TechCrunch: UK report warns DeepMind Health could gain ‘excessive monopoly power’ . “The DeepMind Health Independent Reviewers’ 2018 report flags a series of risks and concerns, as they see it, including the potential for DeepMind Health to be able to ‘exert excessive monopoly power’ as a result of the data access and streaming infrastructure that’s bundled with provision of the Streams app — and which, contractually, positions DeepMind as the access-controlling intermediary between the structured health data and any other third parties that might, in the future, want to offer their own digital assistance solutions to the Trust.”
antitrust
The Register: Meet the Frenchman masterminding a Google-free Android
The Register: Meet the Frenchman masterminding a Google-free Android. “Four years ago there were four mobile platforms, but since Microsoft and BlackBerry withdrew, it’s a duopoly of Apple and Google. The creation of a new third platform – a Google-free Android – now looks feasible, given the Great Unbundling the European Commission is likely to order. But someone has to build the damn thing – and it’s going to be a mammoth task.”
Report: EU about to fine Google billions in Android antitrust case (Search Engine Land)
Search Engine Land: Report: EU about to fine Google billions in Android antitrust case. “According to a report in Financial Times (paywall), the European Commission is set to impose a second major antitrust fine on Google for alleged abuse of power in Android licensing deals with phone makers. The report says EU Competition Chief Margrethe Vestager is ‘poised to announce the negative finding within weeks . . . marking the most significant regulatory intervention made against Google’s business model.'”
Bloomberg: Mnuchin Urges Antitrust Probe of Tech After Google Report
Bloomberg: Mnuchin Urges Antitrust Probe of Tech After Google Report. “Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin urged the Justice Department to review the power that large technology firms such as Google have over the American economy, the latest U.S. official to back antitrust scrutiny of the industry.”
Gizmodo: Yelp And TripAdvisor Team Up To Pile On Google Over Search Monopoly
Gizmodo: Yelp And TripAdvisor Team Up To Pile On Google Over Search Monopoly. “Google found itself in an uncomfortable position over the weekend, as 60 Minutes placed a magnifying glass on the company that accounts for 90 per cent of all search traffic and asked if it is operating as a monopoly. Following the broadcast, Yelp and TripAdvisor announced a new initiative designed to restore more diverse local search results that have been undermined by Google’s own first-party services.”
Bloomberg Quint: Google Slips Ahead of `60 Minutes’ Feature on Antitrust Threat
Bloomberg Quint: Google Slips Ahead of `60 Minutes’ Feature on Antitrust Threat. “The CBS news magazine 60 Minutes will lead its show Sunday with a segment on ‘The Power of Google’ that will include interviews with the company’s critics, who say it stifles competition, as well as the European Union’s antitrust chief. Shares in Google’s parent company, Alphabet Inc., dipped about 1.7 percent in early trading Friday after the news was announced. The stock was trading down 1 percent to $1070.02 9:47 a.m. in New York.”
Times of India: Google says India anti-trust ruling could cause ‘irreparable’ harm
Times of India: Google says India anti-trust ruling could cause ‘irreparable’ harm. “Alphabet Inc’s Google has said an Indian anti-trust ruling that found it was guilty of search bias could cause ‘irreparable’ harm and reputational loss to the company, according to a legal document reviewed by Reuters. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) in February fined Google $20 million for abusing its position in online web search and also slammed the company for preventing its partners from using competing search services.”
