U.S. court sanctions Google for deleting evidence in antitrust cases
2 years ago

U.S. court sanctions Google for deleting evidence in antitrust cases

The Hindu  

Alphabet Inc.'s Google LLC intentionally destroyed employee "chat" evidence in antitrust litigation in California and must pay sanctions and face a possible penalty at trial, a U.S. judge ruled on Tuesday. U.S. District Judge James Donato in San Francisco said in his order that Google "fell strikingly short" in its duties to preserve records. In a court filing last year, Google's lawyers said the company took "robust steps to preserve relevant chats." The lawyers said Google was deleting chat records every 24 hours and "did so even after this litigation commenced."

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History of this topic

Google must face mobile phone privacy class action, possible trial
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Google must face mobile phone privacy class action, possible trial

The Hindu  

Google failed to persuade a federal judge to dismiss a privacy class action claiming it collected personal data from people's cellphones after they switched off a button to stop the tracking, paving the way for a possible August trial. In a 20-page decision on Tuesday, Seeborg said reasonable users could view Google's conduct as "highly offensive," because the company collected …

Google may face lawsuit for collecting data from Android smartphones even after users denied consent
Trending News
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Google may face lawsuit for collecting data from Android smartphones even after users denied consent

India Today  

Google failed to persuade a federal judge to dismiss a privacy class action claiming it collected personal data from people's cellphones after they switched off a button to stop the tracking, paving the way for a possible August trial. In a 20-page decision on Tuesday, Seeborg said reasonable users could view Google's conduct as "highly offensive," because the company collected …

L.A. city officials use disappearing Google Chats. The city attorney is investigating
3 months, 1 week ago

L.A. city officials use disappearing Google Chats. The city attorney is investigating

LA Times  

The Los Angeles city attorney’s office is conducting an internal review of city employees’ use of Google Chat messages that are automatically deleted after 24 hours. The memo said that Google Chat is “off-the-record for direct and group messages” and includes “the ability to chat with external users.” An April 6, 2022, memo from the agency advised city employees that …

Google 'rigged the rules' and illegally dominated online advertising market, says US Justice Department
4 months ago

Google 'rigged the rules' and illegally dominated online advertising market, says US Justice Department

ABC  

The US Justice Department told a federal judge that Google illegally dominated online advertising technology, in seeking a second antitrust win against the company. "Google rigged the rules of the road," said DOJ lawyer Aaron Teitelbaum, who asked the judge to hold Google accountable for anti-competitive conduct and added Google is "once, twice, three times a monopolist." In a separate …

‘Off the record’ chats, messages copied to lawyer: How Google guided employees to dodge antitrust suits for 15 years
Trending News
4 months, 1 week ago

‘Off the record’ chats, messages copied to lawyer: How Google guided employees to dodge antitrust suits for 15 years

Live Mint  

Google's battle against anti-trust suits: In 2008, Google faced increasing antitrust scrutiny over an advertising deal with its rival Yahoo, alongside lawsuits involving patent, trademark, and copyright issues. Google’s Move to Minimise Incriminating Comments from Employees The confidential memo sent out by Google executives revealed the company’s concerns about potential legal challenges. Google's 15-Year Culture of Deletion of Internal Communication …

‘A frontal assault on…’ — tech giant accused of systematic evidence suppression, says report
4 months, 1 week ago

‘A frontal assault on…’ — tech giant accused of systematic evidence suppression, says report

Live Mint  

Over the past year, Google has faced intense criticism for its internal communications practices during three major antitrust trials. Signed by Google’s top lawyer, Kent Walker, and engineering executive Bill Coughran, the memo also announced changes to the company’s instant messaging settings, ensuring chats were automatically deleted unless users manually saved them, adds the report. Further allegations surfaced regarding Google’s …

Google asked employees to destroy evidence for years in bid to avoid antitrust scrutiny: Report
4 months, 1 week ago

Google asked employees to destroy evidence for years in bid to avoid antitrust scrutiny: Report

