Tag: fined
Meta fined €265m by Irish watchdog for Facebook data breach
The Irish data watchdog has now hit Meta with nearly €1bn in fines over privacy breaches.
Read more: Meta fined €265m by Irish watchdog for Facebook data breach
England prepared to be fined for Harry Kane wearing One Love armband in Qatar
‘Cash cows’: Brits fined £100million for driving through low-traffic ‘green zones’
Meta Fined $24.6M for Violating Washington Campaign Finance Disclosure Law – CNET
Google fined $161.9 million in India over ‘anti-competitive’ Android policies
Google is facing another fine for allegedly misusing its control of Android to suppress competition. CNETreports India’s Competition Commission has fined Google the equivalent of $161.9 million for supposedly giving its Android apps an edge using restrictive terms. The company imposes an “unfair condition” on phone makers by requiring that they preinstall Google apps as part of agreements, according to officials. That, in turn, is said to discourage companies from developing heavily modified Android variants that rely less on Google services.
The Commission also maintains that Google is wielding its “dominant position” to squeeze out competitors in search, app stores, web browsers and video services. Historically, Google has required that phones with the Play Store installed also include apps like Chrome and YouTube, often with prominent placement on the home screen. While you can always install alternatives like Firefox and Vimeo, they’re not included out of the box. Brands can use the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) if they want more flexibility, but they lose access to the Play Store in the process.
The regulator has issued a cease and desist order barring Google from requiring a “bouquet” of preinstalled apps. Companies have to be given the choice of which apps they want. Google also isn’t allowed to deny access to the Play Services framework, to include “anti-fragmentation” clauses that bar Android forks, or to offer incentives in return for exclusive search deals. Third-party app stores must be allowed to distribute through the Play Store. Users, meanwhile, must have the power to choose their search engine on setup and to uninstall Google apps they don’t want.
Google has declined to comment until it receives the official Commission order. The investigation began in 2019, but didn’t determine that Google had abused its dominance until September 2021.
The fine is tiny for Google, which made about $257.6 billion in worldwide revenue last year. The order could force it to significantly alter its deals with Android manufacturers, however, and comes after South Korea, the European Union and others have demanded similar changes. And Google can’t afford to ignore India — it’s the second-largest smartphone market on Earth with about 606.6 million users. A forced withdrawal would significantly damage Google’s bottom line, not to mention clout in the mobile industry.
Shein owner Zoetop fined $1.9m over data breach response
Apple Reportedly Fined $19M for Not Including Chargers With iPhones – CNET
16 Wall Street firms fined $1.8B for using private text apps, lying about it
The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has fined big-name banks and brokerages a collective $1.8 billion over workers’ use of private texting apps to discuss work and for not always saving those messages. The fines include $1.1 billion assessed by the SEC and a $710 million fine from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
The SEC investigation uncovered what the agency called “pervasive off-channel communications,” that were collected by the firms themselves from employee devices. The employees included senior and junior investment bankers and debt and equity traders.
Google and Meta fined millions in South Korea for privacy violations
The fines in South Korea come as an EU court has upheld an antitrust fine for Google in excess of €4bn.
Read more: Google and Meta fined millions in South Korea for privacy violations