“Microsoft has said the USA should copy Australia’s plan to force Google and Facebook to pay for links to news content,” reports The Register, “and suggested that doing so will help improve social cohesion and strengthen democracy.” But Google has fired back with a statement asserting that Microsoft’s motives are impure. “Of course they’d be eager to impose an unworkable levy…
Tag: sundar pichai
Google To Open Up Its Office Facilities for COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics
Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Monday said the company will make its office facilities available for COVID-19 vaccination clinics, as tech giants aim to speed up distribution efforts in the US. From a report: The company said it’s partnering with the health care provider One Medical for the clinics, which will be opened “as needed” at Google buildings, parking lots and…
Google CEO Criticises Antitrust Regulation
Google chief Sundar Pichai has warned that “regulation can get it wrong” as his firm is increasingly targeted by antitrust moves. From a report: Last week, the European Commission set out new regulation to curb the power of big tech. The Digital Services Act hopes to increase transparency and competition for tech firms. The legislation will force firms, such as Google,…
Google Delays Return To Office and Eyes ‘Flexible Work Week’
With the pandemic still in full swing and the first doses of a coronavirus vaccine just starting to ship in the United States, Google has pushed back the planned return to the office by a few months, to September 2021. From a report: But even as it extends the remote work period for most of its staff, Google is laying out…
Google CEO Pledges To Investigate Exit of Top AI Ethicist
Google CEO Sundar Pichai apologized Wednesday for the company’s handling of the departure of AI ethics researcher Timnit Gebru and said he would investigate the events and work to restore trust, according to an internal memo sent companywide and obtained by Axios. From the report: Gebru’s exit has provoked anger and consternation within Google as well as in academic circles, with…
Google Will Make It Slightly Easier To Turn Off Smart Features
“[I]n the coming weeks,” Google will show a new blanket setting to “turn off smart features” which will disable features like Smart Compose, Smart Reply, in apps like Gmail; the second half of the same prompt will disable whether additional Google products — like Maps or Assistant, for example — are allowed to be personalized based on data from Gmail, Meet,…
Senate Republicans Vote To Subpoena Facebook and Twitter CEOs About Alleged Censorship
Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to authorize subpoenas for Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey to testify about their handling of a recent unverified New York Post article about former Vice President Joe Biden’s son. From a report: Twelve Republicans on the committee voted to authorize the subpoenas and ten Democrats sat out the markup in…
Google To Pay Publishers $1 Billion Over Three Years For Their News
Hmmmmmm shares a report from Reuters: Alphabet’s Google plans to pay $1 billion to publishers globally for their news over the next three years, its CEO said on Thursday. The move could help it win over a powerful group amid heightened regulatory scrutiny worldwide. CEO Sundar Pichai said the new product called Google News Showcase will launch first in Germany, where…
House Antitrust Chair Says Big Tech Abuses Gatekeeper Power
Google, Amazon, Apple and Facebook abuse their power as gatekeepers of the internet, said the head of a House antitrust panel who’s poised to propose legislative changes to rein in the technology giants. From a report: “Each platform uses their gatekeeper position to protect their own power,” said Representative David Cicilline, who chairs a House antitrust panel that’s spent more than…
Google Will Try ‘Hybrid’ Work-from-Home Models, as Most Employees Don’t Want To Come in Every Day
Google is rethinking its long-term work options for employees, as most of them say they don’t want to come back to the office full-time. From a report: Sixty-two percent of Google employees want to return to their offices at some point, but not every day, according to a recent survey of employee office preferences the company released this week. So Google…