Hindustan Times  

Search engine giant Google adopted various strategies over 15 years to avoid legal scrutiny over anti-trust issues, a New York Times report has claimed. Phrases like “putting products in the hands of new customers” was also asked to be avoided as regulators might interpret the term to accuse the company of denying consumers a “choice”, the NYT report added. According …

Federal regulators seek to break up Google, force Chrome sale as part of monopoly punishment
4 months, 1 week ago

Federal regulators seek to break up Google, force Chrome sale as part of monopoly punishment

LA Times  

The U.S. Justice Department’s effort to break up Google harks back to a similar punishment initially imposed on Microsoft after a major antitrust trial a quarter-century ago. Besides seeking a Chrome spinoff and corralling of the Android software, the Justice Department wants the judge to ban Google from forging multibillion-dollar deals to lock in its dominant search engine as the …

US mulls Google break-up after landmark monopoly case
5 months, 3 weeks ago

US mulls Google break-up after landmark monopoly case

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Google currently processes 90 per cent of internet searches in the US, which led to a landmark …

U.S. weighs Google breakup in landmark trial
5 months, 3 weeks ago

U.S. weighs Google breakup in landmark trial

Raw Story  

The U.S. Department of Justice said on Tuesday it would demand that Google make profound changes to how it does business and even consider the possibility of a breakup, after the tech juggernaut was found to be running an illegal monopoly. Determining how to address Google's wrongs is the next stage of a landmark antitrust trial that saw the company …

US takes on Google in blockbuster antitrust trial to determine if tech firm holds unfair monopoly in online advertising
6 months, 3 weeks ago

US takes on Google in blockbuster antitrust trial to determine if tech firm holds unfair monopoly in online advertising

Daily Mail  

Google is back in court to answer accusations that it has cultivated an illegal monopoly on the lucrative digital ad market, marking the second attempt by the US government to possibly break up one of the most profitable companies in the world. The new antitrust case is being brought in the Eastern District of Virginia by the US Department of …

Yelp versus Google: An antitrust court fight plays out in San Francisco
7 months ago

Yelp versus Google: An antitrust court fight plays out in San Francisco

LA Times  

For years, Yelp has complained about Google’s practices, alleging that the tech giant placed its own products above competitors in Google search results. “Google’s conduct has injured Yelp through lower traffic, reduced advertising revenues, raising Yelp’s own costs, and impaired network effects that come with fewer new and returning users,” Yelp said in its lawsuit. It comes weeks after a …

US Justice dept considering to curb Google's power following antitrust ruling to address…
7 months, 2 weeks ago

US Justice dept considering to curb Google's power following antitrust ruling to address…

Hindustan Times  

Google was recently found to have violated antitrust laws by unlawfully maintaining a monopoly in internet search, and now, the focus has shifted to determining how to rectify these violations. Justice Department and state attorneys consider significant measures to limit Google's dominance after antitrust ruling. Other potential solutions being considered involve requiring Google to share its data with competitors or …

Google abused its power to maintain monopoly on search, US court rules
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Google abused its power to maintain monopoly on search, US court rules

The Telegraph  

Google abused its power to maintain an illegal monopoly over the online search market, a US judge has ruled. Kent Walker, president of Google global affairs, said the company planned to appeal and said: “This decision recognizes that Google offers the best search engine, but concludes that we shouldn’t be allowed to make it easily available.” The case was bought …

Google loses bid to end US antitrust case over digital advertising
9 months, 2 weeks ago

Google loses bid to end US antitrust case over digital advertising

Live Mint  

By Jody Godoy - Alphabet's Google must face trial on U.S. antitrust enforcers' claim that the internet search juggernaut illegally dominates the online advertising technology market, a federal judge ruled on Friday. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Alexandria, Virginia, denied Google's motion during a hearing, according to court records. Google had argued for a win without a trial, saying …

Judge rather than jury will render verdict in upcoming antitrust trial
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Judge rather than jury will render verdict in upcoming antitrust trial

