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10 News @ 5

Watch 10 News for the latest local, statewide and national news, as well as the forecast from Your Local Weather Authority.

A frost advisory in effect for Rockbridge Region

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10 News @ 5

A frost advisory in effect for Rockbridge Region

SUNDAR PICHAI


Google CEO defends desk-sharing policy, says some offices are like a 'ghost town'

In responding to employee criticism of Google's new desk-sharing policy for the cloud unit, CEO Sundar Pichai reminded staffers that real estate is pricey.

cnbc.com

Google execs tell employees in testy all-hands meeting that Bard A.I. isn't just about search

After rolling out Bard as an AI service largely for search, Google executives appear to be pivoting away from that focus without providing specific use cases.

cnbc.com

Google asks employees to rewrite Bard's bad responses, says the A.I. 'learns best by example'

As Google races to get its artificial intelligence search tool up to speed, it wants employees to flag incorrect answers and even to rewrite them.

cnbc.com

GOP subpoenas tech CEOs as part of probe into censorship

Subpoenas have been sent to the chief executives of the five largest tech companies as congressional Republicans moved to investigate what they assert is widespread corporate censorship of conservative voices House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan issued the subpoenas Wednesday as the latest in a series of escalations by a party that has long promised to investigate Big Tech’s content moderation.

Google CEO tells employees some of company's top products 'were not first to market' as A.I. pressure mounts

Google leadership has faced criticism of late for its slow response to ChatGPT and emerging competition from Microsoft.

cnbc.com

House Judiciary Committee chair Jim Jordan subpoenas big tech CEOs over user speech

House Republicans have been trying to glean information from the biggest tech companies for months.

cbsnews.com

Google employees slam CEO Sundar Pichai for ‘rushed’ Bard announcement

In addition to a slide in its stock, Alphabet faces criticism from employees following the announcement of its ChatGPT competitor this week.

cnbc.com

Google-parent Alphabet rolls out chatbot "Bard," its answer to ChatGPT

AI tool can help users decide which instrument to learn or explain complex topics, according to CEO Sundar Pichai.

cbsnews.com

Google hopes 'Bard' will outsmart ChatGPT, Microsoft in AI

Google is girding for a battle of wits in the field of artificial intelligence with “Bard.”.

Google CEO issues rallying cry in internal memo: All hands on deck to test ChatGPT competitor Bard

The escalation in urgency comes as the company ups its rivalry with Microsoft-backed OpenAI, whose ChatGPT chatbot took the internet by storm.

cnbc.com

Google answers ChatGPT with its own chatbot

Google's rivals are charging ahead on public releasing AI-driven chatbots. Now the company says it will "soon" make its own available to anyone

washingtonpost.com

Google announces Bard A.I. in response to ChatGPT

It comes as the company tries to compete with the popularity of ChatGPT.

cnbc.com

Google CEO promises new AI features are coming to search 'very soon' amid competition from ChatGPT

Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai talked up the company's artificial intelligence projects during its Q4 2022 earnings call.

cnbc.com

Alphabet set to report fourth-quarter results after the close

Google's core business is mired in a period of slow growth as businesses reel in ad spending.

cnbc.com

Google CEO defends job cuts in animated town hall as employees demand clarity on process

Google executives held a town hall meeting with staffers on Monday after the company announced its largest layoff in history.

cnbc.com

US-India Relations Aren’t Playing Out Like a Bollywood Movie

A simplistic script, and the lack of a strong cast, have undermined US efforts to woo the world’s largest democracy.

washingtonpost.com

Google employees scramble for answers after layoffs hit long-tenured and recently promoted employees

Employees have rallied to find out who's been laid off while demanding answers from leadership.

cnbc.com

Some Google workers who've been laid off earned as much as $1 million a year, report says

The Information reported that the job cuts announced on Friday by Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai also included some high performers and high earners.

news.yahoo.com

Layoffs at Alphabet are the latest sign Big Tech is finally taking steps to manage ballooning expenses

Google parent company Alphabet (GOOGL) on Friday became the latest technology giant to lay off thousands of workers.

cnbc.com

Here are the layoff severance packages Google, Microsoft, Amazon and other tech giants have promised

