Ohio sues Google, claims data harvesting giant should be regulated as public utility
The state of Ohio filed suit against Google on Tuesday, claiming the company should be regulated as a public utility due to its "discriminatory and anti-competitive" practices.
The civil action, filed by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost in Delaware County Common Pleas Court, does not seek monetary damages, but instead asks for Google to be declared a "common carrier" that could come under oversight from a body such as the state's Public Utilities Commission.
“Google uses its dominance of internet search to steer Ohioans to Google’s own products — that's discriminatory and anti-competitive,” Yost said in a prepared statement. “When you own the railroad or the electric company or the cellphone tower, you have to treat everyone the same and give everybody access."
Google "has a duty not to artificially prioritize Google services and links higher than they would be displayed as a result of Google's internet searches algorithms in which the algorithm is not programmed to prioritize Google's owed products and services," the suit said.
Unredacted documents reveal how Google tricked users into sharing private data
Arizona’s attorney general sued Google last year over the company’s data collection practices. Some of the documents from the case were redacted.
The unredacted documents reveal that Google went to great lengths to ensure that it could collect location data, that phone vendors helped make it possible, and that users had a tough time figuring out how to prevent sharing their private location data with Google.
The documents also reveal the various methods Google employs to collect user data. This includes Wi-Fi data and third-party apps not affiliated with Google. Users might be forced to share certain data in order to use those apps, or even just to connect their phones to Wi-Fi.
The report says that Google tested versions of Android where it made privacy settings easier to find. Unsurprisingly, users took advantage of them. This was a “problem” for Google, so it fixed the problem by hiding the settings deeper in the menus. Moreover, Google tried to convince smartphone makers to hide location settings “through active misrepresentations and/or concealment, suppression, or omission of facts.“
B
Just wondering before I start a position: Why is GOOG more expensive than GOOGL right now? And which should I buy?
R
Google faces revolt over $50m executive pay packets
Google is facing a shareholder revolt against its executive pay packages after proxy advisers warned against “excessive” perks. Shareholder advisory firm ISS urged clients to vote against the stock plan at Alphabet, the parent company of Google, ahead of its annual general meeting on Wednesday. It said that payouts that included stock grants of $50m (£35m) for finance chief Ruth Porat and legal officer Kent Walker, $66m for business head Philipp Schindler and $55m for vice president Prabhakar Raghavan, were “higher than median total chief executive pay at peer companies.
“The concerns around pay magnitude, limited disclosure of the pay programs and lack of performance-based elements … evidence poor stewardship”. In 2019, Sundar Pichai, Google chief, received an equity grant of $250m
H
Google is the king of all stocks buy and hold to the moon
E
U.K. to Restart Media Regulator Search After Google and Facebook’s Bribery
The U.K. has reset its hunt for a candidate to chair technology and media regulator Ofcom following concerns that lobbying by technology companies may have influenced the recruitment process, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has written to the U.K.’s Commissioner for Public Appointments requesting a fresh start to the process with a new selection panel, according to the person, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private. The successful candidate will helm an influential watchdog to steer the U.K.’s rules around broadband, broadcast, and online content.
Dowden’s decision came after Bloomberg reported that lobbying from Facebook Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google had intensified, intending to block the candidacy of former tabloid editor Paul Dacre. Part of Dowden’s concern stemmed from the strength of the lobbying to the recruitment panel, the person said.
The interview process had been run by DCMS, with a committee consisting of the ministry’s director general Susannah Storey, independent director of Rupert Murdoch’s Times Newspapers Paul Potts, former BT Group Plc Chief Executive Officer Ian Livingston, and KPMG LLP deputy chairman Melanie Richards.
The panel had whittled down applicants to four: Paul Dacre, former culture minister Ed Vaizey, Ofcom’s deputy chair Maggie Carver, and head of the U.K.’s police inspector body Tom Winsor. The restarting of the process will mean new candidates can now apply.
M
Thoughts on the impact of the G7 Global tax deal for Alphabet and Amazon?
