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EU starts proceedings to assist Google in complying with tech rules

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The European Commission has launched formal proceedings aimed at assisting Google in complying with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act, a landmark set of rules designed to curb the market power of large technology companies. The move signals closer engagement between EU regulators and Alphabet’s Google as the bloc enforces its new digital competition framework.

The Commission said the proceedings are intended to clarify how Google can meet its obligations under the DMA, which requires designated gatekeepers to ensure fair competition and greater openness in digital markets. Google has already taken steps to comply, including licensing certain search data to competitors and maintaining that its Android operating system is open by design.

However, Google warned that additional requirements could have unintended consequences. A senior company lawyer said some rules appear to be driven by complaints from rivals rather than consumer interests, and argued that excessive constraints could undermine user privacy, security and innovation.

The case highlights the balancing act facing EU regulators as they seek to rein in Big Tech while avoiding measures that could disrupt services used by millions of consumers and businesses across Europe.

Google settles Google Assistant privacy lawsuit for $68 million

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Google has agreed to pay $68 million to settle a lawsuit alleging that its Google Assistant voice service improperly recorded private conversations, violating users’ privacy. The proposed class action settlement was filed in federal court in San Jose, California, and awaits approval from a U.S. district judge.

The lawsuit accused Google, a unit of Alphabet, of recording and sharing conversations when Google Assistant was unintentionally activated, a phenomenon known as “false accepts.” Plaintiffs said these recordings were later used to deliver targeted advertising, even though users had not deliberately triggered the assistant with hot words such as “Hey Google” or “Okay Google.”

Google denied any wrongdoing but chose to settle to avoid prolonged litigation and associated costs, according to court documents. The settlement applies to users who purchased Google devices or experienced false activations dating back to May 18, 2016. Attorneys for the plaintiffs may seek up to one-third of the settlement amount for legal fees.

Nike says it is investigating possible data breach

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Nike said it is investigating a potential data breach after a cybercrime group claimed to have leaked a large volume of data linked to the company’s business operations. The sportswear giant said consumer privacy and data security remain a priority as it assesses the situation and works to understand the scope of the incident.

The ransomware group World Leaks alleged it had published around 1.4 terabytes of Nike-related data. The claim could not be independently verified, and the company declined to comment on whether any ransom demand had been made or paid. It was also unclear whether the incident affected data connected to Nike’s wholesale partners.

The investigation comes at a sensitive time for Nike, which has been working to regain market share lost to smaller rivals. Data breaches have increasingly disrupted major corporations in recent years, often leading to heavy financial losses and operational damage.