Page 24 - ARUBA TODAY

A24 TECHNOLOGY
Monday 3 June 2019

Google’s activities under scrutiny by US, Europe regulators

By MARCY GORDON investigation showed that
AP Business Writer the staff legal recommen-
WASHINGTON (AP) — dations rejected by the
Google, the tech giant commissioners involved al-
known universally for its legations of Google tinker-
search engine, also has fin- ing with its search results in
gers in a number of other a way that stifled competi-
pies, like online advertis- tion.
ing, email messaging and Lawmakers from both par-
video. That gives U.S. anti- ties appear determined to
trust enforcers, who have examine whether Google
reportedly evinced a new rigs its search results to also
interest in pursuing com- promote its own political
petition charges against agenda.
Google, lots to look at. ___
Governments around the ANDROID ANTICS
world are becoming in- Another huge antitrust fine
creasingly unnerved by the from the European over-
power amassed by major seers, $5 billion, came
technology companies against Google in July 2018
— with the dominance of This March 23, 2010, file photo shows the Google logo at the Google headquarters in Brussels. for a finding that it abused
Google in search, Face- Google, the tech giant known universally for its search engine, also has fingers in a number of the dominance of its An-
book in social networking other pies, like online advertising, email messaging and video. droid operating system by
and Amazon in e-com- Associated Press forcing handset and tab-
merce raising the sharp- The company made lead in digital ad revenue pany says it already end- let makers to install Google
est concerns. In the most changes voluntarily after by a wide margin, control- ed, and the amount is just apps, reducing consumer
dramatic scenario, a case the FTC probe, including ling 31.1% of global digital a fraction of the $31 billion choice.
might be made for break- letting advertisers use infor- ad dollars, according to in profit that its parent, con- The company appealed
ing the companies into mation from their Google eMarketer’s 2019 estimates. glomerate Alphabet Inc., the ruling and also made
smaller pieces. ad campaigns to create Facebook is a distant sec- made last year. changes to avoid addition-
The U.S. Justice Depart- campaigns with rivals. But ond with 20.2%. ___ al fines. It started this spring
ment is readying an investi- an FTC staff report released European antitrust regu- SEARCH RESULTS giving European Union
gation of Google’s business years later showed that the lators slapped Google in Google’s search engine smartphone users a choice
practices in search and agency staff had urged March with a $1.7 billion handles two out of every of browsers and search
other areas, and whether the presidentially-appoint- fine for freezing out rivals in three queries in the U.S. apps on Android. Follow-
they violate antitrust law, ed commissioners to bring the online advertising busi- European regulators have ing an Android update, us-
according to news reports. a lawsuit against Google. ness — the regulators’ third found that Google manip- ers will be shown two new
Neither the company nor That never happened. big fine against the com- ulated its search engine to screens giving them the
the Justice Department It isn’t clear what specific pany in less than two years. gain an unfair advantage new options.
will confirm or deny that a areas of Google’s business Still, the latest penalty isn’t over other online shop- Android users who open
probe has been launched. the Justice Department likely to have much effect ping sites in the lucrative the Google Play store af-
The Federal Trade Com- might be probing. But here on Google’s business. It ap- e-commerce market, fining ter the update will be giv-
mission, which shares com- are some possible areas plies to a narrow portion the company $2.8 billion. en the option to install as
petition oversight with Jus- U.S. antitrust cops might of Google’s ad business in Google disputes those find- many as five search apps
tice, made an antitrust in- poke into. which Google sells ads next ings and is still appealing and five browsers. Apps are
vestigation of Google but ___ to Google search results on the 2017 decision. included based on their
closed it in 2013 without ADS third-party websites. It in- The FTC staff report re- popularity and shown in
taking action. Google commands the volves practices the com- leased after the agency’s random order.q

U.S. now seeking social media details from all visa applicants

WASHINGTON (AP) — The most all U.S. applicants. to the United States.” The new rules apply to vir- years. They also give ap-
State Department is now re- The change, which was Social media, email and tually all applicants for plicants the option to vol-
quiring nearly all applicants proposed in March 2018, is phone number histories immigrant and nonimmi- unteer information about
for U.S. visas to submit their expected to affect about had only been sought in grant visas. When it filed its social media accounts on
social media usernames, 15 million foreigners who the past from applicants initial notice to make the platforms not listed on the
previous email addresses apply for visas to enter the who were identified for ex- change, the department form. In addition to their
and phone numbers. It’s a United States each year. tra scrutiny, such as people estimated it would affect social media histories, visa
vast expansion of the Trump “National security is our top who’d traveled to areas 710,000 immigrant visa ap- applicants are now asked
administration’s enhanced priority when adjudicat- controlled by terrorist or- plicants and 14 million non- for five years of previously
screening of potential im- ing visa applications, and ganizations. An estimated immigrant visa applicants, used telephone numbers,
migrants and visitors. every prospective traveler 65,000 applicants per year including those who want email addresses, interna-
In a move that’s just taken and immigrant to the Unit- had fallen into that cat- to come to the U.S. for busi- tional travel and depor-
effect after approval of the ed States undergoes exten- egory. ness or education. tation status, as well as
revised application forms, sive security screening,” the The department says col- The new visa application whether any family mem-
the department says it has department said. “We are lecting the additional in- forms list a number of social bers have been involved in
updated its immigrant and constantly working to find formation from more ap- media platforms and re- terrorist activities.
nonimmigrant visa forms to mechanisms to improve plicants “will strengthen our quire the applicant to pro- Only applicants for certain
request the additional in- our screening processes to process for vetting these vide any account names diplomatic and official visa
formation, including “social protect U.S. citizens, while applicants and confirming they may have had on types are exempted from
media identifiers,” from al- supporting legitimate travel their identity.” them over the previous five the requirements.q