Laid-off employees across the tech sector enter an uncertain job market. Here's what their previous employers have offered to tide them over.

cnbc.com

Google parent Alphabet to cut 12,000 jobs in latest tech sector layoffs

The decision to makes Alphabet, Google’s parent company, the latest company to announce mass layoffs.

washingtonpost.com

Google to slash 12,000 jobs as tech industry layoffs surge

Alphabet-owned search giant joins other major technology player in axing thousands of workers as the economy slows.

cbsnews.com

Google is cutting 12,000 jobs, as tech industry layoffs widen

"Over the past two years we've seen periods of dramatic growth," CEO Sundar Pichai wrote. "To match and fuel that growth, we hired for a different economic reality than the one we face today."

npr.org

Google to lay off 12,000 people — read the memo CEO Sundar Pichai sent to staff

Sundar Pichai, Google's CEO, said in an email sent round the company's staff Friday that the firm will lay off 12,000 employees.

cnbc.com

Google axes 12,000 jobs as layoffs spread across tech sector

Google is laying off 12,000 workers, becoming the latest tech company to trim staff as the economic boom that the industry rode during the COVID-19 pandemic ebbs.

Google is delaying a portion of employee bonus checks

Instead of paying full bonuses in January, Google is deferring 20% of bonus checks by at least two months, according to documents viewed by CNBC.

cnbc.com

Google tells employees more of them will be at risk for low performance ratings next year

Google has released new details of its performance system overhaul internally, and it shows employees will more easily fall into lower-rated categories.

cnbc.com

Google's management has reportedly issued a 'code red' amid the rising popularity of the ChatGPT AI

CEO Sundar Pichai has reportedly redirected teams to build out new AI products as concerns rise over ChatGPT's threat to Google.

news.yahoo.com

Google execs warn company's reputation could suffer if it moves too fast on AI-chat technology

Google employees ask at a recent all-hands meeting if the popularity of AI chatbots represents a "missed opportunity" for the company.

cnbc.com

From Disney to Target to Boeing, retirement is a thing of the past for CEOs

Bob Iger's return to Disney is the latest example of a CEO trend: older, staying in leadership for longer, with mandatory 65 year-old retirement ages retired.

cnbc.com

Sorry, but it looks like your holiday party is probably going to happen at the office this year

'Tis the season for the last-minute office holiday party.

cnbc.com

A former Facebook exec says an employee at a 'large tech company' once complained to the CEO in an all-hands meeting about the quality of company toilet paper

David Marcus tweeted the anecdote on the same day that Twitter CEO Elon Musk told employees they'd be fired if they didn't work "extremely hardcore."

news.yahoo.com

Google has avoided mass layoffs so far, but employees worry their time may be coming

Google employees say recent actions taken by executives is leading to increased anxiety that job cuts are on the way.

cnbc.com

Alphabet must cut headcount and trim costs, activist investor TCI says

Google parent Alphabet must cut both headcount and salary expenses, activist investor TCI Fund Management wrote in a letter to CEO Sundar Pichai.

cnbc.com

Google settles with 40 states over location tracking practices

Google agreed to a $391.5 million settlement with 40 states over location tracking, Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum announced Monday.

cnbc.com

Crypto winter is hurting Google's ad empire

Google's chief business officer said a pullback in spending by crypto companies is one reason for the company's ad slowdown.

cnbc.com

Google's ad sales slow dramatically, eroding parent's profit

Summertime revenue growth at Google’s corporate parent slipped to its slowest pace since the pandemic jarred the economy more than two years ago.

Alphabet to report Q3 earnings after the bell Tuesday

Alphabet is expected to report its weakest revenue growth for any period since 2013.

cnbc.com

Google to shut down gaming service Stadia as CEO Pichai continues cost-cutting efforts

Google previously cut parts of Stadia's team, and the company has been looking for other places to shed costs.

cnbc.com

Google CEO Pichai tells employees not to 'equate fun with money' in heated all-hands meeting

Google CEO Sundar Pichai expressed some annoyance at this week's all-hands meeting as he sought to clarify and defend cost cuts and address employee concerns.

cnbc.com

Google CEO says he hopes to make company '20% more' efficient, hints at potential cuts

Sundar Pichai said the company's realignment efforts come as the business faces economic challenges and evaluates its rapid headcount growth.

cnbc.com

Yelp to add more flags to anti-abortion pregnancy centers

The online reviews site Yelp said Tuesday it is rolling out a new feature to protect users seeking abortions from being misled about anti-abortion pregnancy centers listed on its platform.

