Major changes at Google as it eases tough restrictions on vaccines, as it prepares to re-open its offices and campuses in the US
News Browsers
Google To Limit Ad Tracking On Android Apps
More bad news for advertisers? Google announces the Privacy Sandbox will be expanded from web browser and will include Android apps
UK Watchdog Accepts Google’s Revised Browser Cookie Pledge
CMA says it will keep “close eye” on Google after it accepted the firm's revised offer concerning the banning of third-party cookies
Government To Force Age Verification On Porn Websites
Online Safety Bill will include legal duty requiring all porn websites to implement 'robust checks' on the person's age
Alphabet Posts Record Results, Announces 20 for 1 Stock Split
Google parent Alphabet posts a stunning set of quarterly and annual results, and announces a 20 to 1 stock split in the summer
French Court Upholds 100m Euro Fine On Google Over Cookies
Google has been told by French court it has to pay a $112m fine, over forcing use of advertising tracking cookies on people’s devices
Google Drops FloC For Topics In Cookie Replacement Move
New privacy sandbox change. Google swaps system, as part of its efforts to replace cookies used by Chrome browser for online advertising
Apple Working To Patch Safari Data Leak Vulnerability
Oh dear, not so private. Webkit browser engine flaw has been leaking user ID and browser data since iOS 15 went live in September 2021
Windows 11 OS Struggles To Crack 1 Percent – Lansweeper
Bad news Redmond. New data from Lansweeper shows sluggish uptake of the Windows 11 operating system, three months after its initial release
Google Faces French 150m Euro Fine For Cookie Breach
French regulator imposes 150 million euros ($169m) fine on Googe, and 60m euros fine on Meta, over complexity about refusing online cookies
Google CEO Pichai To Be Questioned In $5bn Web Tracking Lawsuit
US federal judge rules CEO of search engine giant Google, Sundar Pichai, can be questioned over a lawsuit about tracking web browsing
DuckDuckGo Search Engine Grows 46 Percent In 2021
Privacy focused search engine DuckDuckGo enjoys record growth in 2021, reflecting people's ongoing preference for privacy
China Orders Microsoft Bing To Suspend Auto-suggest Function
Last remaining major foreign search engine still operating in China, ordered to suspend its auto-suggest function by local authorities
Microsoft Slammed For ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ Prompt In Edge Browser
Bloatware? Addition to Edge browser promoting Zip's “buy now, pay later” scheme at checkout webpages, is slammed by users
Lawsuit By Former Google Staffers Cites ‘Don’t Be Evil’ Moto
Three out of the 'thanksgiving four' staff fired from Google in November 2019, hit back with lawsuit for not honouring 'don't be evil' moto
Google Increases Concessions, Amid CMA Oversight Of Cookie Removal
Google expands data pledges to address concerns of British competition regulator, overseeing tech giant's removal of third-party tracking cookies
Google To Pay Millions To Ireland In Back Taxes
Google is to pay £183m in back taxes to the Irish government, in line with its promise to halt the use of the European tax loophole
Hundreds Of Google Staff Protest Vaccine Mandate
Staff push back. At least 600 staff at Google sign manifesto opposing firm's widened Covid-19 vaccine mandate on workforce
Google Signs Deal For News From AFP
Five year deal signed with Agence France-Presse for news content on Google, as publishing contracts continue to be signed
Google To Invest $740 Million After Australia Clash
Clash that saw Google threaten to withdraw services from Australia altogether, to be settled with fresh investment in the country
High Court Blocks $4.3bn Lawsuit Over Google iPhone Tracking
Court order blocks mass lawsuit against Google, over a decade old case that involved tracking Safari users browser history
Australia Wants Search Engine Choice Screen On Smartphones
Search engine move plotted down under. Australian watchdog plans to make Google offer smartphone users an alternative search engine
ICO To Urge G7 Action On Annoying Cookie Consent Pop-ups
Information Commissioner is urging G7 data protection authorities to tackle the scourge of modern day browsing....cookie pop-ups
China Limits Kids To Three Hours Of Video Games A Week
Draconian move? Children in China now only allowed to play video games between 8 and 9pm on Friday, weekends and public holidays
Firefox 90 Improves Tracking Blocking For Private Browsing
Latest web browser from Mozilla Foundation further improves private browsing thanks to version 2 of the SmartBlock feature
Google Delays Third-Party Cookie Removal Until 2023
Google blinks first and delays Chrome’s plan to phase out support for third-party cookies until 2023, citing need to work with regulators
Windows 10 To Be Retired In 2025, As Windows 11 Leaks
Microsoft web document shows it will stop supporting Windows 10 in October 2025, as it readies major revamp of operating system
UK Watchdog Agrees ‘Oversight’ On Google’s Cookie Removal
Unhappy advertiser complaint sees CMA taking a key oversight role over Google’s planned removal of third-party cookies (i.e. its Privacy Sandbox project)
Google To Halt Charges For Alternative Search Engines On Android
Google is to allow other search engines to be offered on Android for free, after cancelling the default search preference charge
Microsoft Confirms Internet Explorer To End On 15 June 2022
Redmond will cease support for Internet Explorer 11 in mid June next year, over a quarter of a century since IE was first launched