BRUSSELS, Oct 17 (Reuters) - More than 40 European rivals to Google's shopping service urged EU antitrust regulators on Monday to use newly adopted tech rules to ensure the Alphabet unit complies with a 2017 EU order to allow more competition on its search page.

The European Commission fined Google 2.4 billion euros ($2.33 billion) five years ago and told the firm to stop favouring its shopping service.

The company subsequently said it would treat its own shopping service the same as competitors when they bid in an auction for adverts in the shopping box that appears at the top of a search page.

But in a letter to EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager, the 43 companies - which include British firm Kelkoo, France's LeGuide Group, Sweden's PriceRunner and Germany's idealo - said the proposal was legally insufficient and had not led to them benefitting from the advert auctions.

"The Commission needs to re-open space on general search results pages for the most relevant providers, by removing Google's Shopping Units that allow no competition but lead to higher prices and less choice for consumers and an unfair transfer of profit margins from merchants and competing CSSs to Google," the companies said in the letter seen by Reuters.

CSSs refer to Comparison Shopping Services.

They said Google's mechanism breaches the Digital Markets Act (DMA), Vestager's new rules aimed at reining in the power of tech giants, which will apply in May next year.

"Google's prominent embedding of Shopping Units is a prima facie infringement of the DMA's ban on self-preferencing," they said.

"Considering the unambiguous new legal framework, it is now time to walk the talk. The most paramount case at the heart of the calls for the DMA needs to be brought to an effective end," the companies, from 20 European countries, said.

($1 = 1.0289 euros)

Reporting by Foo Yun CheeEditing by Helen Popper

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Exclusive: Scores of Google rivals want EU tech law used in antitrust case - Reuters

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Google is now distributing Truth Social, Trump’s Twitter alternative – NPR

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Google announced late Wednesday that it would permit the Trump-backed social media site Truth Social to be downloaded through its app store, making the service available to millions of new users. Mary Altaffer/AP hide caption

Google announced late Wednesday that it would permit the Trump-backed social media site Truth Social to be downloaded through its app store, making the service available to millions of new users.

Truth Social, the Twitter alternative backed by former President Donald Trump, is now available for download in the Google Play Store following months of being blocked over violent content.

Google's reversal indicates that it's now satisfied that Truth Social can follow its guidelines. In a statement, Google said Trump's app will remain accessible as long as it abides by rules "to effectively moderate user-generated content and remove objectionable posts such as those that incite violence."

On Truth Social, users compose "truths" much like tweets on Twitter. The platform is dominated by right-wing and conservative voices, with views that can quickly veer into conspiratorial territory.

For months, the app has been available to download on iPhones and other Apple devices, but its appearance on Androids is a significant victory. Google's operating system supports some 70% of smartphones worldwide. In the U.S., where iPhones dominate, about 44% of devices are Androids, according to market research firm StatCounter.

While there are some ways to circumvent app stores, Google and Apple hold gatekeeper power over what apps people can download onto their smartphones.

"With its inclusion in the Google Play Store, Truth Social can now be accessed across all devices in the United States," said Devin Nunes, CEO of Trump Media & Technology Group, in statement. "Today marks a significant milestone in our mission to restore free speech online."

In August, Google said it would not distribute Truth Social on its app store until the platform took down posts that incite violence. The tech giant said the app lacked a system for policing the sort of content that violates Google's terms of service.

Google does not allow apps that contain posts that promote violence or incite hatred against individuals and groups, according to its content guidelines. In addition, Google bans apps that allow posts containing misleading health claims about things like vaccines and conversion therapy.

It is unclear what exactly has changed about Truth Social since August.

Trump and his allies have promoted Truth Social with mixed success since the former president was banned from major social media sites following the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Upon its launch, Truth Social was one of the most downloaded free apps in Apple's App Store, but interest has since declined.

Meanwhile, a special purpose acquisition company, also known as a SPAC, called Digital World Acquisition Corp., that is attempting to merge with Trump's social media company continues to be plagued with investigations from regulators that may completely undo the deal.

The merger now faces a Dec. 8 deadline to complete its stock market listing. If it is not met, Digital World is set to liquidate.

The SPAC has been trying to gain the support of stockholders to extend the timeline to finalize the merger, but it so far has not done so.

While Digital World landed some $1 billion in commitments, some investors have in recent weeks been spooked by the company's misfortunes. In a Securities and Exchange Commission filing last month, the company said investors have pulled nearly $139 million out.