Google workers demand abortion protections, data privacy

Hundreds of Google employees are petitioning the company to extend its abortion health care benefits to contract workers and to strengthen privacy protections for Google users searching for abortion information online.

Google CEO tells employees productivity and focus must improve, launches 'Simplicity Sprint' to gather employee feedback on efficiency

In an all-hands meeting last week, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said employees need to be more productive and figure out where to cut distractions.

cnbc.com

Alphabet earnings are out – here are the numbers

Alphabet reported earnings after the bell. Here are the results.

cnbc.com

GOP attorneys general warn Google against limiting anti-abortion center search results

Doing so "would violate the most fundamental tenet of the American marketplace," AGs said in letter to CEO Sundar Pichai.

cbsnews.com

GOP AGs ask Google not to limit anti-abortion center results

Some federal lawmakers urged Google last month to limit the appearance of anti-abortion pregnancy centers in certain abortion-related search results.

Mark Zuckerberg’s Ruthlessness Is What Facebook Needs Now

For all the problems the social media company has created, its famously competitive leader might do better than most in steering his firm through a downturn.

washingtonpost.com

Google CEO says company will slow hiring amid economic conditions

Google CEO Sundar Pichai told employees that the company will slow down its hiring in response to economic conditions.

washingtonpost.com

Google CEO Pichai says company will slow hiring through 2023 in memo to employees

Sundar Pichai, Google's CEO, told employees that the company will slow the pace of hiring and investments through next year.

cnbc.com

With clock ticking, battle over tech regulation intensifies

The tech industry is pouring millions into a battle brewing over anti-trust proposals three years in the making.

washingtonpost.com

Google memo on end of Roe v. Wade says employees may apply to relocate 'without justification'

When the ruling first leaked, Google said it would provide travel benefits for employees seeking abortion care out of state.

cnbc.com

Google’s plan to talk about caste bias led to ‘division and rancor’

Thenmozhi Soundararajan was uninvited from giving a talk at Google about caste bias after some employees said such discrimination doesn't exist.

washingtonpost.com

Democrats: Google must protect privacy of abortion patients

More than 40 Democratic members of Congress are asking Google to stop what they see as the unnecessary collection and retention of peoples' location data.

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai on inflation, investing in growth, and free speech on the internet

Google's Sundar Pichai signaled that a sluggish economy could present more obstacles for the internet giant, whose shares have slumped this year.

cnbc.com

Google teases smart glasses prototype that translates languages in real time

Essentially, it looks as if the glasses will transcribe speech in real time and display them as subtitles.

cnbc.com

Alphabet to report Q1 earnings after the bell Tuesday

Google's revenue growth is slowing following the pandemic boom, and the company paused some of its business in Europe in the first quarter.

cnbc.com

Watch how climate change has impacted Earth since 1984

With Earth Day 2021 rapidly approaching, Google Earth has released a feature that might really open some eyes when it comes to how certain parts of the globe have changed in recent decades.

Here are Google's most important US real estate investments in 2022

The company said its projects will cost $9.5 billion this year.

cnbc.com

Did Amazon violate federal laws? Lawmakers ask for DOJ probe

Lawmakers have made good on their threat to seek a criminal investigation of Amazon, asking the Justice Department to investigate whether Amazon and its senior executives obstructed Congress or violated other laws in testimony on its competition practices.

Lawsuit: Google, Facebook CEOs colluded in online ad sales

Newly unredacted documents from a state-led antitrust lawsuit against Google accuse the search giant of colluding with rival Facebook to manipulate online advertising sales.

New Twitter CEO steps from behind the scenes to high profile

Newly named Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal (PUH-rag AH-gur-wahl) has emerged from behind the scenes to take over one of Silicon Valley’s highest-profile and politically volatile jobs.

