Business

Google cops $55 million fine for anti-competitive revenue deal with Optus and Telstra on search for Android phones

- December 2, 2025 2 MIN READ

Google Asia Pacific will pay $55 million in penalties for engaging in anti-competitive conduct over a deal it struck with Telstra and Optus to only pre-install Google Search on Android phones the telcos sold. The fine was ratified by the Federal Court today, following legal action from the competition watchdog the ACCC. The search giant… Read more »

Global tech

Google comes out swinging over government including YouTube in its under 16 social media ban

- October 15, 2025 3 MIN READ

Google has strongly criticised Australia’s impending ban of under-16s holding social media accounts after its popular video streaming platform YouTube was added to the ban following a federal government backflip. YouTube was expected to be exempt from the nation’s social media age ban, set to begin on 10 December, after the legislation was first introduced by the… Read more »

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Business

Google and Apple just had an Epic beating in legal action over app store charges

- August 13, 2025 4 MIN READ

American technology giants Apple and Google have engaged in anti-competitive conduct through their respective app stores in Australia, a Federal Court judge said, following a lengthy legal battle brought by entertainment company Epic Games. Justice Jonathan Beach’s findings, outlined in a 90-minute hearing in Melbourne, saw Epic Games granted a partial victory which cleared the… Read more »

Cyber security

Australia having three ‘cloud giants’ is a risk, says ACCC

- June 25, 2025 4 MIN READ

Australia’s competition regulator says the dominance of the country’s three major cloud computing providers — Microsoft, Google, and Amazon Web Services (AWS) — means such companies could be incentivised to engage in anti-competitive behaviour, potentially increasing risks to consumers and the wider market. The major cloud providers — often called ‘hyperscalers’ due to their capacity… Read more »

Business

Losing its US online ad monopoly case is just the start for Google’s world of competition pain – and Meta’s in the firing line too

- April 18, 2025 4 MIN READ

Tech giant Google has just suffered another legal blow in the United States, losing a landmark antitrust case. This follows on from the company’s loss in a similar case last year. Social media giant Meta is also currently embroiled in a landmark legal battle in the US that could change not only how it operates,… Read more »

People

Why Google’s new quantum chip has an Australian flavour

- March 11, 2025 3 MIN READ

A quantum computing innovation developed by researchers at the University of Sydney is being used in Google’s latest quantum chip, called Willow. The processor, which was unveiled by the tech giant in December, utilises a breakthrough in error correction which can improve the performance of quantum devices. The technology was formally detailed in 2021 when… Read more »

AI/Machine Learning

Google backflipped on its policy of not using AI for weapons

- February 12, 2025 3 MIN READ

Last week, Google quietly abandoned a long-standing commitment to not use artificial intelligence (AI) technology in weapons or surveillance. In an update to its AI principles, which were first published in 2018, the tech giant removed statements promising not to pursue: technologies that cause or are likely to cause overall harm weapons or other technologies… Read more »

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Business

Fresh from its $272 million win against Uber, class action lawyers Maurice Blackburn are now eyeing off Google’s adtech

- December 3, 2024 2 MIN READ

Law firm Maurice Blackburn is wading into an issue that’s vexed the federal government, competition watchdog the ACCC, as well as the media, investigating a potential class action against Google for alleged anti-competitive conduct in Australia’s digital advertising market. The idea is likely to be tempting to publishers Google has not struck deals with under… Read more »

Lucinda Longcroft
Global tech

‘Who, moi?’ Australian Google exec denies the tech giant dominates search at a Senate hearing

- August 20, 2024 3 MIN READ

Google has claimed it does not dominate search engine services in Australia after a judge earlier this month found the tech giant operated an illegal search monopoly in the United States. Representatives from Google responded to questions from Australian senators during a meeting of the Select Committee on Adopting Artificial Intelligence on Friday, which also… Read more »

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Politics

ATO analysis reveals how tough it is to run a tech business in Australia, with Apple, Google and others struggling to make a buck

- April 5, 2024 3 MIN READ

Accounting tricks are helping Big Tech firms avoid paying tax on up to 96.6% of their Australian income, according to a new analysis of Australian Taxation Office (ATO) figures that showed Apple was the worst offender when it came to corporate tax minimisation. The tech giant took $9.3 billion from Australian customers during the 2021-22… Read more »