Big Tech’s Favorite Legal Shield Takes a Hit
A Los Angeles judge has declined to dismiss a series of blockbuster lawsuits against Meta, TikTok, Snap and Google arguing their platforms are intentionally designed to addict and fuel mental health disorders in teenagers, increasing the likelihood they will have to potentially face or settle for billions of dollars the product liability claims. In the […]
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Google Sued by Advertisers for Allegedly Inflating Video Ad Metrics
If an advertisement autoplays for a bot on a site that’s not publicly listed or indexed by search engines, does anyone see it? According to Google, the answer is yes, which has led to a purported class action against the company that claims it overcharges advertisers for the “privilege of autoplaying their advertisements into the […]
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After Facebook Blocks News, Canada Fires Back by Halting Advertising Buys
As the battle between U.S. tech giants and Canada escalates, the country’s federal and Quebec provincial governments have halted advertising on Facebook and Instagram to force parent Meta to the negotiating table to implement Bill C-18. “Facebook has decided to be unreasonable, irresponsible and started blocking news,” federal heritage minister Pablo Rodriguez told a press […]
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Google to Block News Search Products in Canada
Google has made good on a threat to pull its Google News Service in Canada after Bill C-18 — legislation designed to get U.S. digital tech giants to pay local publishers for news snippets shared or repurposed on their platforms — became law in the country. “As a result, we have informed the government that we have […]
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The Weather Channel Gains Network of Storm-Tracking Cameras Through Google Partnership
The Weather Channel is gaining a network of storm-tracking cameras located around the country that will give the channel real-time footage and meteorological data to use in its coverage. The camera network, which The Weather Channel is calling SkyFX, is a result of parent company Allen Media Group’s ongoing multiyear, multiplatform partnership with Google that […]
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Gannett Blames Google for Newspapers Shuttering in Digital Advertising Monopoly Lawsuit
Gannett, the country’s largest newspaper publisher, has sued Google, accusing the tech giant of having an illegal monopoly over the technology that powers online advertising. The allegations, which mirror those lodged by the Department of Justice in a suit that seeks to break up the Alphabet-owned company, opens another front in a sprawling legal battle […]
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YouTube’s Lyor Cohen to Receive City of Hope’s Spirit of Life Award
YouTube and Google’s global head of music Lyor Cohen has been confirmed to receive City of Hope’s highest honor, the Spirit of Life Award, at its fall gala. The veteran music executive will receive the shine on Oct. 18 at West Hollywood’s Pacific Design Center. The Spirit of Life Award is “presented to an esteemed community of […]
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Google’s Digital Advertising Dominance Under Fire As Justice Dept. Brings Antitrust Suit
The Department of Justice and several states have brought another federal antitrust lawsuit against Google, accusing the company of abusing its dominance to stifle competition in the digital advertising market. The government alleges in a suit filed on Tuesday that Google has engaged in a “systematic campaign” to “neutralize and eliminate” competitors through a series […]
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Google Parent Alphabet to Lay Off 12,000 Employees
Not even Google parent Alphabet is safe from the dark economic clouds, unveiling Friday that it plans to lay off around 12,000 employees, or 6 percent of its staff, and becoming the latest technology giant to unveil big cuts. The job reductions are the company’s largest ever, the Wall Street Journal reported, and will affect various […]
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Spotify, Apple and Other Streamers Set Royalty Rates With Music Publishers Through 2027
Music publishers and the top streaming services have reached an agreement on royalty rates for song owners, effectively avoiding another lengthy and messy legal battle between the parties until at least 2027. Under the agreement, announced Wednesday by the National Music Publishers’ Association, the Nashville Songwriters Association International, and the Digital Media Association — the […]
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Google, YouTube Originals Team With The Black List on Black Voices Creator Fellowship for TV Writers
Google and The Black List are behind a new fellowship opportunity for TV writers producing exceptional and authentic stories about the Black experience. The Black List x YouTube Originals Black Voices Creator Fellowship will provide financial grants and creative support to four television writers, with each fellow receiving $40,000 in financial support. That grant will […]
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YouTube Ad Revenue Hits $7.34B in Slight Miss
YouTube brought in $7.34 billion in advertising revenue during the second quarter, parent company Alphabet reported in its quarterly earnings on Tuesday. The Q2 revenue was up only 4 percent on the video platform’s second quarter revenue of just over $7 billion in the same period of 2021. The Google parent increasingly looks to YouTube […]
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