House committee seeks more info from Amazon, issues warning

U.S. House lawmakers are threatening to seek a criminal investigation of Amazon, saying the tech giant has one “final chance” to correct previous testimony by executives on its competition practices.

Google says flight search tool can help you fly 'greener'

Searching for flights on Google just got “greener.”.

Google to spend $2.1 billion on Manhattan campus acquisition

Google is planning to buy New York’s St. John’s Terminal for $2.1 billion, making it the anchor of its Hudson Square campus.

Google again delays return to office due to COVID surges

Google is once again postponing a return to the office for most workers until mid-January.

Tech companies pledge billions in cybersecurity investments

Some of the country’s leading technology companies have committed to investing billions of dollars to strengthen cybersecurity defenses and to train skilled workers.

Google delays return to office, mandates vaccines

Google is postponing its plans to bring most of its workers back to the office until mid-October.

Google says 20% of workers will be remote, many more hybrid

Google says that it expects about 20% of its workforce to still work remotely after the pandemic.

The Latest: Twitter grilled about blocking a NY Post article

Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON – The latest news from a House committee questioning the CEOs of Facebook, Google and Twitter. ___2:30 p.m.Rep. Steve Scalise, a Louisiana Republican, raised the long-running conservative talking point that Twitter, Facebook and Google are biased against conservative viewpoints and censor material based on political or religious viewpoints. Scalise highlighted Twitter’s blocking of a New York Post article on Hunter Biden, which CEO Jack Dorsey said was a mistake that the company corrected within 24 hours. AdThis would include product vice presidents of integrity, trust and safety and vice presidents of platform policy — at Facebook, Twitter, YouTube (rather than Google, which owns YouTube) and perhaps an upstart like TikTok. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Sundar Pichai, CEO of YouTube parent Google, are facing questioning at a hearing by the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Lawmakers press Big Tech CEOs on speech responsibility

Republicans raised long-running conservative grievances, unproven, that the platforms are biased against conservative viewpoints and censor material based on political or religious viewpoints. There is increasing support in Congress for legislation to rein in Big Tech companies. The tech CEOs defended the legal shield under Section 230, saying it has helped make the internet the forum of free expression that it is today. Trump enjoyed special treatment on Facebook and Twitter until January, despite spreading misinformation, pushing false claims of voting fraud, and promulgating hate. The tech blog Gizmodo eventually revealed the device was a “BlockClock” that shows the latest prices of cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and ethereum.

Report: Extremist groups thrive on Facebook despite bans

More than two-thirds of the groups and pages had names that aligned with several domestic extremist movements, the report found. Facebook acknowledged that its policy enforcement “isn't perfect,” but said the report distorts its work against violent extremism and misinformation. In October, it banned QAnon groups across its platform. It has also banned extremist and militia movements and boogaloo groups with varying degrees of success. ___This story has been corrected to show that the groups were still active on the platform as of Feb. 24, not March 18.

Australian media law raises questions about 'pay for clicks'

It's a question dividing proponents and critics of the proposed Australian law: does it effectively make Google and Facebook “pay for clicks” and might it be the beginning of the end of free access? The battle is being watched closely in the European Union, where officials and lawmakers are drafting sweeping new digital regulations. Google contends the law does require it to pay for clicks. Google has reacted to the threat of compulsory arbitration by stepping up negotiations on licensing content agreements with Australian media companies through its own News Showcase model. Google has reached pay deals with more than 450 publications globally since it launched News Showcase in October.

In surprise move, Facebook blocks news access in Australia

“In response to Australian government legislation, Facebook restricts the posting of news links and all posts from news Pages in Australia. “Facebook’s actions were unnecessary, they were heavy-handed and they will damage its reputation here in Australia,” Frydenberg said. Major Australian media organization Seven West Media reached a deal earlier in the week. who have had their Facebook pages blocked, that’s a public safety issue,” Fletcher said. Some non-Australian outlets also appeared affected, with posts disappearing from Facebook pages belonging to Britain's Daily Telegraph and Sky News.

