Category: Tech

TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, Google, and Amazon are facing rising pressure from European authorities as London and Brussels advanced new rules this week to curb the power of digital companies. They’re among those on a list of the 19 biggest online platforms and search engines that the European Union’s executive arm said must meet extra obligations…

British antitrust regulators this week blocked Microsoft’s $69 billion purchase of video game maker Activision Blizzard, thwarting the biggest tech deal in history over worries that it would stifle competition for popular titles like Call of Duty in the fast-growing cloud gaming market. The Competition and Markets Authority said in its final report that “the…

Google’s advertising malaise persisted during the first quarter while the internet company also grapples with advancements in artificial intelligence technology that threaten to undercut its dominant search engine. An unprecedented downturn in Google’s digital ad revenue – the company’s main moneymaker for more than 20 years – came into sharper focus with the release of…

The U.S. government will “not hesitate to crack down” on harmful business practices involving artificial intelligence, the head of the Federal Trade Commission warned in a message partly directed at the developers of widely-used AI tools such as ChatGPT. FTC Chair Lina Khan joined top officials from U.S. civil rights and consumer protection agencies to…

Microsoft reported a 9% increase in profit for the January-March quarter, as growth in cloud computing sales helped bolster its plans to expand its use of artificial intelligence. The company reported quarterly profit of $18.3 billion, or $2.45 per share, beating Wall Street expectations for earnings of $2.24 a share. The software maker posted revenue…

An appeals court upheld Apple’s exclusive control over the distribution of iPhone apps, rejecting the latest attempt to force one of the world’s most powerful companies to dismantle the digital walls protecting its most lucrative product. The 92-page decision issued by the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals largely affirmed the findings of a lower-court…

Amazon is winding down its health-focused Halo devices and membership as the tech giant continues to cut costs. The company told customers that it will issue refunds to anyone who purchased Amazon Halo devices in the past year. Refunds will also be issued to customers who have unused prepaid Halo subscriptions fees. Amazon introduced its…

Amid a week of massive layoffs at Disney, the leadership team of its film arm gathered in Las Vegas on Wednesday to tout its successes and upcoming slate of films to a crowd of theater owners and exhibitors. The Walt Disney Company presentation, with exclusive new footage from films like “Indiana Jones and the Dial…

Netflix announced in its Q1 2023 earnings report that it will be expanding its “paid sharing” plan, which targets password sharing, to more countries in the second quarter, including the United States. The company has already implemented password sharing restrictions in Canada, New Zealand, Spain, and Portugal, and claims to be “pleased with the results”…