Daily Archives: November 28, 2021

Apple and Google have been fined 10 million apiece by Italys competition and market authority (AGCM) which has found they did not provide their users with clear enough information on commercial uses of their data in violation of the countrys consumer code.

The regulator also accuses the pair of deploying aggressive practices to push users to accept the commercial processing.

Apple and Google were both contacted for a response to the ACGMs sanction. Both said they will appeal.

Google is accused of omitting relevant information at the account creation phase and as consumers are using its services information the regulator says should be providing in order for people to decide whether or not to consent to its use of their data for commercial ends.

The AGCM has also accused Apple of failing to immediately provide users with clear information on how it uses their information commercially when they create an Apple ID or access its digital stores, such as the App Store.

Its the rather more surprising sanction given Apples carefully cultivated image as a champion of consumer privacy (not to mention the premium its devices and services tend to command vs cheaper, ad-supported alternatives, such as stuff made by Google).

The Italian regulator lumps both companies practices together in a press release announcing the sanctions accusing each one of being especially aggressive in pushing self-serving commercial terms on their respective users, especially at the account creation phase.

For Google, the ACGM notes that it pre-sets user acceptance of commercial processing and also notes that the adtech giant fails to provide a clear way for users to revoke consent for these data transfers later or otherwise change their choice after the account step has been completed.

It also takes the view that Apples approach denies users the ability to properly exercise choice over its commercial use of their data, with the regulator arguing the iPhone makers data acquisition practices and architecture essentially condition the consumer to accept its commercial terms.

Its an awkward accusation for a company that splashes major marketing cash on suggesting its devices and software are superior to alternatives (such as tech made by Google) exactly because it claims to put user privacy at the core of what it does.

In a statement, Apple rejected the ACGMs finding writing:

We believe the Authoritys view is wrong and will be appealing the decision. Apple has a long-standing commitment to the privacy of our users and we work incredibly hard to design products andfeatures that protect customer data. We provide industry-leading transparency and control to all users so they can choose what information to share or not, and how it is used.

A Google spokeswoman also disagreed with the findings, sending this statement:

We have transparent and fair practices in order to provide our users with helpful tools and clear information about their usage. We give people simple controls to manage their information and limit the use of personal data, and we work hard to be fully compliant with the consumer protection rules. We disagree with the Authoritys decision and we will appeal.

The full text of the ACGMs decisions can be found here: For Apple and Google.

The Italian regulator has had a busy few days slapping big tech: Earlier this week it issued a $230M fine (total) for Apple and Amazon over alleged collusion around the sale of Apple kit on Amazons Italian marketplace.

It has also been stepping up investigations of tech giants over a period of years earlier this year it fined Facebook over similar issues with its commercial use of peoples data, while this summer it hit Google with a $123M fine related to Android Auto. It also has an open probe into Googles displaying advertising business.

Other fines from the ACGM in recent years include one for Apple related to misleading iPhone users about the devices water resistance and another for Apple and Samsung for slowing devices.

More here:

Italy fines Apple and Google for aggressive data practices - TechCrunch

As part of an ongoing antitrust investigation into Googles Privacy Sandbox by the UKs competition regulator, the adtech giant has agreed to an expanded set of commitments related to oversight of its planned migration away from tracking cookies, the regulator announced today.

Google has also put out its own blog post on the revisions which it says are intended to underline our commitment to ensuring that the changes we make in Chrome will apply in the same way to Googles ad tech products as to any third party, and that the Privacy Sandbox APIs will be designed, developed and implemented with regulatory oversight and input from the CMA [Competition and Markets Authority] and the ICO [Information Commissioners Office].

Google announced its intention to deprecate support for the third party tracking cookies that are used for targeting ads at individuals in its Chrome browser all the way back in 2019 and has been working on a stack of what it claims are less intrusive alternative ad-targeting technologies (aka, the Privacy Sandbox) since then.

The basic idea is to shift away from ads being targeted at individuals (which is horrible for Internet users privacy) to targeting methods that put Internet users in interest-based buckets and serve ads to so-called cohorts of users (aka, FloCs) which may be less individually intrusive however its important to note that Googles proposed alternative still has plenty of critics (the EFF, for example, has suggested it could even amplify problems like discrimination and predatory ad targeting).

And many privacy advocates would argue that pure-play contextual targeting poses the least risk to Internet users rights while still offering advertisers the ability to reach relevant audiences and publishers to monetize their content.

Googles Sandbox plan has attracted the loudest blow-back from advertisers and publishers, who will be directly affected by the changes. Some of whom have raised concerns that the shift away from tracking cookies will simply increase Googles market power hence the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) opening an antitrust investigation into the plan in January.