In Australia, Google makes publisher deals, Facebook walks

(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)CANBERRA – Google is striking deals in Australia to pay for journalism but Facebook is vowing to restrict news sharing as Australian lawmakers consider forcing digital giants into payment agreements. These are good deals for the Australian media businesses,” he added. Google and Facebook, which take a combined 81% of online advertising in Australia, have condemned the code as unworkable. Google did not provide the terms of its News Corp. deal Wednesday. AdThe Australian deals with Google are being negotiated under Google’s own model, News Showcase.

Australia to amend laws to make Google and Facebook pay

(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)CANBERRA – Australia’s government said on Tuesday it will amend draft laws that would make Google and Facebook pay for news to clarify that publishers would be paid in lump sums rather than per click on news article links. “On face value, the amendments keep the integrity of the media code intact,” the center’s director Peter Lewis said in a statement. Google and Facebook, which take a combined 81% of online advertising in Australia, have condemned the bill as unworkable. Google has threatened to make its search engine unavailable in Australia if the code were introduced. Seven West Media on Monday became the largest Australian news media business to strike a deal with Google to pay for journalism.

Major Australian media company strikes Google news pay deal

Kerry Stokes, chairman of Seven West Media, which owns 21 publications, thanked the government and the Australian competition regulator for their proposed law that the Parliament will consider Tuesday. Google has reached pay deals with more than 450 publications globally since News Showcase was launched in October. Neither Google nor Seven West Media mentioned how much the deal was worth. “If it goes through as is, it will be very beneficial for Australian media,” Barnet said of the code. Seven West Media said it will release more details about the deal after those details are finalized within 30 days.

Australian leader has 'constructive' talk with Google boss

Prime Minister Scott Morrison also welcomed the support of Google rival Microsoft, which has touted Australia’s proposed laws that would make Google and Facebook pay as an example for the rest of the world. Google regional director Mel Silva told a Senate hearing last month that the company would likely make its search engine unavailable in Australia if the so-called News Media Bargaining Code forced Google and Facebook to pay for Australian news. While Google and Facebook have condemned the legislation as unworkable, Microsoft President Brad Smith said his business would be willing to pay for news if its search engine increased Australian market share. The law would initially only apply to Google and Facebook, but the government could add other platforms in the future if Google abandoned Australia. AdAlthough Bing is Australia’s second most popular search engine, it has only a 3.6% market share.

Google's antitrust case won't go to trial until Sept. 2023

FILE - This Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, file photo shows Google's headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta on Friday, Dec. 18, 2020, set a tentative trial date of Sept. 12, 2023. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta on Friday set a tentative trial date of Sept. 12, 2023 for the landmark case that the Justice Department filed two months ago. He estimated that once the trial begins it will last about 5 1/2 weeks in his Washington, D.C., courtroom. Another antitrust case filed Thursday is seeking to preempt Google's dominance in other still-emerging fields of technology such as voice-activated devices in the home and internet-connected cars.

Google hires new personnel head amid rising worker tensions

This photo provided by Google shows Fiona Cicconi, right, who is leaving the biotech firm AstraZeneca to become the head of Google's people operations, effective Jan. 5, 2021. (Courtesy of Google via AP)Google has hired a top executive from pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to oversee its personnel policies amid ongoing tensions with many employees who are upset with the company's policies. The hiring of Fiona Cicconi also comes while Google sets up plans to allow people to continue to work from home for at least eight more months. The rift incensed hundreds of Google employees who have signed a public letter of protest. Pichahi last week told employees that Google is beginning a thorough review into Gebru's exit, a process that now seems likely to involve Cicconi.

Google CEO says company will review AI scholar's abrupt exit

Google CEO Sundar Pichai has apologized for how a prominent artificial intelligence researcher's abrupt departure last week has “seeded doubts” in the company. Pichai's note doesn't call it either a firing or a resignation but says "we need to accept responsibility for the fact that a prominent Black, female leader with immense talent left Google unhappily." The dispute centered around Google's push to disassociate itself from a research paper Gebru co-authored examining the societal dangers of an AI technology used by Google. Gebru criticized Pichai's memo Wednesday on Twitter, saying she saw “no plans for accountability” in it and because it offered no apology for what happened to her. Thousands of people, many of them Google employees, have signed an open letter showing support for Gebru and accusing Google of “unprecedented research censorship,” racism and defensiveness.

