Amazon won a major battle in Seattle, but a Big Tech 'head tax' could still happen for Apple and Google Multiple Silicon Valley cities are considering similar taxes, and Amazon's win in Seattle doesn't seem to be stopping them. The decision to repeal could set an anti-tax precedent in Silicon Valley cities that are considering similar legislation. Mountain View, California — the home of Google, LinkedIn, and Microsoft — may tax big companies like Google, which has 23,000 workers in the city, $150 per employee. On June 26, the city council will decide whether the initiative will appear on the November ballot. (Business Insider)
Alphabet invests in Lime's electric scooter service You didn't think Silicon Valley's biggest names would stand on the sidelines while the electric scooter trend continued to grow, did you? Financial Times sources have learned that Alphabet has invested directly in scooter service Lime as part of as part of a larger $300 million funding round that already included Google Ventures. . (Engadget)
Gmail Controversy It's not just Facebook that's getting negative attention for sharing its users' data with third parties. A new report notes that, although Google promised a year ago to stop scanning Gmail users' inboxes for marketing keywords, the company still lets "hundreds of outside software developers scan the inboxes of millions of Gmail users who signed up for email-based services offering shopping price comparisons, automated travel-itinerary planners or other tools." And it apparently doesn't police them very well. Wall Street Journal
Fine Consequences Columbia Business School management professor Rita Gunther McGrath writes for Fortune that Google's fine is "really about access to highly personal data, and the very business model that underlies Google's enormous profitability." In short, forcing Google to decouple Search and Chrome from Android makes it harder for the company to offer well-targeted ads, hitting Google where it really hurts. Fortune
Renault and Google Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi has signed a deal with Google that will see Android-based infotainment systems installed across millions of the group's cars, as of 2021. The deal involves Google's maps, voice assistant and app store, and it's a big boost for Google's in-car ambitions. TechCrunch
Gmail Privacy Google has admitted to lawmakers that, even though Google itself no longer scans through Gmail users' emails in order to find advertising keywords, it does give access to third-party app developers who do the same. It even lets those third-party developers share the data they find, as long as Google thinks their privacy policies are transparent enough. Wall Street Journal
The White House is considering an antitrust investigation into 'online platform bias' at Google and Facebook — read the leaked document here https://www.businessinsider.com/whi...-investigate-google-facebook-antitrust-2018-9 "Whether reading news or looking for local businesses, citizens rely on search, social media, and other online platforms to provide objective and reliable information to shape a host of decisions ranging from consumer purchases to votes in elections. Because of their critical role in American society, it is essential that American citizens are protected from anticompetitive acts by dominant online platforms. Vibrant competition in the online ecosystem is essential to ensuring accountability for the platforms that hold so much sway over our economy and democratic process." "… Executive departments and agencies with authorities that could be used to enhance competition among online platforms (agencies) shall, where consistent with other laws, use those authorities to promote competition and ensure that no online platform exercises market power in a way that harms consumers, including through the exercise of bias." "... Not later than 30 days from the date of this order, agencies shall submit to the Director of the National Economic Council an initial list of (1) actions each agency can potentially take to protect competition among online platforms and address online platform bias."
Google search censor. Keith Enright, Google's chief privacy officer, confirmed during a Senate hearing Wednesday the existence of "Project Dragonfly", an initiative engaged in creating a censored search engine for the Chinese market. Details of Project Dragonfly leaked last month. Enright avoided confirming any facts about the operation but claimed Google is "not close to launching a search product in China." Financial Times
Google Appeal Google has until tomorrow to file an appeal against its $5 billion Android antitrust fine in the EU, and it is reportedly set to do so. The fine relates to Google's use of its control of Android to favor its own search and other services. Google is already appealing a separate antitrust fine of $2.7 billion, which relates to its manipulation of search results to favor its own comparison shopping service. Financial Times
Google Duplex is coming to Pixel phones next month Google today announced that it’ll start rolling out Duplex, its controversial Google Assistant feature that can make phone calls on your behalf, to Pixel phones next month. The rollout will be city by city and Google didn’t yet clarify what Duplex will be able to do at first. The company first demoed Duplex at its I/O developer conference this spring. In the demo at I/O, the Assistant was able to reserve tables at restaurants and make appointments at salons. Duplex will first launch in New York, Atlanta, Phoenix, and the San Francisco Bay Area. (TechCrunch)