T
Everyone who is long in $GOOG has made money 💵 No resistance above!
r
German cartel office opens investigation into Alphabet's Google
The Bundeskartellamt, Germany's cartel office, said it's opened investigations into Google Germany, Google Ireland and Alphabet Google. "An ecosystem which extends across various markets may be an indication that a company holds such a market position. It is often very difficult for other companies to challenge this position of power. Due to the large number of digital services offered by Google, such as the Google search engine, YouTube, Google Maps, the Android operating system or the Chrome browser, the company could be considered to be of paramount significance for competition across markets," said Andreas Mundt, president of the Bundeskartellamt.
The regulator also has opened probes into Facebook and Amazon
N
Over 10,000 women are suing Google over gender pay disparity
Four women who worked at Google have won class-action status to proceed with their gender pay disparity lawsuit, reports Bloomberg. The latest ruling in the protracted legal battle means the suit can now apply to 10,800 women who held various positions at the tech giant since 2013. Those affected represent a broad cross-section of vocations including engineers, program managers, salespeople and at least one preschool teacher.
The women, who are seeking more than $600 million in damages, allege Google violated the California Equal Pay Act by paying them less than their male counterparts, promoting them slowly and less frequently. Female workers at Google earn almost $16,800 less than the "similarly situated man," according to a previous filing in the suit, which cited an analysis by UC Irvine economist David Neumark.
The suit also claims that Google's use of previous salary information was a key factor in its perpetuation of wage inequality. The tech giant discontinued the practice in 2017, but has failed to address its wage gaps, according to the suit. The original suit brought by Kelly Ellis, Holly Pease and Kelli Wisuri in 2017 was tossed out by a judge before being submitted the following year with an additional plaintiff, Heidi Lamar. Ellis took to Twitter today to herald the latest decision as "huge."
The ruling adds to the scrutiny of Google's treatment of women. In February, the company reached a settlement with the Department of Labor over systemic compensation and hiring discrimination at its California and Washington offices.
R
Got a question for the conspiracist theorists that dislike google for moderating their website ( which is a free market move, since its private business)
what u gonna do when they hit 1 trill earnings in 2-3 years? i'm guessing ur gonna google how they did it ;)
R
Judge Denied Google Request to Move State Antitrust Lawsuit
U.S. District Judge Sean Jordan in Plano, Texas, on Thursday denied Google’s request to transfer the case to California, according to a court filing.
The judge said Google had failed to establish that California is a more convenient venue and said that moving it could cause unnecessary delay by combining it with pending class-action lawsuits against the company.
The Texas lawsuit, filed by 14 states led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, is one three government cases accusing the company of abusing monopoly power. The U.S. Justice Department and a group of states are targeting Google’s search business, while the Texas complaint focuses on digital advertising.
Google had argued that the Texas case mirrors lawsuits filed against it in California, potentially leading to conflicting court decisions. It also said California is a more convenient venue for witnesses who might testify at trial.
The states countered that the case should remain in Texas because there are publishers, advertisers and consumers in the state affected by Google’s advertising business. The Texas court also has a track record of moving cases to trial more quickly than the federal court in San Francisco, they said.
S
Zacks: GOOG has outpaced all technology stocks recenty
L
Money losing Google Waymo seeks outside investors
Waymo is talking to outside investors about raising as much as $4 billion in additional capital to fuel its self-driving efforts. And the company has discussed plans to eventually list publicly, spinning out from its parent Alphabet Inc., according to people familiar with the plans. But Waymo must first quell concerns about a recent string of departures that have raised questions about its strategy and the size of its lead in the field.
Since February, Waymo has lost six key executives in rapid succession, including its chief executive officer, chief financial officer and several key lieutenants. John Krafcik, the outgoing CEO, had telegraphed his departure to some although it surprised many at Waymo and others at Alphabet, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the talks were private. Waymo appointed two executives as co-CEOs and is recruiting a new CFO.
These management shuffles come as Alphabet is tightening spending for costlier projects outside of Google. Waymo, born as a moonshot inside the search giant over a decade ago, has long been considered the standard bearer in autonomous driving and last year launched a ride-sharing service with driverless cars in Phoenix. Yet critics have pointed out the company hasn’t delivered on pledges to bring that service to more cities and settled on a commercial model.
