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The U.S. government’s landmark antitrust trial against Google’s search business is nearing its conclusion. Under the Trump administration, the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission started investigating Amazon, Apple, Google and Meta, the parent company of Instagram and WhatsApp, for monopolistic behavior. The government has since sued all four companies — Google twice — in what it says is an effort to rein in their power and promote more competition. Closing arguments wrap up on Friday in Google’s first antitrust suit on allegations that it has a monopoly in internet search. and 17 states sued Amazon, accusing it of protecting a monopoly by squeezing sellers on its vast marketplace and favoring its own services.

Persons: Trump Organizations: U.S, Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission, Apple, Google, Big Tech, Amazon Locations: Google’s

The judge overseeing a landmark U.S. antitrust challenge to Google tried to poke holes in both sides’ cases during closing arguments Thursday, as he weighs a ruling that could reshape the technology industry. Judge Amit P. Mehta was presiding over the first day of closing arguments in the most consequential tech antitrust case since the U.S. government sued Microsoft in the late 1990s. The Justice Department has sued Google, accusing it of illegally shoring up a monopoly in online search. On Thursday, Judge Mehta questioned the government’s argument that Google’s dominance had hurt the quality of the experience for searching for information online. “Certainly I don’t think the average person would say, ‘Google and Amazon are the same thing,’” Judge Mehta said.

Persons: Judge Amit P, Mehta, Judge Mehta Organizations: Google, Microsoft, The

TikTok is back in the cross hairs of Washington, with Republican lawmakers again calling to ban the popular short-form video app amid accusations that it is amplifying pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel videos through its powerful algorithmic feed. In the past week, Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri, asked the Biden administration to outlaw TikTok for its “ubiquity” of anti-Israel content. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida accused Beijing officials of using TikTok, whose parent company is based in China, to spread propaganda to Americans. ByteDance, which owns TikTok, has for years refuted claims that it poses a privacy or security risks. It has also said in recent weeks that the app does not disproportionately promote pro-Palestinian content.

Persons: TikTok, Josh Hawley, Biden, Mike Gallagher, Wisconsin, Marco Rubio, ” Mr, Rubio Organizations: Republican, America, Hamas Locations: Washington, Israel, Josh Hawley of Missouri, sympathizing, Florida, Beijing, China, “, United States

Mr. Biden’s order will be issued days before a gathering of world leaders on A.I. regulation, the United States has trailed the European Union, which has been drafting new laws, and other nations, like China and Israel, that have issued proposals for regulations. Ever since ChatGPT, the A.I.-powered chatbot, exploded in popularity last year, lawmakers and global regulators have grappled with how artificial intelligence might alter jobs, spread disinformation and potentially develop its own kind of intelligence. “President Biden is rolling out the strongest set of actions any government in the world has ever taken on A.I. Vice President Kamala Harris is representing the United States at the conference in London on the topic this week.

Persons: Biden’s, Rishi Sunak, “, Biden, ”, Bruce Reed, Kamala Harris Organizations: United States, European Union, White House, Federal Trade Commission Locations: United, China, Israel, U.S, Ukraine, Gaza, United States, London

Since Sept. 12., the Department of Justice and a group of state attorneys general have questioned more than 30 witnesses as they try to prove that Google broke antitrust laws, in a landmark monopoly trial that may affect the power of the technology industry. The government is now wrapping up its side in the case — U.S. et al. v. Google — setting the stage for the internet giant to mount its defense starting this week. Two prime threads have emerged from the government’s case: what it said Google did to illegally maintain its search and search ads monopolies and how those practices harmed consumers and advertisers. How Google kept its online search dominance goingGoogle paid Apple billions of dollars to crush competitionOn the first day of the trial, the Justice Department said Google had paid Apple and other tech platforms more than $10 billion a year to make itself the default search engine on the iPhone and other devices.

Organizations: Department of Justice, Google, Justice Department, Apple

The NewsMeta was sued by more than three dozen states on Tuesday for knowingly using features on Instagram and Facebook to hook children to its platforms, even as the company said its social media sites were safe for young people. The District of Columbia and eight other states filed separate lawsuits on Tuesday against Meta with most of the same claims. The states said Meta’s algorithms were designed to push children and teenagers into rabbit holes of toxic and harmful content. Features like “infinite scroll” and persistent alerts were used to hook young users, the states said. “Meta has harnessed powerful and unprecedented technologies to entice, engage, and ultimately ensnare youth and teens,” the states said in their lawsuit.