Trump, who is under increasing legal pressure by state and federal prosecutors and lawmakers in Washington, has publicly suggested that he might run for president again in 2024.

Google is now distributing Truth Social, Trump's Twitter alternative - NPR

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MLB Announces Expanded Partnership With Google Cloud To Continue Improving MLB.TV – DodgerBlue.com

Posted: at 10:24 am

Major League Baseball and Google Cloud announced an expanded, multi-year, strategic partnership that will allow for the continued innovation of the sports media products and properties, such as MLB.TV and other media platforms.

Google Cloud has been an outstanding partner to baseball, helping us innovate platforms that provide our fans with exceptional real-time experiences, from Statcast to Film Room, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.

With their leading expertise in everything from data analytics to machine learning, this partnership provides us with an unmatched extension of technological resources. Now we can continue collaborating with Google Cloud as a means of further delivering unparalleled digital experiences for our fans.

MLB will utilize a full suite of Google Cloud products including Anthos, BigQuery, Cloud Armor, Looker and Google Cloud Media APIs to produce live and on-demand video workflows.

MLB will also pilot Google Clouds Media CDN, a modern platform for delivering immersive experiences that leverages the same infrastructure as YouTube. This will help MLB.TV deliver live action, commentary and archival content with performance at the forefront.

The partnership between MLB and Google Cloud is expected to yield improvements in enhanced video experiences, media supply chain agility and personalized fan experiences.

Major League Baseball has been a clear leader in digital media for decades, bringing unforgettable moments to homes, offices and fans across the world for the last 20 years, Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian said in a statement.

We look forward to starting the next chapter of our partnership with the league to further advance its media offerings for years to come by using our data-driven capabilities, AI and ML, and secure global infrastructure.

MLB and Google Cloud first collaborated in 2020, which enabled the league to upgrade its business processes and support next-level fan experiences with Google Clouds extensive data and analytics solutions.

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Santander partners with Google Cloud to help companies simplify their transition from legacy tech to the cloud – rea corporativa Banco Santander

Posted: at 10:24 am

Google Cloud today launched Dual Run, a new product built on top of unique technology developed by Banco Santander.

Madrid, 11 October 2022.Banco Santander is working with Google Cloud to help other companies across multiple industries simplify their transition from legacy mainframe systems to the cloud. Google Cloud today launched Dual Run, a first-of-its-kind mainframe migration service built on top of unique technology developed by Banco Santander.

The Dual Run technology, which will be made available to customers exclusively by Google Cloud, has proven application in the highly-regulated financial services industry, and Santander has begun utilizing Dual Run to bring data and workloads onto Google Cloud's trusted infrastructure. Santander will also take advantage of Googles deep knowledge and tech abilities in the use of cloud and software to accelerate its digital transformation.

In the next few months, Google Cloud will host a series of customer events to showcase their Dual Run service with the help of software developers and engineers from Santander who have been involved in the banks unique technology.

Dirk Marzluf, group chief operating and technology officer at Banco Santander, said: Migrating from legacy infrastructure to modern technology is a key challenge for banks and many other industries. Dual Run for Google Cloud, which leverages the innovation weve developed in-house at Santander, will be critical for the digital transformation of many companies and is a testament to the outstanding technology built by our teams.

Sachin Gupta, vice president and general manager of Infrastructure at Google Cloud, said: Modernizing legacy IT infrastructure represents a significant stepping stone into the cloud era for many enterprises. Migrating mainframe systems to the cloud provides organizations with opportunities to better utilize their data, implement stronger cybersecurity protections, and build a foundation for their transformation. Santanders innovation has helped us quickly respond to the needs of customers running legacy systems so they can begin their cloud journey with confidence and ease.

Category Archives: Google

Mother of ‘Baby June’ searched Google before and after baby’s body found – WPEC

Google honours Hungarian scientist Maria Telkes or Sun Queen on her birth anniversary – The Hindu

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Alphabet, Googles Parent Company, Reports 27% Drop in Profit – The New York Times

India fines Google $113 million, orders to permit third-party payments in Play Store – TechCrunch

Google says Indias antitrust order major setback for consumers and businesses, opens serious security risks – TechCrunch

Exclusive: Scores of Google rivals want EU tech law used in antitrust case – Reuters

Google is now distributing Truth Social, Trump’s Twitter alternative – NPR

MLB Announces Expanded Partnership With Google Cloud To Continue Improving MLB.TV – DodgerBlue.com

Santander partners with Google Cloud to help companies simplify their transition from legacy tech to the cloud – rea corporativa Banco Santander

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