“Waymo is stumbling and bumbling,” said Raj Rajkumar, professor of robotics at Carnegie Mellon University. “Right now it looks like it’s moving toward nothing.”
S
GOOGL better than GOOG , it’s cheaper lol 😂 had to represent for my class A holders 😉
S
one word: flying!
f
I don’t know how I ever traded without using (http://Thetraderguide.com)! I look forward to their daily emails each morning that list pre-market movers based on thoroughly researched stock market and world news. I highly recommend anyone who invests in the stock market!
The state of Ohio filed suit against Google on Tuesday, claiming the company should be regulated as a public utility due to its "discriminatory and anti-competitive" practices.
The civil action, filed by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost in Delaware County Common Pleas Court, does not seek monetary damages, but instead asks for Google to be declared a "common carrier" that could come under oversight from a body such as the state's Public Utilities Commission.
“Google uses its dominance of internet search to steer Ohioans to Google’s own products — that's discriminatory and anti-competitive,” Yost said in a prepared statement.
“When you own the railroad or the electric company or the cellphone tower, you have to treat everyone the same and give everybody access."
Google "has a duty not to artificially prioritize Google services and links higher than they would be displayed as a result of Google's internet searches algorithms in which the algorithm is not programmed to prioritize Google's owed products and services," the suit said.
Arizona’s attorney general sued Google last year over the company’s data collection practices. Some of the documents from the case were redacted.
The unredacted documents reveal that Google went to great lengths to ensure that it could collect location data, that phone vendors helped make it possible, and that users had a tough time figuring out how to prevent sharing their private location data with Google.
The documents also reveal the various methods Google employs to collect user data. This includes Wi-Fi data and third-party apps not affiliated with Google. Users might be forced to share certain data in order to use those apps, or even just to connect their phones to Wi-Fi.
The report says that Google tested versions of Android where it made privacy settings easier to find. Unsurprisingly, users took advantage of them. This was a “problem” for Google, so it fixed the problem by hiding the settings deeper in the menus. Moreover, Google tried to convince smartphone makers to hide location settings “through active misrepresentations and/or concealment, suppression, or omission of facts.“
Google is facing a shareholder revolt against its executive pay packages after proxy advisers warned against “excessive” perks.
Shareholder advisory firm ISS urged clients to vote against the stock plan at Alphabet, the parent company of Google, ahead of its annual general meeting on Wednesday.
It said that payouts that included stock grants of $50m (£35m) for finance chief Ruth Porat and legal officer Kent Walker, $66m for business head Philipp Schindler and $55m for vice president Prabhakar Raghavan, were “higher than median total chief executive pay at peer companies.
“The concerns around pay magnitude, limited disclosure of the pay programs and lack of performance-based elements … evidence poor stewardship”.
In 2019, Sundar Pichai, Google chief, received an equity grant of $250m
The U.K. has reset its hunt for a candidate to chair technology and media regulator Ofcom following concerns that lobbying by technology companies may have influenced the recruitment process, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has written to the U.K.’s Commissioner for Public Appointments requesting a fresh start to the process with a new selection panel, according to the person, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private. The successful candidate will helm an influential watchdog to steer the U.K.’s rules around broadband, broadcast, and online content.
Dowden’s decision came after Bloomberg reported that lobbying from Facebook Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google had intensified, intending to block the candidacy of former tabloid editor Paul Dacre. Part of Dowden’s concern stemmed from the strength of the lobbying to the recruitment panel, the person said.
The interview process had been run by DCMS, with a committee consisting of the ministry’s director general Susannah Storey, independent director of Rupert Murdoch’s Times Newspapers Paul Potts, former BT Group Plc Chief Executive Officer Ian Livingston, and KPMG LLP deputy chairman Melanie Richards.
The panel had whittled down applicants to four: Paul Dacre, former culture minister Ed Vaizey, Ofcom’s deputy chair Maggie Carver, and head of the U.K.’s police inspector body Tom Winsor. The restarting of the process will mean new candidates can now apply.