Persons: “, ” Meta, “ We’re Organizations: Meta, Northern, Northern District of, of Columbia Locations: Colorado , Tennessee, Massachusetts, U.S, Northern District, Northern District of California

☆ F.C.C. Moves Toward Restoring Net Neutrality Rules, Igniting Regulatory Fight
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Cecilia Kang | More About Cecilia Kang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Why It MattersBy voting to move ahead with a proposal to restore net neutrality, the F.C.C. The agency will then be able to police broadband providers for net neutrality violations, consumer harm and security lapses. Background: What is net neutrality? Telecom companies have also argued that net neutrality rules could lead to regulatory creep and the regulation of broadband rates. What Critics SayRepublican lawmakers are fighting the move to restore net neutrality rules.

Persons: ” Jessica Rosenworcel, Tim Wu, Barack Obama’s F.C.C, Donald J, Trump, Rosenworcel, USTelecom, Brendan Carr, Mr, Carr Organizations: Netflix, Skype, Telecom, Democrat, Broadband, House Energy, Commerce, Verizon, and, Republican Locations: Columbia, cybersecurity

In a court filing last month, Google argued that it needed its privacy in an antitrust trial that would spotlight its dominance in online search. It was part of a pattern of Google’s pushing to limit transparency in the federal government’s first monopoly trial of the modern internet era. v. Google, enters its third week in court, it is shaping up to be perhaps the most secretive antitrust trial of the last few decades. Not only has Google argued for the landmark trial to be largely closed off to the public, but so have other companies that are involved, such as Apple and Microsoft. Apple even fought to quash subpoenas, describing them as “unduly burdensome,” to get its executives out of giving testimony.

Organizations: Google, New York Times, Apple, Microsoft

Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services, testified in Washington that Google’s placement as the default search option on the Safari browser across Apple devices was motivated by quality. “I didn’t think at the time, or today, that there was anybody out there who is anywhere near as good as Google at searching,” said Mr. Cue, who was called to testify by the Justice Department. “Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative.”The Justice Department has accused Google of illegally locking in its monopoly through deals to make its search option the default on Apple, Samsung, Firefox and other platforms. Those partnerships squashed competitors that struggled to get their products in front of consumers, the Justice Department argues.

Persons: Apple’s, ” Organizations: Google, Justice Department, Justice, Apple, Samsung Locations: Washington

☆ C.E.O. of Google Rival Describes Obstacles to Efforts to Compete
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Cecilia Kang | More About Cecilia Kang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Gabriel Weinberg of DuckDuckGo said that Google’s deals to make its search engine the default on browsers and other platforms blocked its ability to compete effectively. DuckDuckGo, with only 2.5 percent of the U.S. market for search, tried to negotiate with other companies to make its privacy-focused search engine a default. But it was continually turned down because of Google’s deals with those tech partners, he said. “We ultimately decided after three years of trying this that it was a quixotic exercise because of the contracts,” Mr. Weinberg said. Executives at Apple, Microsoft and Verizon are also expected to testify in the trial, which could reshape how consumers get information online.

Persons: DuckDuckGo, Gabriel Weinberg, “, ” Mr, Weinberg Organizations: Google, Apple, Microsoft, Verizon Locations: U.S

☆ A Who’s Who of Silicon Valley Will Convene With Lawmakers on A.I.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Cecilia Kang | More About Cecilia Kang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Ever since ChatGPT exploded in popularity last year, Silicon Valley’s titans have been embroiled in a race to be at the forefront of artificial intelligence. Yet in Washington, lawmakers have struggled to keep up with the technology, which they are only beginning to understand. On Wednesday, both sides are set to collide in one of the tech industry’s most proactive shows of force in the nation’s capital. Insight Forum, organized by Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York, along with labor union leaders and civil society groups. The closed-door meeting is the first in a series of crash-course lessons on A.I.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman, OpenAI, Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, Jensen Huang, Chuck Schumer Organizations: Silicon Valley’s, Elon, Tesla, SpaceX, Meta, Google, Microsoft, Nvidia, Insight Locations: Washington, New York

The back-and-forth came in the federal government’s first monopoly trial since it tried to break up Microsoft more than two decades ago. If Google wins, it could act as a referendum on increasingly aggressive government regulators, raise questions about the efficacy of century-old antitrust laws and further embolden Silicon Valley. The Justice Department has filed a second lawsuit against Google over its advertising technology, which could go to trial as early as next year. The Federal Trade Commission is separately moving toward a trial in an antitrust lawsuit against Meta. Investigations remain open in efforts that could lead to antitrust lawsuits against Amazon and Apple.

