Main topic: Concerns about the secrecy surrounding the use of phone hacking technology by law enforcement agencies
Key points:
1. Cellebrite, a company that provides phone hacking technology, asks users to keep its technology and usage secret, raising concerns about transparency.
2. Legal experts argue that transparency is necessary for judges to authorize searches and for defendants to challenge evidence.
3. The request for secrecy has raised concerns about the rights of defendants and the public.
Hint on Elon Musk: This article does not mention Elon Musk.
Google has questioned the motivations of the US Justice Department's top antitrust official in a filing to a district court, arguing that his past clients create an ethical conflict and raise doubts about the government's lawsuit against the tech giant.
Apple executives Eddy Cue, John Giannandrea, and Adrian Perica will testify in an antitrust investigation into Google's alleged abuse of its search engine dominance, despite Apple's argument that it would be burdensome; Apple's multi-billion dollar deal with Google is a key aspect of the case.
The US Justice Department has started a 10-week trial against Google, accusing the company of monopolistic practices in dominating the search engine market through its business partnerships, including with Apple, to ensure its search engine is the default on mobile devices.
Google will face a high-stakes antitrust trial brought by the US government and multiple states, which could have significant implications for the tech giant's dominant search business.
Google faces a trial over allegations of over-reaching its power on online search, marking a significant milestone in the influence of Big Tech; global fuel supply is strained by record-breaking heat, the possibility of a recession is seen as less likely, the G20 summit results in compromise language on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the US Space Force launches early warning satellites to track potential threats from China or Russia, workplace diversity efforts may be affected by the Supreme Court's ruling against affirmative action, frugality pays off for Republican presidential candidates Nikki Haley and Mike Pence, Apple's product unveiling includes the iPhone 15 and new smartwatches, bond traders anticipate further interest-rate hikes by the Federal Reserve, and US retail workers face challenges including low pay and high turnover.
The landmark antitrust trial against Google marks a broader reconsideration of the notion that the internet is inherently open and self-regulating, as regulators seek to prevent dominant technology companies from stifling innovation in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence.
The trial against Google, initiated by the Department of Justice (DOJ), will test the Biden administration's efforts to rein in the power of tech giants and curb Google's dominance in online search, which could have broad implications for other investigations into companies like Amazon and Apple.
The biggest tech monopoly trial in decades, where the US Department of Justice and state attorneys general will argue that Google violated anti-monopoly law through exclusive agreements, begins on Tuesday.
Google maintains a dominant position in the global search engine market with a 90.7% market share, while its competitors like Bing and Yahoo lag far behind, according to data from Similarweb. However, Google is currently facing a civil antitrust lawsuit by the U.S. Justice Department for alleged anticompetitive practices. Bing, despite its AI-powered version, has not made significant progress in challenging Google's dominance.
The Justice Department's antitrust trial against Google began with claims that the company pursued agreements to be the default search engine on mobile devices, while Google argued that its search engine's quality was the primary reason for such agreements.
The U.S. Justice Department objects to excluding the public from court discussions on Google's pricing for online advertising, arguing that it is essential information in the antitrust case against the tech giant.
During the US Department of Justice's trial against Google, the court sealed off two hours of testimony from a Verizon executive, sparking objections from the DOJ over the sealing of important information that is crucial to the public's understanding of the case.
DuckDuckGo CEO testifies in federal court that Google's exclusive contracts hindered the search engine's efforts to become the default for private browsing modes in other browsers.
The Department of Justice was ordered to remove exhibits from its website in the antitrust trial against Google after Google complained that the DOJ was sharing trial exhibits online. Judge Amit Mehta stated that the exhibits are public documents once admitted into evidence, but a final ruling on public access is yet to be made.
The Department of Justice has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google, alleging that the company's billion-dollar deals to be the default search engine on smartphones have created a monopoly, and if the trial is successful, Google may be forced to break up its various businesses.
Apple senior vice president Eddy Cue is expected to testify in court that Apple chose Google as the default search engine on the iPhone because it was the best product and that Apple has revenue-sharing agreements with other search engines, shedding light on Google's licensing agreements and the accusation of monopolizing online search.
A Google executive compared the addictive nature of the company's search engine to that of cigarettes or drugs, as revealed in meeting notes that were initially hidden from the public in the Google search antitrust trial.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella testified during the US government's antitrust trial against Google, warning of a "nightmare" scenario for the internet if Google's dominance in online search continues, as it could give Google an unassailable advantage in artificial intelligence (AI) due to the vast amount of search data it collects, threatening to further entrench its power.
The trial for Epic's antitrust lawsuit against Google, which accuses Google of anticompetitive practices in its Google Play store, is set to begin on November 6th, with a list of 53 potential witnesses including executives from both companies.
If regulators win the antitrust trial against Google, it could lead to significant changes that diminish the dominance of the search engine and open up new avenues for competition and consumer choice in online services.
The New York Times, along with other major news outlets, has filed a motion to make the antitrust trial against Google more transparent, arguing that the current lack of access undermines the public's faith in the justice system.
The U.S. Department of Justice is leading a major antitrust trial against Google, accusing the search engine company of using illegal methods to crush competition and maintain an unfair advantage; if ruled in favor of the government, the trial could result in new online search possibilities for users and businesses and potentially change the way Google operates in the future.
Google is accused of illegally protecting a monopoly in online search through multibillion-dollar contracts and default search engine agreements, harming consumers and advertisers, as the government wraps up its case in a landmark monopoly trial.
Google's "Web & App Activity" privacy check box is being called a "fake control" by an expert witness in an ongoing class-action lawsuit, highlighting the confusion surrounding Google's privacy controls and the company's use of dark patterns.
Google has been concerned about Apple's potential expansion into internet search, and has been working on strategies to prevent it, including developing its own version of Apple's search tool and leveraging a European law to undermine Apple's control over the iPhone.