Apple and Google have announced a multiyear partnership that will see Google's Gemini AI models underpin a more personalized version of Siri, slated for release in 2026. The agreement lets Apple use Gemini and Google Cloud to drive its upcoming frontier models and Apple Intelligence while keeping data on Apple devices and private cloud compute for privacy. Analysts note the deal continues Apple’s tradition of “co‑opetition” with Google, which already pays Apple for default search placement, and could give Google a larger AI footprint on iPhone users. Potential antitrust concerns have been raised, but the specifics of the technology exchange remain unclear. Read more →

The European Commission has launched an antitrust probe into Google’s AI‑driven search tools, focusing on its AI Overviews and AI Mode. Regulators will examine whether Google uses website and YouTube content to generate AI answers without compensating publishers, and whether it imposes unfair terms that limit competitors’ access to that data. The investigation aims to assess potential harms to competition in the AI market and to determine if Google’s practices restrict rival AI firms from using the same content. Google has defended its approach, saying it will work with news and creative industries as AI evolves. Read more →

Google and the Department of Justice met in Washington to fine‑tune a federal court order that curtails the tech giant’s search practices. While the order aims to restore competition in the search market, Google argues that the imposed restrictions should not hamper the rollout of its Gemini AI app, especially when bundled with services like YouTube and Maps. The judge expressed concern that such bundling could give Google undue leverage, but also rejected the most aggressive DOJ proposals. Google maintains that its AI offerings are distinct from its search monopoly and should not be subject to the same remedies. Read more →

Apple told a federal court that Elon Musk’s xAI does not compete in the smartphone market and that the company’s alleged antitrust grievance rests on speculation. Apple argued Musk’s theory—that Apple is incentivized to boost OpenAI to block xAI’s “super‑app” ambitions—is unfounded, noting that a super‑app capable of replacing smartphones is at least a decade away. The company warned that forcing Apple to integrate every generative‑AI chatbot would hinder innovation, raise costs, and create safety risks, while emphasizing that nothing in its OpenAI agreement prevents Musk from building his own applications. Read more →

A federal judge has issued tentative remedies in the Department of Justice's antitrust lawsuit against Google, requiring the company to abandon exclusive agreements that tie its search services to other products. While Google will not be broken up, the order mandates data sharing with qualified competitors and the removal of conditions that link Search, Chrome, Google Assistant, or Gemini to app distribution or revenue arrangements. The ruling aims to prevent further anticompetitive behavior and will be refined in a final judgment due later this year. Read more →

In a recent Engadget podcast, hosts discuss the muted excitement ahead of Apple's September 9th iPhone 17 event, a U.S. antitrust judge's decision that Google will not be forced to sell Chrome, upcoming Gemini-powered smart home announcements, the Browser Company’s sale to Atlassian, Instagram’s first iPad app after 15 years, Dolby Vision 2 with AI features, and Ooni’s AI‑driven Volt V2 pizza oven. The episode also highlights new hardware from Remarkable, Acer, and Samsung. Read more →

The European Commission has imposed a record fine of €2.95 billion (just under $3.5 billion) on Google, concluding the company abused its dominant position in online advertising. Regulators said Google favored its own ad exchange, AdX, in both its publisher ad server and ad‑buying tools, creating a conflict of interest across the adtech supply chain. Google has 60 days to stop the self‑preferencing practices and must propose remedies, or face further action. The company announced it will appeal the decision, arguing there are maybe alternatives to its services. The fine is the EU's second‑largest antitrust penalty ever. Read more →

The Federal Trade Commission is investigating whether Google and Amazon misled advertisers about pricing and terms for their online ads. The probe focuses on the auction-style sale of ad space, including Google's automated search auctions and Amazon's real‑time listings auctions. Regulators are examining Amazon's use of "reserve pricing" and Google's internal pricing processes to determine if advertisers were kept in the dark about price floors or hidden cost increases. The FTC investigation adds to broader federal scrutiny of big‑tech firms, following other antitrust actions involving Google. Read more →

Microsoft has agreed to sell Office 365 suites without the Teams collaboration tool at a substantially lower price, ending a long‑standing European Union antitrust dispute. The settlement follows a complaint that Microsoft illegally tied Teams to its dominant Office suite, limiting competition. Under the deal, customers can switch to licenses that exclude Teams, move their data elsewhere, and benefit from price cuts that could halve the cost difference between bundled and unbundled suites. Competitors such as Slack, Google Meet and Zoom will gain greater interoperability, while Microsoft avoids a potential EU fine. Read more →

China's State Administration for Market Regulation has opened an investigation into NVIDIA's $6.9 billion purchase of Mellanox, asserting that the deal violated national antitrust laws and the conditions China set when it approved the takeover. While no penalties have been announced, the regulator’s preliminary findings were kept confidential until now, coinciding with U.S.–China trade talks in Madrid. The original acquisition was announced in 2019 and approved by Chinese authorities the following year on the basis that NVIDIA would continue supplying GPUs and interconnect products under “fair, reasonable, and non‑discriminatory” terms. Read more →