Associated Press  

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A judge rather than a jury will decide whether Google violated federal antitrust laws by building a monopoly on the technology that powers online advertising. The decision Friday by U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema was a defeat for the Justice Department, which sought a jury trial when it filed the case last year in federal court in …

Google seeks non-jury trial in US ad tech lawsuit, filing says
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Google seeks non-jury trial in US ad tech lawsuit, filing says

The Hindu  

Alphabet's Google in a court filing on Thursday is seeking a non-jury trial in the U.S. Justice Department's lawsuit accusing the advertising and search giant of anticompetitive practices in the online advertising marketplace. Google said the Justice Department's request for a jury trial breaks "with all historical precedent" and noted the department itself has said the technical nature might be …

Google wants judge, not jury, decide upcoming antitrust case in Virginia
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Google wants judge, not jury, decide upcoming antitrust case in Virginia

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The company argues in court papers filed Thursday that …

Google wants judge, not jury, to decide upcoming antitrust case in Virginia
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Google wants judge, not jury, to decide upcoming antitrust case in Virginia

Associated Press  

Google on Thursday asked that a judge, rather than a jury, decide whether it violated U.S. antitrust laws by building a monopoly on the technology that powers online advertising. The company argues in court papers filed Thursday that it’s unprecedented for a jury to decide a federal antitrust case brought by the government. The right to a jury trial, based …

Google faces second day of closing arguments in US antitrust trial
10 months, 4 weeks ago

Google faces second day of closing arguments in US antitrust trial

Hindustan Times  

The U.S. government will lay out its antitrust case against Alphabet's Google on Friday in a second day of closing arguments focused on accusations that the online search leader broke the law to stay on top in search advertising. The largest US antitrust trial since regulators went after Microsoft a quarter century ago is set to resume with government and …

Google Ready to Delete Secret Chrome Browsing Data Of Billions Of Users: Know More
11 months, 4 weeks ago

Google Ready to Delete Secret Chrome Browsing Data Of Billions Of Users: Know More

News 18  

– Google agreed to destroy billions of data records to settle a lawsuit claiming it secretly tracked the internet use of people who thought they were browsing privately. The class action began in 2020, covering millions of Google users who used private browsing since June 1, 2016. Users alleged that Google's analytics, cookies and apps let the Alphabet unit improperly …

Why is Google on trial in the United States? | Explained
1 year, 6 months ago

Why is Google on trial in the United States? | Explained

The Hindu  

The story so far: On September 12, Justice Amit Mehta of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia started hearing what is being described as the most important case about the future of the Internet. The key allegation against Google is that its “arrangements” with Apple and other companies to be the default search engine on their devices, …

United States takes on Google in biggest tech monopoly trial of 21st century
1 year, 6 months ago

United States takes on Google in biggest tech monopoly trial of 21st century

NPR  

United States takes on Google in biggest tech monopoly trial of 21st century Enlarge this image toggle caption Leon Neal/Getty Images Leon Neal/Getty Images The United States government is taking on one of the world's most powerful companies: Google. The Justice Department's case hinges on claims that Google illegally orchestrated its business dealings, so that it's the first search engine …

US takes on Google in landmark antitrust trial
1 year, 6 months ago

US takes on Google in landmark antitrust trial

The Hindu  

Google faces its biggest ever legal challenge in a Washington court on Tuesday, as it fends off accusations from the US government that it acted unlawfully to build its overwhelming dominance of online search. The trial is the biggest US antitrust case against a big tech company since the same department took on Microsoft more than two decades ago over …

Google antitrust lawsuit 2023: The tech giant heads to court as Biden cracks down on monopolies
1 year, 6 months ago

Google antitrust lawsuit 2023: The tech giant heads to court as Biden cracks down on monopolies

The Telegraph  

Why is Google on trial? For the first time in decades, its search engine is under threat, not from a traditional competitor, but from artificial intelligence chatbots such as ChatGPT that could replace the cascade of links that Google’s search engine offers with concise and precise answers. The Justice Department argues that Google’s dominance – accounting for nine in 10 …