Twitter, Facebook CEOs vow election action; GOP touts curbs

Republican senators, including Committee Chairman Sen. Lindsey Graham, revived complaints of censorship and anti-conservative bias against the social media platforms. The actions that Twitter and Facebook took to quell the spread of disinformation angered Trump and his supporters. They have focused their concern on hate speech and incitement on social media platforms that can spawn violence. Twitter and Facebook have both slapped a misinformation label on some content from Trump, most notably his assertions linking voting by mail to fraud. For days after the election as the vote counting went on, copycat “Stop the Steal” groups were easily found on Facebook.

Facebook, Twitter CEOs to be pressed on election handling

The committee summoned the CEOs of Twitter, Facebook and Google to testify during the hearing. (Michael Reynolds/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON – The CEOs of Facebook and Twitter are being summoned before Congress to defend their handling of disinformation in the 2020 presidential election, even as lawmakers questioning them are deeply divided over the election's integrity and results. Twitter and Facebook have both slapped a misinformation label on some content from Trump, most notably his assertions linking voting by mail to fraud. Facebook insists that it has learned its lesson from the 2016 election and is no longer a conduit for misinformation, voter suppression and election disruption. The organization had pressed Facebook to take down the “Stop the Steal” group.

Social media CEOs rebuff bias claims, vow to defend election

The committee summoned the CEOs of Twitter, Facebook and Google to testify during the hearing. Dorsey said Twitter was working closely with state election officials. Dorsey told Cruz that he does not believe that Twitter can influence elections because it's only one source of information. GOP senators raised with the executives an array of allegations of other bias on the platforms regarding Iran, China and Holocaust denial. “We approach our work without political bias, full stop," Pichai said.

Social media CEOs to face grilling from Republican senators

WASHINGTON – Less than a week before Election Day, the CEOs of Twitter, Facebook and Google are set to face a grilling by Republican senators who accuse the tech giants of anti-conservative bias. With the election looming, Republicans led by President Donald Trump have thrown a barrage of grievances at Big Tech’s social media platforms, which they accuse without evidence of deliberately suppressing conservative, religious and anti-abortion views. The tech platforms are gateways to news online. It proposes that Congress enact rules preventing tech platforms from taking local news content without fair payment. “For too long, social media platforms have hidden behind Section 230 protections to censor content that deviates from their beliefs,” Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the committee chairman, said recently.

Facebook, Twitter CEOs ordered to testify by GOP senators

FILE - This combination of photos shows logos for social media platforms Facebook and Twitter. (AP Photo/File)WASHINGTON – The GOP push against Facebook and Twitter accelerated Thursday after Republican senators threatened the CEOs of the social media companies with subpoenas to force them to address accusations of censorship in the closing weeks of the presidential campaign. Russia backed President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign through hacking of Democratic emails and a covert social media campaign. It was the first time in recent memory that the two social media platforms enforced rules against misinformation on a story from a mainstream media publication. With Trump leading the way, conservatives have stepped up their claims that Facebook, Twitter and Google, which owns YouTube, are biased, charging without evidence Silicon Valley’s social media platforms are deliberately suppressing conservative views.

CEOs of 3 tech giants to testify at Oct. 28 Senate hearing

WASHINGTON – The CEOs of technology giants Facebook, Google and Twitter are expected to testify for an Oct. 28 Senate hearing on tech companies’ control over hate speech and misinformation on their platforms. It marks a new bipartisan initiative against Big Tech companies, which have been under increasing scrutiny in Washington and from state attorneys general over issues of competition, consumer privacy and hate speech. With Trump leading the way, conservative Republicans have kept up a barrage of criticism of Silicon Valley’s social media platforms, which they accuse without evidence of deliberately suppressing conservative views. The Justice Department has asked Congress to roll back long-held legal protections for online platforms, putting down a legislative marker in Trump’s drive against the social media giants. Democrats, on the other hand, have focused their criticism of social media mainly on hate speech, misinformation and other content that can incite violence or keep people from voting.