Alphabet surpassed the $3 trillion market capitalization threshold after a federal judge declined to order a breakup of the company. The decision softened the remedies from a prior ruling that found Google’s search business illegal monopoly. The Justice Department’s proposal to force the sale of Chrome and other aggressive actions was rejected, ending unsolicited bids from firms. Meanwhile, Alphabet’s cloud and AI offerings continue to drive growth, placing the firm alongside Nvidia, Microsoft and Apple in the elite trillion‑dollar club. Read more →

The U.S. Supreme Court has issued a preliminary injunction that restricts Google’s conduct in the Google Play Store for a three‑year period ending on November 1, 2027. The order bars Google from tying revenue sharing, payment terms, pre‑installation, and billing requirements to developers’ distribution choices, and it prevents the company from blocking communication about alternative payment methods or app availability outside the Play Store. Both Google and Epic Games will each appoint a member to a three‑person Technical Committee to resolve disputes arising under the order. Read more →

Penske Media, owner of publications such as Rolling Stone, Variety and Billboard, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court alleging that Google illegally uses their content and that of other publishers to populate AI Overviews that appear at the top of search results. The complaint says Google's dominance forces publishers to surrender traffic and revenue, while AI Overviews divert clicks away from original sites. Google has responded that its services send “higher quality clicks” and will defend the claims. The case could shape how AI‑generated summaries are licensed and impact the broader relationship between search platforms and news publishers. Read more →

Chinese regulators have closed their antitrust probe into Google’s Android operating system, a case that examined the platform’s dominance and its effect on domestic phone makers. The decision comes amid broader U.S.-China trade discussions involving TikTok, NVIDIA, and tariffs, and reflects Beijing’s strategic use of regulatory pressure in diplomatic negotiations. While Google’s core services remain blocked in China, the company continues to generate revenue through cloud services and advertising aimed at overseas audiences. Read more →

A federal judge has issued tentative remedies in the Department of Justice's antitrust lawsuit against Google, requiring the company to abandon exclusive agreements that tie its search services to other products. While Google will not be broken up, the order mandates data sharing with qualified competitors and the removal of conditions that link Search, Chrome, Google Assistant, or Gemini to app distribution or revenue arrangements. The ruling aims to prevent further anticompetitive behavior and will be refined in a final judgment due later this year. Read more →

A federal judge has issued tentative remedies in the Department of Justice's antitrust lawsuit against Google, requiring the company to abandon exclusive agreements that tie its search services to other products. While Google will not be broken up, the order mandates data sharing with qualified competitors and the removal of conditions that link Search, Chrome, Google Assistant, or Gemini to app distribution or revenue arrangements. The ruling aims to prevent further anticompetitive behavior and will be refined in a final judgment due later this year. Read more →

In a recent Engadget podcast, hosts discuss the muted excitement ahead of Apple's September 9th iPhone 17 event, a U.S. antitrust judge's decision that Google will not be forced to sell Chrome, upcoming Gemini-powered smart home announcements, the Browser Company’s sale to Atlassian, Instagram’s first iPad app after 15 years, Dolby Vision 2 with AI features, and Ooni’s AI‑driven Volt V2 pizza oven. The episode also highlights new hardware from Remarkable, Acer, and Samsung. Read more →

In a recent Engadget podcast, hosts discuss the muted excitement ahead of Apple's September 9th iPhone 17 event, a U.S. antitrust judge's decision that Google will not be forced to sell Chrome, upcoming Gemini-powered smart home announcements, the Browser Company’s sale to Atlassian, Instagram’s first iPad app after 15 years, Dolby Vision 2 with AI features, and Ooni’s AI‑driven Volt V2 pizza oven. The episode also highlights new hardware from Remarkable, Acer, and Samsung. Read more →

The European Commission has imposed a record fine of €2.95 billion (just under $3.5 billion) on Google, concluding the company abused its dominant position in online advertising. Regulators said Google favored its own ad exchange, AdX, in both its publisher ad server and ad‑buying tools, creating a conflict of interest across the adtech supply chain. Google has 60 days to stop the self‑preferencing practices and must propose remedies, or face further action. The company announced it will appeal the decision, arguing there are maybe alternatives to its services. The fine is the EU's second‑largest antitrust penalty ever. Read more →

The European Commission has imposed a record fine of €2.95 billion (just under $3.5 billion) on Google, concluding the company abused its dominant position in online advertising. Regulators said Google favored its own ad exchange, AdX, in both its publisher ad server and ad‑buying tools, creating a conflict of interest across the adtech supply chain. Google has 60 days to stop the self‑preferencing practices and must propose remedies, or face further action. The company announced it will appeal the decision, arguing there are maybe alternatives to its services. The fine is the EU's second‑largest antitrust penalty ever. Read more →