrust woes for Google. The U.K’.s competition watchdog said on Friday that it suspects the company of adtech antitrust abuses. The tech giant will now have a chance to respond to the provisional findings before the regulator reaches a final decision. Confirmed violations of U.K. competition law can lead to corrective orders and fines

Google faces provisional antitrust charges in UK for ‘self-preferencing’ its ad exchange Read More »