Persons: Judge Amit P, Mehta, ”, Bill Baer, Biden Organizations: Microsoft, Google, U.S, District of Columbia, Justice Department, The, Federal Trade Commission, Meta, Amazon, Apple

☆ Who’s Who in the Google Monopoly Trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Cecilia Kang | More About Cecilia Kang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A trial to determine if Google abused its monopoly in online search, which begins on Tuesday, is set to lay bare how the internet search giant cemented its power, featuring testimony from top tech executives, engineers, economists and academics. The trial will unfold in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, where a core group of individuals will command the courtroom and direct the day-to-day legal strategies. v. Google:From federal courtJudge Amit P. MehtaJudge Mehta, who was appointed to the bench in 2014 by President Barack Obama, will referee and decide the case in the nonjury trial. In a proceeding last month, he narrowed the lawsuit by the Justice Department and states while preserving the core argument that Google maintained its monopoly in search through deals with smartphone makers that cut out competitors. He received his law degree from the University of Virginia in 1997, a year before Larry Page and Sergey Brin founded Google.

Persons: Amit P, Mehta Judge Mehta, Barack Obama, Judge Mehta hasn’t, Judge Mehta, Larry Page, Sergey Brin Organizations: Google, District of Columbia, Justice Department, The Ohio State Law, University of Virginia Locations: U.S

☆ 2 Senators Propose Bipartisan Framework for A.I. Laws
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Cecilia Kang | More About Cecilia Kang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, and Senator Josh Hawley, Republican of Missouri, plan to announce a sweeping framework to regulate artificial intelligence, in the latest effort by Congress to catch up with the technology. The lawmakers plan to highlight their proposals in an A.I. hearing on Tuesday, which will feature Brad Smith, Microsoft’s president, and William Dally, the chief scientist for the A.I. Mr. Blumenthal and Mr. Hawley plan to introduce bills from the framework. On Wednesday, top tech executives including Elon Musk, Microsoft’s Satya Nadella and OpenAI’s Sam Altman will meet with the Senate leader, Chuck Schumer, and other lawmakers in a separate closed-door meeting on A.I.

Persons: Richard Blumenthal, Josh Hawley, Brad Smith, William Dally, Blumenthal, Hawley, Elon Musk, Satya Nadella, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Chuck Schumer Organizations: Nvidia, Mr, Elon Locations: Connecticut, Republican, Missouri

The Justice Department has spent three years over two presidential administrations building the case that Google illegally abused its power over online search to throttle competition. The case — U.S. et al v. Google — is the federal government’s first monopoly trial of the modern internet era, as a generation of tech companies has come to wield immense influence over commerce, information, public discourse, entertainment and labor. Such a consequential case over tech power has not unfolded since the Justice Department took Microsoft to court in 1998 for antitrust violations. But since then, companies like Google, Apple, Amazon and Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, have woven themselves into people’s lives to an even greater degree. Any ruling from the trial could have broad ripple effects, slowing down or potentially dismantling the largest internet companies after decades of unbridled growth.

Organizations: Google, District, Columbia, Justice Department, Microsoft, Apple Locations: U.S

☆ Tech Chiefs to Gather in Washington Next Month on A.I. Regulations
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Cecilia Kang | More About Cecilia Kang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

insight forums” are closed-door listening sessions for lawmakers as they try to craft regulations for A.I. Mr. Schumer, the majority leader, said the sessions were intended to educate members of Congress on the risks posed by A.I. To influence the debate, some tech chiefs have voiced their views on A.I. Last month, the White House announced that Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and Meta had agreed to voluntary safeguards around their A.I. Mr. Schumer said he would host forums to learn about the risks and potential opportunities of A.I.

Persons: Chuck Schumer, Elon Musk, Sundar Pichai, Sam Altman, OpenAI, Satya Nadella, Jensen Huang, Eric Schmidt, Schumer, A.I, Axios, Altman, Musk Organizations: Elon, Tesla, Google, Microsoft, Nvidia, Capitol, Lawmakers, White House, Meta, IBM, A.I, Mr Locations: New York, Washington, A.I, States, Europe, United States

Indiana now wants to catch up to other places that have landed big chip manufacturing plants. The push is supported by Senator Todd Young, a Republican from Indiana, who was a co-author on the CHIPS Act and has been a leading voice on increasing funds for tech hubs. Companies and universities in Indiana have applied for multiple CHIPS Act grants, with the aim of winning awards not only for chip manufacturing but also for research and development. Those regions succeeded because of their strong academic research universities, big anchor companies, skilled workers and investors. He added that the federal government’s plan to initially put $500 million into tech hubs was too small and estimated it would take $100 billion in government aid to create 10 sustainable tech hubs.