No resistance above!
The Bundeskartellamt, Germany's cartel office, said it's opened investigations into Google Germany, Google Ireland and Alphabet Google.
"An ecosystem which extends across various markets may be an indication that a company holds such a market position. It is often very difficult for other companies to challenge this position of power. Due to the large number of digital services offered by Google, such as the Google search engine, YouTube, Google Maps, the Android operating system or the Chrome browser, the company could be considered to be of paramount significance for competition across markets," said Andreas Mundt, president of the Bundeskartellamt.
The regulator also has opened probes into Facebook and Amazon
Four women who worked at Google have won class-action status to proceed with their gender pay disparity lawsuit, reports Bloomberg. The latest ruling in the protracted legal battle means the suit can now apply to 10,800 women who held various positions at the tech giant since 2013. Those affected represent a broad cross-section of vocations including engineers, program managers, salespeople and at least one preschool teacher.
The women, who are seeking more than $600 million in damages, allege Google violated the California Equal Pay Act by paying them less than their male counterparts, promoting them slowly and less frequently. Female workers at Google earn almost $16,800 less than the "similarly situated man," according to a previous filing in the suit, which cited an analysis by UC Irvine economist David Neumark.
The suit also claims that Google's use of previous salary information was a key factor in its perpetuation of wage inequality. The tech giant discontinued the practice in 2017, but has failed to address its wage gaps, according to the suit.
The original suit brought by Kelly Ellis, Holly Pease and Kelli Wisuri in 2017 was tossed out by a judge before being submitted the following year with an additional plaintiff, Heidi Lamar. Ellis took to Twitter today to herald the latest decision as "huge."
The ruling adds to the scrutiny of Google's treatment of women. In February, the company reached a settlement with the Department of Labor over systemic compensation and hiring discrimination at its California and Washington offices.
what u gonna do when they hit 1 trill earnings in 2-3 years? i'm guessing ur gonna google how they did it ;)
U.S. District Judge Sean Jordan in Plano, Texas, on Thursday denied Google’s request to transfer the case to California, according to a court filing.
The judge said Google had failed to establish that California is a more convenient venue and said that moving it could cause unnecessary delay by combining it with pending class-action lawsuits against the company.
The Texas lawsuit, filed by 14 states led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, is one three government cases accusing the company of abusing monopoly power. The U.S. Justice Department and a group of states are targeting Google’s search business, while the Texas complaint focuses on digital advertising.
Google had argued that the Texas case mirrors lawsuits filed against it in California, potentially leading to conflicting court decisions. It also said California is a more convenient venue for witnesses who might testify at trial.
The states countered that the case should remain in Texas because there are publishers, advertisers and consumers in the state affected by Google’s advertising business. The Texas court also has a track record of moving cases to trial more quickly than the federal court in San Francisco, they said.
Waymo is talking to outside investors about raising as much as $4 billion in additional capital to fuel its self-driving efforts. And the company has discussed plans to eventually list publicly, spinning out from its parent Alphabet Inc., according to people familiar with the plans.
But Waymo must first quell concerns about a recent string of departures that have raised questions about its strategy and the size of its lead in the field.
Since February, Waymo has lost six key executives in rapid succession, including its chief executive officer, chief financial officer and several key lieutenants. John Krafcik, the outgoing CEO, had telegraphed his departure to some although it surprised many at Waymo and others at Alphabet, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the talks were private. Waymo appointed two executives as co-CEOs and is recruiting a new CFO.
These management shuffles come as Alphabet is tightening spending for costlier projects outside of Google. Waymo, born as a moonshot inside the search giant over a decade ago, has long been considered the standard bearer in autonomous driving and last year launched a ride-sharing service with driverless cars in Phoenix. Yet critics have pointed out the company hasn’t delivered on pledges to bring that service to more cities and settled on a commercial model.
“Waymo is stumbling and bumbling,” said Raj Rajkumar, professor of robotics at Carnegie Mellon University. “Right now it looks like it’s moving toward nothing.”
Best balance sheet in world.