investigation
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Germany opens antitrust probe into Facebook and Oculus account linking
Officials say welding the platforms may 'constitute a prohibited abuse of dominance.'
Google may face an antitrust probe in China, too
Google might soon face an antitrust investigation in China on top of the one already happening in the US. The government will reportedly look into charges that Google used its Android dominance to stifle mobile competition, saying it could cause “extreme damage” to Huawei and other Chinese companies.
Twitter expects a fine of up to $250 million over privacy violations
The FTC has been investigating Twitter over the use of personal data for ad targeting since October last year, the social network itself revealed in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. According to the document, the Commission is looking into Twitter’s “use of phone number and/or email address data provided for safety and security purposes for targeted advertising during periods between 2013 and 2019.” In a blog post from 2019, Twitter disclosed that it may have “inadvertently” matched users’ phone numbers and email ads provided for two-factor and identity verification with marketing lists advertisers had uploaded.
Tesla's Model 3 under investigation in South Korean safety probe
South Korea has launched a safety probe into Tesla, focusing on braking and steering systems including Autopilot.
Italy is launching an antitrust investigation into Amazon and Apple
Italian officials want to know whether Amazon and Apple reached an antitrust agreement.
FTC investigation of Facebook may not finish before 2021
The FTC's investigation of Facebook is likely to spill in to 2021, according to a report, and possible new leadership could change its focus.
Twitter says attackers targeted 130 accounts in Wednesday's breach
Twitter released some more information about the crypto scammer attack that hijacked high-profile accounts on Wednesday. According to the company, attackers may have targeted as many as 130 accounts.
Australia and the UK open joint investigation of Clearview AI
Australia and the UK open a joint investigation into Clearview AI.
Jeff Bezos is willing to testify about Amazon's use of seller data
Amazon has said Jeff Bezos is willing to take part in the House Judiciary Committee's upcoming antitrust hearing on big tech.
The DoJ is investigating Google's search dominance, DuckDuckGo CEO suggests
Judging by questions it has asked rival DuckDuckGo, the US Department of Justice (DoJ) and state regulators may be investigating Google’s search engine dominance. DuckDuckGo CEO Gabriel Weinberg told Bloomberg that officials asked him questions about the idea of forcing Google to give users alternatives to its browser both on Android and in Chrome.
Senator Ted Cruz asks DOJ to investigate Twitter over Iran sanctions
Senator Ted Cruz is asking the Justice Department to investigate Twitter for allegedly violating Iran sanctions by refusing to ban a leader.
US lawmakers ask Jeff Bezos to testify about Amazon's alleged data abuse
Following a recent Wall Street Journal report on Amazon's use of third-party seller data, the House Judiciary Committee has called on Jeff Bezos to testify before Congress. In a letter signed by a bipartisan group made up of four Democrats and three Republicans, the committee says it believes Amazon may have committed a crime by misleading the government about its practices. The Wall Street Journal report the letter references was published earlier this month.
Senator asks for criminal investigation into Amazon's alleged data abuse
Senator Josh Hawley is requesting a criminal antitrust investigation into claims that Amazon uses sellers' data to make competing products.
Pentagon probe can’t confirm Trump interfered with the JEDI contract
After a months-long saga over whether President Trump’s “personal vendetta” cost Amazon a $10 billion Pentagon contract, the Pentagon’s inspector general said it found no evidence that the decision to award the cloud-computing contract to Microsoft was the result of interference from President Trump, Bloomberg reports. While this could clear the way for Microsoft to resume work on the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) contract, some will likely find the probe inconclusive.
US is reportedly investigating ZTE over new bribery allegations
Just when it seemed that Chinese telecom manufacturer ZTE was in the clear, it is once again being investigated by the Justice Department. In March 2017, ZTE agreed to pay $1.19 billion and submit to a three-year probation period as punishment for violating US trade sanctions with Iran and North Korea. That probation period ended Saturday, and now, the Justice Department is reportedly looking into new and separate bribery allegations, sources tell NBC News.
Avast packaged detailed user data to be sold for millions of dollars
The popular antivirus program Avast has been selling users data to giant companies like Google, Home Depot, Microsoft and Pepsi, a joint investigation by Motherboard and PCMag found. Avast reportedly scraped data from its antivirus software and handed it off to its subsidiary Jumpshot, which repackaged the data and sold it, sometimes for millions of dollars. While Avast required users to opt-in to this data sharing, the investigation found that many were unaware that Jumpshot was selling their data.
DOJ and state AGs may combine their Google investigations
The Justice Department and state attorneys general might combine forces in their bid to investigate Google. Wall Street Journal tipsters claim the two sides plan to meet next week to share investigative info in a move that could lead to the two collaborating on their Google probes. It's just the start of a "periodic dialogue," the WSJ said, but it could blossom into more. The feds and states haven't shared info on Google before, the sources said, making a meeting significant by itself.
Alphabet’s David Drummond is leaving months after allegations surfaced
Alphabet's chief legal officer David Drummond is leaving the company. Drummond claims he's retiring "to make way for the next generation of leaders," but allegations that he had affairs with employees could cast some doubt on his motives.
DOJ stops investigating Uber for foreign bribery
The Department of Justice has dropped an investigation into Uber over alleged foreign bribes. The agency said in an SEC filing it "will not be pursuing enforcement action."
UK regulator opens probe into Amazon's Deliveroo stake
Amazon may be in hot water with the UK's Competition & Markets Authority (CMA). Earlier this year, the watchdog expressed concerns that Amazon's acquisition of a minority stake in Deliveroo, a UK food delivery company, could hurt competition. Now, CMA says Amazon has failed to address those initial concerns, and it has referred the deal for an in-depth investigation.