Persons: Todd Young, Biden, ”, Mark Muro Organizations: Republican, Companies, Biden, Indiana, Indiana Chamber of Commerce, Brookings Institution Locations: Indiana, Silicon Valley, Boston

Seven leading A.I. companies in the United States have agreed to voluntary safeguards on the technology’s development, the White House announced on Friday, pledging to manage the risks of the new tools even as they compete over the potential of artificial intelligence. The seven companies — Amazon, Anthropic, Google, Inflection, Meta, Microsoft and OpenAI — will formally announce their commitment to new standards in the areas of safety, security and trust at a meeting with President Biden at the White House on Friday afternoon. The announcement comes as the companies are racing to outdo each other with versions of A.I. The voluntary safeguards are only an early, tentative step as Washington and governments across the world rush to put in place legal and regulatory frameworks for the development of artificial intelligence.

Persons: —, Biden Organizations: White, Google, Microsoft Locations: United States, Washington

☆ In U.S., Regulating A.I. Is in Its ‘Early Days’
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Cecilia Kang | More About Cecilia Kang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Regulating artificial intelligence has been a hot topic in Washington in recent months, with lawmakers holding hearings and news conferences and the White House announcing voluntary A.I. But a closer look at the activity raises questions about how meaningful the actions are in setting policies around the rapidly evolving technology. The United States is only at the beginning of what is likely to be a long and difficult path toward the creation of A.I. While there have been hearings, meetings with top tech executives at the White House and speeches to introduce A.I. “This is still early days, and no one knows what a law will look like yet,” said Chris Lewis, president of the consumer group Public Knowledge, which has called for the creation of an independent agency to regulate A.I.

Persons: ”, Chris Lewis Organizations: White House, White Locations: Washington, United States

The forceful antitrust posture is a pillar of President Biden’s agenda to stamp out economic inequality and encourage greater competition. “Promoting competition to lower costs and support small businesses and entrepreneurs is a central part of Bidenomics,” a senior administration official said in a call with reporters. The agency has accused Meta of buying Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014 to prevent future competition. These so-called network effects have helped companies like Meta and Google maintain their dominance in social media and internet search. The agencies also laid out ways in which mergers involving “platform” businesses, the model used by Amazon’s online store and Apple’s App Store, could harm competition.

Persons: Biden’s, ”, Mr, Kanter, “ Organizations: “, Meta, Justice, Google Locations: Bidenomics, WhatsApp

The Federal Trade Commission has opened an investigation into OpenAI, the artificial intelligence start-up that makes ChatGPT, over whether the chatbot has harmed consumers through its collection of data and its publication of false information on individuals. In a 20-page letter sent to the San Francisco company this week, the agency said it was also looking into OpenAI’s security practices. asked the company dozens of questions in its letter, including how the start-up trains its A.I. The investigation was earlier reported by The Washington Post and confirmed by a person familiar with the investigation. legislation to oversee the fast-growing industry, which is under scrutiny because of how the technology can potentially kill jobs and spread disinformation.

Persons: Sam Altman, A.I Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, San, The Washington Post Locations: OpenAI, San Francisco

☆ F.T.C. Chair Faces Criticism in Congressional Hearing
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Cecilia Kang | More About Cecilia Kang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

During the highly partisan hearing, Republicans accused Ms. Khan, 34, who has carried out an aggressive agenda of lawsuits and investigations against tech companies, of “harassing” businesses. The lawmakers, who repeatedly cut off Ms. Khan midsentence, also ridiculed her for the F.T.C.’s recent losses in antitrust cases and for wasting government resources. “You are now 0 for 4 in merger trials,” Representative Kevin Kiley, Republican of California, said at the House Judiciary Committee hearing. “Why are you losing so much?”The blistering session capped a bruising week that has brought greater scrutiny to the F.T.C. after another judge decided in May against its attempt to block Meta’s acquisition of a virtual reality app maker, Within.

Persons: Lina Khan, Ms, Khan, Khan midsentence, Kevin Kiley, Khan’s Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, Activision Locations: California

☆ F.T.C.’s Court Loss Raises Fresh Questions About Its Chair’s Strategy
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Cecilia Kang | More About Cecilia Kang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Lina Khan became chair of the Federal Trade Commission two years ago on a promise to bring bold action against the biggest tech companies. For too long, Ms. Khan said at the time, the agency had been a weak cop and needed to challenge behemoths like Microsoft, Amazon, Meta and Google in the courts to stem their growing power. But on Tuesday, Ms. Khan suffered the biggest blow yet to her hallmark agenda. That followed a loss in February, when a judge rejected an F.T.C. Ms. Khan’s critics are more emboldened and are speaking out more loudly to poke holes in her take-it-to-the-courts strategy, saying the losses are not even partial wins — they’re just losses.

Persons: Lina Khan, Khan, wanes, — they’re Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft, Google, Activision Locations: America

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