Shift in Laws and Digitized Advancements
In the world of technology, regulations and mergers continue to shape the landscape. Here are some of the latest developments:
Google's Legal Victories and Setbacks
Google scored a significant victory in the US, as a court rejected the Department of Justice's proposal to split off Chrome and Android from the search giant. However, Google faces a hefty fine and privacy payout in France, amounting to USD$425m and USD$381m respectively, over consumer failures. The specifics of these penalties are yet to be disclosed.
Disney's Privacy Settlement
Disney has agreed to pay USD$10m to settle an FTC lawsuit over children's privacy violations. The case centered on Disney's failure to mark certain YouTube videos as "made for kids," which allowed targeted ads in breach of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.
Regulatory Actions in Australia
Australia is enforcing a social media ban for under-16s, requiring platforms to block new sign-ups and deactivate existing accounts from December. Failure to comply with this ban could result in fines of up to AUD$50m (£24.1m).
Mergers and Acquisitions
Empower Media has acquired performance agency Ocean Media, creating the Empower Ocean Media Group. The combined business, with USD$1.5bn (£1.14bn) in billings and 400 staff, becomes North America's second-largest independent media shop. However, the company that created this media giant remains unidentified in the provided search results.
Amazon finalised its Axio acquisition, but details about the acquisition were not provided.
AI Regulations in China
China is tightening controls on AI content, requiring platforms such as WeChat and Douyin to label all AI-generated material.
Microsoft's AI Advancements
Microsoft has launched its first in-house AI models, including MAI-Voice-1, a speech system capable of generating one minute of audio in less than a second on a single GPU.
Europe's Support for US-EU Data Deal
Europe has backed a US-EU data deal, but the details of this agreement are yet to be disclosed.