As part of that probe, the CMA had already secured one set of commitments from Google around how it would go about the switch, including that it would agree to halt any move to deprecate cookies if the regulator was not satisfied the transition could take place in a way that respects both competition and privacy; and agreements on self-preferencing, among others.

A market consultation on the early set of commitments drew responses from more than 40 third parties including, TechCrunch understands, input from international regulators (some of who are also investigating Googles Sandbox, such as the European Commission, which opened its own probe of Googles adtech in June) .

Following that, the first set of proposed commitments has been expanded and beefed up with additional requirements (see below for a summary; and here for fuller detail from the CMAs Notice of intent to accept the modified commitments).

The CMA will now consult on the expanded set with a deadline of 5pm on December 17, 2021, to take fresh feedback.

It will then make a call on whether the beefed up bundle bakes in enough checks-and-balances to ensure that Google carries out the move away from tracking cookies with the least impact on competition and the least harm to user privacy (although it will be the UKs ICO thats ultimately responsible for oversight of the latter piece).

If the CMA is happy with responses to the revised commitments, it would then close the investigation and move to a new phase of active oversight, as set out in the detail of what its proposing to agree with Google.

A potential timeline for this to happen is early 2022 but nothing is confirmed as yet.

Commenting in a statement, CMA CEO Andrea Coscelli said:

We have always been clear that Googles efforts to protect users privacy cannot come at the cost of reduced competition.

Thats why we have worked with the Information Commissioners Office, the CMAs international counterparts and parties across this sector throughout this process to secure an outcome that works for everyone.

We welcome Googles co-operation and are grateful to all the interested parties who engaged with us during the consultation.

If accepted, the commitments we have obtained from Google become legally binding, promoting competition in digital markets, helping to protect the ability of online publishers to raise money through advertising and safeguarding users privacy.

In general, the expanded commitments look intended to offer a greater level of reassurance to the market that Google will not be able to exploit loopholes in regulatory oversight of the Sandbox to undo the intended effect of addressing competition risks and privacy concerns.

Notably, Google has agreed to appoint a CMA approved monitoring trustee as one of the additional measures its suggesting to improve the provisions around reporting and compliance.

It will also dial up reporting requirements, agreeing to ensure that the CMAs role and the regulators ongoing process which the CMA now suggests should continue for a period of six years are mentioned in its key public announcements; and to regular (quarterly) reporting to the CMA on how it is taking account of third party views as it continues building out the tech bundle.

Transparency around testing is also being beefed up.

On that, there have been instances, in recent months, where Google staffers have not been exactly fulsome in articulating the details of feedback related to the Origin Trial of its FloCs technology to the market, for example. So its notable that another highlighted change requires Google to instruct its staff not to make claims to customers which contradict the commitments.

Another concern reflected in the revisions is the worry of market participants of Google removing functionality or information before the full Privacy Sandbox changes are implemented hence it has offered to delay enforcement of its Privacy Budget proposal andoffered commitments around the introduction of measures to reduce access to IP addresses.

We understand that concerns from market participants also covered Google removing other functionality such as the user agent string and that strengthened commitments are intended to address those wider worries too.

Self-preferencing requirements have also been dialled up. And the revised commitments include clarifications on the internal limits on the data that Google can use and monitoring those elements will be a key focus for the trustee.

The period of active oversight by the CMA has also been extended vs the earlier plan to six years from the date of any decision to accept Googles modified commitments (up from around five).

This means that if the CMA agrees to the commitments next year they could be in place until 2028. And by then the UK expects to have reformed competition rules wrapping tech giant as

In its own blog post, Google condenses the revised commitments thus:

As with the earlier set of pledges, it has agreed to apply the additional commitments globally assuming the package gets accepted by the UK regulator.

So the UK regulator continues playing a key role in shaping how key web infrastructure evolves.

Googles blog most also makes reference to an opinion published yesterday by the UKs information commission which urged the adtech industry of the need to move away from current tracking and profiling methods of ad targeting.

We also support the objectives set out yesterday in the ICOsOpinion on Data protection and privacy expectations for online advertising proposals, including the importance of supporting and developing privacy-safe advertising tools that protect peoples privacy and prevent covert tracking, Google noted.

This summer Google announced a delay to its earlier timeline for the deprecation of tracking cookies saying support wouldnt start being phased out in Chrome until the second half of 2023.

There is no suggestion from the tech giant as this point of any additional delay to that timeline assuming it gets the regulatory greenlight to go ahead.

Read the original post:

Google agrees with UKs CMA to deeper oversight of Privacy Sandbox - TechCrunch

Googles Irish subsidiary has agreed to pay 218m (183m) in back taxes to the Irish government, according to company filings.