Google fails to end $5 billion consumer privacy lawsuit
1 year, 7 months ago

Google fails to end $5 billion consumer privacy lawsuit

The Hindu  

August 09, 2023 10:24 am | Updated 10:24 am IST A U.S. judge rejected Google's bid to dismiss a lawsuit claiming it invaded the privacy of millions of people by secretly tracking their internet use. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers on Monday said she could not find that users consented to letting Google collect information about what they viewed …

Judge allows key U.S. antitrust Google search claims to go to trial
1 year, 7 months ago

Judge allows key U.S. antitrust Google search claims to go to trial

The Hindu  

A U.S. judge hearing the Justice Department's antitrust lawsuit accusing Google of unlawfully maintaining monopolies in the internet search market let stand key claims made by the federal government. U.S. Judge Amit Mehta in Washington in a decision made public on Friday granted Google's request on some grounds but allowed the remainder of the claims to proceed to trial next …

Google Faces Class-Action Lawsuit Over Allegedly Misusing Internet Data To Train Its AI Systems
1 year, 8 months ago

Google Faces Class-Action Lawsuit Over Allegedly Misusing Internet Data To Train Its AI Systems

ABP News  

A proposed class action lawsuit was filed against Google, accusing the company of misusing personal information and copyrighted material to train its artificial intelligence systems. In response, Google's general counsel, Halimah DeLaine Prado, clarified that the company has long been transparent about its use of data from public sources, such as openly available information and public datasets, to responsibly train …

Lawyers submitted bogus case law created by ChatGPT. A judge fined them $5,000
1 year, 9 months ago

Lawyers submitted bogus case law created by ChatGPT. A judge fined them $5,000

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — A federal judge on Thursday imposed $5,000 fines on two lawyers and a law firm in an unprecedented instance in which ChatGPT was blamed for their submission of fictitious legal research in an aviation injury claim. “But existing rules impose a gatekeeping role on attorneys to ensure the accuracy of their filings.” The judge said the lawyers …

Today’s Cache | Chatbots and mental health; Google infringed patents; Tech companies allege unfair cloud practices
1 year, 9 months ago

Today’s Cache | Chatbots and mental health; Google infringed patents; Tech companies allege unfair cloud practices

The Hindu  

Chatbots and mental health The increasing use of mental health chatbots powered by AI, due to stretched resources, is proving to be a double-edged sword. While some mental health counselors say that chatbots might simulate empathy when dealing with users, it’s not the same as real human empathy, a 2023 study by the American JAMA internal medicine journal found that …

Google hit with $15 million verdict in U.S. trial over audio patents
1 year, 9 months ago

Google hit with $15 million verdict in U.S. trial over audio patents

The Hindu  

Alphabet's Google must pay patent holding company Personal Audio LLC $15.1 million for infringing two patents related to audio software, a Delaware federal jury said in a verdict made public on Wednesday. Personal Audio had argued that Google's music app Google Play Music featured playlist downloading, navigation and editing features that violated its patent rights. A spokesperson for Personal Audio's …

Right To Be Forgotten | Kerala High Court Refuses To Expunge Remarks Suggesting Google To Use AI Tools To Remove Identifiers From Judgments Online
1 year, 11 months ago

Right To Be Forgotten | Kerala High Court Refuses To Expunge Remarks Suggesting Google To Use AI Tools To Remove Identifiers From Judgments Online

Live Law  

The Kerala High Court recently refused to expunge remarks from its Right to be Forgotten judgment, whereby it was opined that Google is not 'content blind' and it cannot shirk liability to remove judgments and content disclosing personal details of parties.The Division Bench comprising Justice A. Muhamed Mustaque and Justice Shoba Annamma Eapen dismissed the petition filed by the search. …

U.S. court sanctions Google in privacy case, company's second legal setback in days
2 years ago