Senate panel moves to compel 3 social media CEOs to testify

(AP Photo/Amr Alfiky, File)WASHINGTON – A Senate panel voted Thursday to compel testimony from the CEOs of Facebook, Google and Twitter as lawmakers opened a new front in the battle over hate speech, misinformation and perceived political bias on social media a month before the presidential election. With Trump leading the way, conservative Republicans have kept up a barrage of criticism of Silicon Valley’s social media platforms, which they accuse without evidence of deliberately suppressing conservative views. The Justice Department has asked Congress to roll back long-held legal protections for online platforms, putting down a legislative marker in Trump’s drive against the social media giants. At a White House event last week, officials said the legislative proposal would protect the open internet and prevent hidden manipulation by social media. The subcommittee, which is expected to issue a report on its findings soon, held a hearing Thursday at which experts discussed proposals to strengthen the antitrust laws and promote competition among Big Tech companies.

Google to pay $1 billion over 3 years for news content

LONDON – Google will pay publishers $1 billion over the next three years for their content, the company's latest effort to defuse tensions over its dominance of the news industry. “This financial commitment - our biggest to date - will pay publishers to create and curate high-quality content for a different kind of online news experience," CEO Sundar Pichai said in a blog post. It will appear first on Google News on Android, then Apple iOS, before it is rolled out to Google Discover and Search. News companies want Google, and its Silicon Valley rival Facebook, to pay for the news content that they siphon from commercial media while taking the lion's share of ad revenue. Australia's government is drafting a law to make Facebook and Google pay the country's media companies for the news content they use by early October.

Australia leader expects 'sensible outcome' to news pay plan

CANBERRA Australias prime minister said Monday that he expected a sensible outcome to his governments plans to make digital platforms pay for journalism after Facebook threatened to block Australian publishers and individuals from sharing news stories. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he had discussed his proposed laws with very senior-level executives including Google's chief executive, Sundar Pichai, last week. Im quite certain well come to a sensible outcome on this and it wont need coercion wherever it comes from. Australia is drafting the final version of the legislation after a consultation period ended in late August. If the U.S.-based platforms could not agree with Australian media businesses on pricing after three months, arbitrators would be appointed to make binding decisions.

Inside Big Tech: Pulling back the curtain with 'hot' email

(Mandel Ngan/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON The House Judiciary chairman was closing in on his Perry Mason moment with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Fortified with hot internal company documents, Rep. Jerrold Nadler was building his case at a hearing that seemed almost like a trial for Facebook and three other tech giants over alleged anti-competitive tactics. Looking ahead, the hot documents dont by themselves guarantee successful legal action by regulators, legal experts say. But it can be a violation of antitrust law for a company at the top of the heap to use its power to kick competitors off the hill. The head of the Federal Trade Commission has said that as a result of the review, the government may require tech giants to unwind earlier takeovers and divest assets if the agency finds violations of antitrust law.

These companies are working from home until 2021 -- or forever

Some employees won't return to their offices until at least 2021, while others might not ever see their office again. Twitter got the ball rolling in mid-May when it announced that some of its employees could permanently work from home. And just last week, Google announced that its employees will work from home until 2021. What is clear is that offices won't look the same for employees that are currently working from home but plan on returning in 2021. These companies announced that employees won't be going back to the office until at least 2021:GoogleUniversal Music GroupWarner Music GroupSony MusicAmazon corporateViacomScotiabankRBS (Royal Bank of Scotland)Group Nine MediaIndeedThese companies told their employees that they don't ever have to come back to the office:

Lawmakers grill 4 Big Tech CEOs but don't land many blows

(Graeme Jennings/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON Congressional lawmakers finally got a chance to grill the CEOs of Big Tech over their dominance and allegations of monopolistic practices that stifle competition. While the executives faced hostile questioning and frequent interruptions from lawmakers of both parties, little seemed to land more than glancing blows. But Stephen Beck, CEO of the management consulting firm cg42, said the tech companies and their brands emerged relatively unscathed. As Democrats largely focused on market competition, several Republicans aired longstanding grievances, claiming the tech companies are censoring conservative voices and questioning their business activities in China. While forced breakups may appear unlikely, the wide scrutiny of Big Tech points toward possible new restrictions on its power.

