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Google ordered to pay $425.7 mn in damages for improper smartphone snooping

A federal jury has ordered Google to pay $425.7 million for improperly snooping on people's smartphones during a nearly decade-long period of intrusions. The verdict reached Wednesday in San Francisco federal court followed a more than two-week trial in a class-action case covering about 98 million smartphones operating in the United States between July 1, 2016, through Sept 23, 2024. That means the total damages awarded in the five-year-old case works out to about $4 per device. Google had denied that it was improperly tracking the online activity of people who thought they had shielded themselves with privacy controls. The company maintained its stance even though the eight-person jury concluded Google had been spying in violation of California privacy laws. This decision misunderstands how our products work, and we will appeal it, Google spokesman Jose Castaneda said Thursday. Our privacy tools give people control over their data, and when they turn off personalisation, we honour

Alphabet expands Google Pixel 10 production in India, plans global exports

Alphabet is in advanced discussions with its current Indian manufacturing partners, Foxconn and Dixon Technologies, as well as potential new suppliers like Micromax-owned Bhagwati Products

US judge orders Google to revamp search engine in monopoly case

A federal judge on Tuesday ordered a major makeover of Google's search engine in a crackdown aimed at curbing the corrosive power of an illegal monopoly, but rebuffed the US government's request to break up the company. The 226-page decision made by US District Judge Amit Mehta in Washington, DC, will likely ripple across the technological landscape at a time when the industry is being reshaped by artificial intelligence breakthroughs including conversational answer engines as companies like ChatGPT and Perplexity try to upend Google's long-held position as the internet's main gateway. Mehta is trying to rein in Google by placing new restraints on some of the tactics the company deployed to drive traffic to its search engine and other services. But the judge stopped short of banning the multi-billion dollar deals that Google has been making for years to lock in its search engine as the default on smartphones, personal computers and other devices. Those deals, involving payments of .

Alphabet, Nvidia in talks to back AI firm Vast Data at $30 bn valuation

New York-based Vast Data builds storage systems for large AI data centres, optimising data transfer across GPUs like those from Nvidia. Clients include major names such as Elon Musk's xAI and CoreWeav

10 years as CEO, $1 billion richer: Sundar Pichai rides Alphabet's AI wave

Alphabet CEO joins the billionaire club as his net worth touches $1.1 billion, driven by a strong Q2 and artificial intelligence-led stock rally; marks 10 years as CEO amid rising capex on cloud and A

Google partners with Chile to deploy a trans-Pacific submarine cable

Google signed an agreement with Chile on Wednesday to deploy an undersea fiber optic cable connecting South America with Asia and Oceania, a first-of-its-kind project that aims to cement the South American country's status as a major digital hub. The Humboldt Cable, envisioned for deployment in 2027, is a 14,800-kilometer (9,200-mile) submarine data cable that will connect Chile's coastal city of Valparaso with Sydney, Australia through French Polynesia. The initiative is being launched almost a decade after it was first proposed in 2016, and six years after the initial studies to determine its feasibility. This is the first submarine cable in the South Pacific, so it's an important commitment", Chilean Transport Minister Juan Carlos Muoz told journalists. Chile, home to one of Google's largest data centers in Latin America, is currently connected to the United States and the rest of the region via an undersea cable. This cable also provides Chile with a longer route to other ...

Google, justice dept face off in climactic showdown in search monopoly case

Google will return to federal court Friday to fend off the US Justice Department's attempt to topple its internet empire at the same time it's navigating a pivotal shift to artificial intelligence that could undercut its power. The legal and technological threats facing Google are among the key issues that will be dissected during the closing arguments of a legal proceeding that will determine the changes imposed upon the company in the wake of its dominant search engine being declared as an illegal monopoly by US District Judge Amit Mehta last year. Brandishing evidence presented during a recent three-week stretch of hearings, Justice Department lawyers will attempt to persuade Mehta to order a radical shake-up that includes a ban on Google paying to lock its search engine in as the default on smart devices and an order requiring the company to sell its Chrome browser. Google lawyers are expected to assert only minor concessions are needed, especially as the upheaval triggered by .

Sundar Pichai's protection costs Google $8 mn in 2024 amid rising risks

Google spent $8.27 million on CEO Sundar Pichai's security in 2024, citing rising threats and global travel as key reasons behind the 22 per cent surge in protection costs

Google's Alphabet sees profit jump 28% in Q1 despite legal, trade threats

Google's profits soared 28 per cent in this year's opening quarter, overcoming the competitive and legal threats that its internet empire is facing amid an economy roiled by a global trade war. The numbers released Thursday by Google parent Alphabet Inc. indicated the company is rising to the challenge so far, but investors are likely to remain concerned about the turbulent times ahead. The Mountain View, California, company earned USD 26.5 billion, or USD 2.15 per share, during the January-March period, up from USD 20.7 billion, or USD 1.64 per share, at the same time last year. Revenue rose 12 per cent from last year to USD 96.5 billion. The results easily exceeded analysts' projections, according to FactSet Research. Alphabet's stock gained more than 3 per cent in extended trading after the numbers came out. The shares had fallen by 16 per cent since the end of last year. Google's first-quarter performance illustrated the continuing power of its long-dominant search engine in a

Google's journey from dorm to search and internet dominance: Check timeline

Here's a look at some milestones in the history of the technology giant, whose parent is now known as Alphabet

Alphabet's AI drug unit Isomorphic Labs raises $600 mn from OpenAI backer

The round was led by Thrive Capital, with participation from Alphabet and its venture arm, GV

Google charged with breaching EU rules, Apple told to open up to rivals

The move by the European Commission came amid tensions with US President Donald Trump who has threatened to levy tariffs against countries which impose fines on US companies

Alphabet to buy Wiz for $32 bn in its biggest deal to boost cloud security

The blockbuster deal will make Wiz part of Google's cloud unit and strengthen the company's efforts in cybersecurity solutions that companies use to remove critical risks

Amazon, Google back pledge to triple global nuclear energy by 2050

It has also become a compelling solution for power-guzzling data centers, with Big Tech firms already having signed multiple billion-dollar deals with utilities

Alphabet, CEO Sundar Pichai get House GOP subpoena on alleged censorship

Biden administration officials said those posts contained dangerous misinformation, but Republicans have argued it was an attempt to censor conservatives' speech

Alphabet's Google urges Trump administration to reconsider company breakup

The US Department of Justice is currently pursuing two anti-monopoly cases against Google

Google close to finalising India sites for first retail stores outside US

Google currently has only five physical stores, all in the United States, which sell its products such as Pixel phones, watches and earbuds

Black History, Pride Month vanish from Google Calendar; backlash erupts

Google faces heavy criticism online after removing Pride Month, Black History Month and Holocaust Remembrance Day from Google Calendar, days after Donald Trump takes office

Google joins troublesome trend, drops its promise to not use AI for weapons

The update came after United States President Donald Trump revoked former President Joe Biden's executive order aimed at promoting safe, secure and trustworthy development and use of AI

Alphabet tumbles after slower growth in cloud business, missed estimates

Quarterly sales, excluding partner payouts, were $81.6 billion, Alphabet said Tuesday in a statement. Analysts had projected $82.8 billion