U.S. court sanctions Google in privacy case, company's second legal setback in days

The Hindu  

A U.S. court has sanctioned Google LLC for a second time in recent days, after a judge in a decision unsealed on Wednesday said the Alphabet Inc. unit took too long to comply with a ruling last year in a data-privacy class action. The order from U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan van Keulen in San Jose, California, stems from a class …

Alphabet seeks dismissal of U.S. antitrust lawsuit over Google's online ads
2 years ago

Alphabet seeks dismissal of U.S. antitrust lawsuit over Google's online ads

The Hindu  

Google parent Alphabet asked a U.S. federal judge on Monday to dismiss a Justice Department lawsuit alleging that the search giant illegally abused its dominance of online advertising. "In the more than three years that it has been investigating Google's ad tech business, the United States has received more than two million documents from Google and taken over thirty depositions …

Google denies destroying 'chat' evidence in U.S. antitrust lawsuit
2 years ago

Google denies destroying 'chat' evidence in U.S. antitrust lawsuit

The Hindu  

Alphabet Inc.'s Google has denied intentionally destroying evidence in the U.S. Justice Department's antitrust lawsuit over the company's search business, in a response to the government's bid for sanctions in federal court. The Justice Department last month alleged Google failed to preserve certain internal corporate "chat" communications. Mehta last year denied an earlier Justice Department bid for sanctions against Google …

Google 'Incognito' users lose appeal to sue for damages as class
2 years ago

Google 'Incognito' users lose appeal to sue for damages as class

The Hindu  

Consumers suing Alphabet Inc.'s Google LLC over its data collection practices have lost their early appeal to pursue money damages as a class action seeking billions of dollars. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco on Wednesday rejected the plaintiffs' bid to appeal a lower court decision last year that denied class action status for money damages claims against Google. …

U.S. Justice Dept accuses Google of evidence destruction in antitrust case
2 years, 1 month ago

U.S. Justice Dept accuses Google of evidence destruction in antitrust case

The Hindu  

U.S. Justice Department lawyers say that Alphabet Inc.'s Google destroyed internal corporate communications and have asked a federal judge to sanction the company as part of the government's antitrust case over its search business. The DOJ asserted in a court filing unsealed in a Washington D.C. federal court on Thursday that Google failed to timely suspend a policy allowing the …

U.S. Justice Department escalates Apple probe
2 years, 1 month ago

U.S. Justice Department escalates Apple probe

The Hindu  

The U.S. Justice Department has in recent months escalated its long-running antitrust probe on Apple Inc., the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Reuters previously reported the Justice Department opened an antitrust probe into Apple in 2019 to review whether technology giants were using their size to act in an anti-competitive manner. Last month, …

US sues Google over dominance of online ad market
2 years, 2 months ago

US sues Google over dominance of online ad market

Hindustan Times  

The US Justice Department sued Google on Tuesday for its dominance of the online advertising market, launching a fresh legal battle against the California-based tech giant. US sues Google over dominance of online ad market The federal antitrust suit accused Google of unlawfully maintaining a monopoly that had "corrupted legitimate competition in the ad tech industry." "In pursuit of outsized …

U.S. strikes deal with Google over search warrant data loss
2 years, 5 months ago

U.S. strikes deal with Google over search warrant data loss

The Hindu  

The U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday it reached an agreement with Alphabet Inc.'s Google resolving a dispute with the search engine giant over the loss of data responsive to a 2016 search warrant. The government said it was a "first-of-its-kind resolution" that would result in Google reforming "its legal process compliance program to ensure timely and complete responses to …

U.S. judge in Google case seeks more information on attorney-client privilege
2 years, 11 months ago

U.S. judge in Google case seeks more information on attorney-client privilege

The Hindu  

The federal judge hearing the U.S. Justice Department's antitrust lawsuit against Alphabet's Google asked for more information on Tuesday before deciding if he will sanction the search and advertising company for allegedly abusing attorney-client privilege. The department had asked for the sanction based on Google's "Communicate with Care" programme, which asked employees to add a lawyer to many emails. Judge …