The Latest: Zuckerberg questioned on viral misinformation

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks via video conference during a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing on antitrust on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, July 29, 2020, in Washington. His comments came Wednesday during a congressional hearing into the market dominance of four tech giants Amazon, Google, Facebook and Apple. Zuckerberg's comments came at hearing that also featured Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai. The questioning came at a congressional hearing that also featured Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai. He is Jeff Bezos.

4 Big Tech CEOs getting heat from Congress on competition

A key question: Whether existing competition policies and century-old antitrust laws are adequate for overseeing the tech giants, or if new legislation and enforcement funding is needed. While forced breakups may appear unlikely, the wide scrutiny of Big Tech points toward possible new restrictions on its power. The companies face legal and political offensives on multiplying fronts, from Congress, the Trump administration, federal and state regulators and European watchdogs. I understand that people have concerns about the size and perceived power that tech companies have, Zuckerberg's statement says. He is making the case that the fees Apple charges apps to sell services and other goods are reasonable, especially compared with what other tech companies collect.

Spotlight on 4 Big Tech CEOs testifying in competition probe

The House Judiciary subcommittee on antitrust is capping its yearlong investigation of Big Techs market dominance with Wednesdays teleconferenced hearing spotlighting the four CEOs. The tech companies now face legal and political offensives on multiplying fronts, from Congress, the Trump administration, federal and state regulators and European watchdogs. Facebooks fiercest critics in Congress, including liberal Democrat Sen. Elizabeth Warren and conservative Republican Sen. Josh Hawley, have put breaking up Big Tech companies on the table. He also met privately with key lawmakers and with President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly criticized the tech companies and asserted without evidence that they are biased against him. Cook is expected to lay out the case that the fees Apple charges apps to sell services and other goods are reasonable, especially compared with what other tech companies collect.

Twitter and Facebook become targets in Trump and Biden ads

Biden is paying Facebook handsomely to show ads that accuse Facebook of posing a threat to democracy. Meantime Trump is paying Facebook to run ads trashing the medium he uses like none other, Twitter. Before this years election, Twitter banned political ads altogether, a decision a company spokesman told the AP it stands behind. And Facebook, along with Google, began disclosing campaign ad spending while banning non-Americans from buying U.S. political ads. Twitter became a Trump campaign target after the company rolled out its first fact check of his inaccurate tweet about voting in late May.

Zuckerberg, Bezos, other tech CEOs testify on competition

This Sept. 19, 2019 photo shows Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos arriving to a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington. Bezos is willing to testify to the congressional panel investigating the market dominance of Big Tech, but along with other tech industry CEOs, lawyers for the company say, according to a published report Monday, June 15, 2020. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)WASHINGTON Four Big Tech CEOs Facebooks Mark Zuckerberg, Amazons Jeff Bezos, Google's Sundar Pichai and Apple's Tim Cook will answer for their companies practices before Congress at a hearing Wednesday by the House Judiciary subcommittee on antitrust. The panel has conducted a bipartisan investigation over the past year of the tech giants market dominance and their effect on consumers. Its the first such congressional review of the tech industry.

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak slams YouTube for scam videos

(AP Photo/Ben Margot)SAN RAMON, Calif. Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak is launching a legal attack against Google's YouTube video site for allowing con artists to use him as a pawn in a Bitcoin scam believed to have heisted millions of dollars from people around the world. The suit also represents 17 alleged victims of the bitcoin scam, including 10 people who live outside the U.S. Videos spread on YouTube as part of the scheme entice viewers to send their bitcoins to an anonymous digital address, promising to return double that amount. Wozniak, though, said he has been trying to get Google and YouTube to prevent videos peddling the scam with his name and picture in it since May 10. YouTube will try to persuade a judge to dismiss Garlinghouse's lawsuit during a hearing scheduled next month.

Google announces $10 billion 'digitization' fund for India

NEW DELHI U.S. tech giant Google is investing in a $10 billion fund to help accelerate Indias transition to a digital economy in the next five to seven years. The company also announced it will invest $1 million to support digital education in India. It said the fund will enable 1 million teachers in 22,000 schools across the country to use Google services that can facilitate online learning. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made digitization a major priority for India. He envisions a Digital India, where high-speed Internet access will empower entrepreneurs to build software and other technology products to help raise the standard of living in a country where many households are still impoverished.

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