The US tech company, which had been accused of avoiding hundreds of millions in tax across Europe through loopholes known as the double Irish, Dutch sandwich, said it had agreed to the resolution of certain tax matters relating to prior years.

Google Ireland said it would pay corporation tax of 622m for 2020, including the 218m backdated settlement and interest charges. The previous year Google Ireland paid taxes of 263m.

In line with a 2015 law, the company, which is part of the parent company Alphabet, promised last year that it would ditch the loopholes strategy, which allowed it to effectively shuffle revenues made across Europe offshore to places like Bermuda, where the tax rate was zero. A Bloomberg investigation showed the scheme allowed Google to cut its overseas tax rate to just 2.4%.

Google did not explain the reason for the back tax payment in its accounts and did not respond to request for comment. In the filing it said only: Subsequent to year-end, the company agreed to the resolution of certain tax matters relating to prior years. This tax liability and associated interest are recognised in the current financial year.

Paul Monaghan, the chief executive of the Fair Tax Foundation, said: There really is a disgraceful lack of transparency around Alphabets tax conduct, especially at the level of the Irish subsidiaries. Stakeholders have a right to know what this Irish corporation tax settlement relates to.

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Investors in particular should be concerned given Alphabets US filings show that it has billions more in dispute with tax authorities around the globe in circumstances where, by its own definition, it has less than 50% chance of winning.

Ireland, which has provided low-tax European headquarters for many of the worlds largest multinationals, initially declined to sign up to an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development agreement for a global minimum corporate tax rate of 15% by 2023, but dropped its resistance to the plan after a change to the text.

The agreement, which has been joined by most of 140 countries taking part in negotiations, is designed to end decades of countries undercutting their neighbours by offering companies lower taxes.

The accounts show Google Ireland Limited made a pre-tax profit of 2.85bn in 2020, up from 1.94bn in 2019. Turnover rose by 2.7bn to 48.4bn.

Read more:

Google to pay 183m in back taxes to Irish government - The Guardian

With so many streaming services taking over our consumption of media, it's nice to have a dedicated media streamer that consolidates all of your subscriptions into a single place and does the job well. As our upcoming runner-up pick, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K replaces the older Streaming Stick+, doing everything the older model did plus a few new tricks. The new Streaming Stick 4K supports all major 4K HDR standards, including Dolby Vision, HLG, and HDR10+, as well as Dolby Atmos audio. The inclusion of AirPlay 2 also makes it a good choice for streaming music and movies from Apple devices as well. The only major caveat is that Roku is currently in a dispute with Google, which resulted in the removal of the YouTube TV app for a long time and may cause the removal of the regular YouTube app soon. But if you're not going to be using this streaming stick for YouTube content, this is an excellent streaming stick to pick up.

Excerpt from:

The 30+ Best Cyber Monday TV Deals from Samsung, TCL, LG, Vizio and Sony - The New York Times

The number of start-ups funded by Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, Google and Apple in 2021 thus far has surged beyond pre-Covid levels. Together the five companies have invested in 57 start-ups this year as against only 21 firms in 2019, according to data from Tracxn. And this year is not even over yet.

The numbers went up in 2020 too FAMGA invested in 32 start-ups last year, a marked increase from the 21 start-ups funded in 2019.

This year, among FAMGA, Google has funded the highest number of start-ups (29), followed by Microsoft and Amazon with investments in 12 start-ups each. Facebook has funded three this year (until November 19, 2021) and Apple has funded one, Tracxn data showed.

Google to double workforce in India in two years: Sanjay Gupta

The number of Indian start-ups that garnered investments from FAMGA this year has also surpassed pre-Covid levels. Of the 57 start-ups funded by FAMGA this year, 10 are Indian firms. This is a jump from the six firms funded last year and the four start-ups funded in 2019.

Here too, Google tops the list Google has funded five Indian start-ups this year, followed by Amazon at three firms, and Microsoft and Facebook with one start-up each. Indias stat has also overtaken Chinas numbers the last recorded FAMGA funding for a start-up based out of China was in 2019 Google invested in Chinas KaiOS an operating system for mobile devices for a Series B round.

The type of Indian start-ups funded by FAMGA this year mirrors the global trend they are spread across different sectors ranging from hyper-local delivery to e-commerce websites to marketplaces to fintech platforms. The list includes Dunzo, a start-up that provides multi-category home delivery services, Meesho, an online marketplace and reselling platform offering various products, DotPe, a firm that provides online ordering and customer engagement solutions for restaurants, and OYO, an app-based aggregator of budget hotel accommodations.

Original post:

Google, Microsoft and Amazon invest in more start-ups this year, surpassing pre-Covid levels - The Hindu BusinessLine