U.S. asks judge to sanction Google in pretrial document fight
3 years ago

U.S. asks judge to sanction Google in pretrial document fight

The Hindu  

The U.S. Justice Department, which has accused Alphabet Inc's Google of breaking antitrust law in its search business, asked a judge to find that the company abused an attorney-client privilege designation to avoid turning over documents. In a court filing, the Justice Department asked for Google to be sanctioned for creating a "Communicate with Care" program that trains workers to …

Google asks judge to dismiss most of Texas antitrust lawsuit
3 years, 2 months ago

Google asks judge to dismiss most of Texas antitrust lawsuit

The Hindu  

Alphabet Inc's Google asked a federal judge on Friday to dismiss the majority of an antitrust lawsuit filed by Texas and other states that accused the search giant of abusing its dominance of the online advertising market. Google said in its court filing that the states failed to show that it illegally worked with Facebook, now Meta, to counter "header …

Google is paying Apple to stay out of the search business, a lawsuit alleges
3 years, 2 months ago

Google is paying Apple to stay out of the search business, a lawsuit alleges

The Hindu  

A lawsuit filed in California complained that Google is paying Apple to stay out of the search engine business. The complaint stated that Google would share it's search profits with Apple and also make multi-billion-dollar payments towards Apple for not competing in the search business, according to a release by Alioto, a law firm participating in the lawsuit. In return, …

Google, in fight against record EU fine, slams regulators for ignoring Apple
3 years, 6 months ago

Google, in fight against record EU fine, slams regulators for ignoring Apple

The Hindu  

Alphabet unit Google on Monday criticised EU antitrust regulators for ignoring rival Apple as it launched a bid to get Europe's second-highest court to annul a record 4.34-billion euro fine related to its Android operating system. "The Commission shut its eyes to the real competitive dynamic in this industry, that between Apple and Android," Google's lawyer Matthew Pickford told the …

Google’s digital ads business could face lawsuit
3 years, 6 months ago

Google’s digital ads business could face lawsuit

The Hindu  

The U.S. Justice Department is readying a second monopoly lawsuit against Alphabet Inc-owned Google over the internet search giant's digital advertising business, Bloomberg Newsreported on Wednesday, citing a person familiar with the matter. The Justice Department sued Google in October, accusing the $1 trillion company of illegally using its market muscle to hobble rivals. A lawsuit by 38 U.S. states …

Google must face shareholder lawsuit claiming it hid security risks
3 years, 9 months ago

Google must face shareholder lawsuit claiming it hid security risks

The Hindu  

A U.S. appeals court on Wednesday revived a lawsuit in which shareholders of Google parent Alphabet Inc accused the company of fraudulently concealing security vulnerabilities, including in its Google+social network. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco said the lawsuit raised a "strong inference" that Alphabet's then-Chief Executive Larry Page and his successor, Sundar Pichai, knew about the bugs and …

U.S. judge dismisses advertisers' antitrust claims against Google
3 years, 10 months ago

U.S. judge dismisses advertisers' antitrust claims against Google

The Hindu  

A U.S. judge on Thursday dismissed antitrust claims against Alphabet Inc's Google brought by a group of advertisers, but offered them a chance to try again after addressing what she called "serious concerns." The ruling by District Judge Beth Labson Freeman in San Jose, California, marks one of the first major decisions in a spate of antitrust cases filed against …

Google asks U.S. judge to move states’ antitrust lawsuit to California
4 years, 2 months ago

Google asks U.S. judge to move states’ antitrust lawsuit to California

The Hindu  

Alphabet Inc's Google has asked a U.S. judge in Texas to transfer an antitrust lawsuit filed by 10 states in December to a court in California, a state that has more relevant witnesses and documents needed by the company, it said. In December, Texas and nine other states sued Google LLC in a U.S. court in Sherman, Texas, accusing the …

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