• Japan aims to strengthen antitrust laws against Apple and Google

    According to a new report by Nikkei Asia, Japanese authorities are poised to toughen their antitrust regulations, posing a significant challenge to incumbents in the mobile market. The publication revealed that penalties aimed at curbing monopolistic practices will see a substantial increase, with fines more than tripled compared to currentRead Entire Article

  • Apple won't have to do that much to comply with EU's new right to repair law

    A new EU law means Apple will have to extend its iPhone warranty, and offer all users the same kind of repair or replace service it currently sells as AppleCare. The EU wants to make it easier to repair damaged smartphones Since 2020, the EU has been debating right to repair legislation, and it has been steadily progressing through the system. Now the EU has formally adopted the rules, after a vote saw 584 in favor, 3 against, and 14 abstentions. "Consumers' right to repair products...

  • Apple, Google, Meta, others struggle when it comes to ad transparency

    A new report suggests that every tech giant has failed to provide crucial ad transparency tools to its user base, leaving the door open for disinformation and manipulation. On Tuesday, Mozilla and CheckFirst, a Finland-based research company, released a report detailing how tech companies like Apple, Google, TikTok, and X handle ad transparency. Ultimately, the report found that all platforms could be doing more to disclose why a user is seeing an advertisement and who is behind the ad....

  • EU passes new immigration laws putting local political considerations first

    The Pact on Migration and Asylum comes nearly a decade after the migration crisis on 2015.

  • Google parent announces first-ever dividend; beats on sales, profit; shares soar

    Alphabet announced its first-ever dividend on Thursday and a $70 billion stock buyback, cheering investors who sent the stock surging nearly 16% after the bell. The Google parent is returning capital while spending billions of dollars on data centers to catch up with rivals on generative artificial intelligence. The dividend will be 20 cents per share. Just three months ago, Alphabet's Big Tech rival, Meta Platforms, announced its own first-ever dividend, a move that lifted the social media...

  • Apple to Ditch iPhone 16 Physical Buttons For the First Time Ever, Rumors Claim

    Apple is now rumored to be ditching the iPhone 16 physical buttons on its release. A brand new rumor is here, and it claims that Apple is no longer planning to add physical buttons to the iPhone 16 upon its release later this year, one that goes beyond what the iPhone X changed for the device.

  • Google's parent announces first-ever dividend, sending shares soaring: 'Breath of fresh air'

    CEO Sundar Pichai touted Google’s AI offerings as a boon to its core search results.

  • ‘Games are more important to Apple than ever’: what’s next for Apple Arcade?

    The head of the company’s gaming subscription service explains its priorities as it anticipates the Vision Pro revolution, and tries to bring originality to a market still dominated by free to play mobile titlesWhen Apple launched its games subscription service, Arcade, in September 2019, it drew a huge amount of attention – as with everything the company does. Offering 100 premium (ie, not ad-infested) mobile games for a monthly subscription fee of £4.99/$4.99 (now £6.99), and the promise of...

  • Spotify: Apple has 'defied' the EU by blocking latest update with pricing info [U: Apple response]

    Yesterday we learned that Spotify decided to pass on Apple’s new EU terms that would allow it to use alternative payment methods due to the Core Technology Fee. Instead, it submitted an app update with pricing info and details on how to subscribe outside of the App Store without giving users a link. Now Spotify says Apple has unjustly blocked the update and again “defied the European Commission”. more

  • EU to approve Apple's iPhone NFC chip policy changes, will allow competitors to Apple Pay

    The EU commission is set to approve Apple’s previously-announced policy changes regarding access to the NFC chip on the iPhone, with the view of increasing competition in the contactless payments market. The commission’s decision will be officially announced in the coming weeks, via Reuters. With these changes, apps will be allowed to become the default wallet app that appears when users double-click the side button or hold their phone near a payment terminal. However, the relaxation of...

  • First American Trust FSB Has $13.53 Million Holdings in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META)

    First American Trust FSB raised its holdings in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META – Free Report) by 1.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 38,215 shares of the social networking company’s stock after buying an additional 608 shares during the quarter. Meta Platforms […]

  • The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 200: Colin Bennett on the EU’s Surprising Adequacy Finding on Canadian Privacy Law

    A little over five years ago, I launched the Law Bytes podcast with an episode featuring Elizabeth Denham, then the UK’s Information and Privacy Commissioner, who provided her perspective on Canadian privacy law. I must admit that I didn’t know what the future would hold for the podcast, but I certainly did not envision reaching 200 episodes. I think it’s been a fun, entertaining, and educational ride. I’m grateful to the incredible array of guests, to Gerardo Lebron Laboy, who has been there to...