EU

New law might force Apple to switch the iPhone to USB-C

September 23rd, 2021

Jacob Siegal

The European Union’s European Commission is trying to put an end to proprietary charging ports on electronic devices. This week, the Commission proposed a revised Radio Equipment Directive, making USB-C the new standard port for smartphones, tablets, cameras, headphones, portable speakers, and handheld videogame consoles. Considering most electronic companies have already made the move to …

Tech

EU accuses Apple of anti-competitive behavior in Spotify antitrust case

April 30th, 2021

Chris Smith

A report said a few days ago that the European Commission would issue antitrust charges against Apple in a Spotify case. The music streaming service filed a complaint with the EU’s antitrust regulator, claiming that Apple’s App Store rules “purposely limit choice and stifle innovation at the expense of the user experience.” Spotify complained about …

Politics

Europe might ban travel from the US to stop coronavirus outbreaks

June 24th, 2020

Chris Smith

The European Union will update its coronavirus travel rules in the coming days, issuing new policies for reopening local economies and borders. The EU bloc will accept visitors from other countries starting with July 1st, but Americans might not be allowed into the region anytime soon. The surge in COVID-19 cases in the US places …

Tech

Google is making it easier for Android users in Europe to pick a new browser

April 18th, 2019

Chris Smith

We’ve known for a while now that Google offered Android users in Europe a different experience than international customers, and that’s because the European Union really wants Google to behave a lot less like a monopoly than before. Google lost three major anti-trust cases in the region, including one that concerns Android. The European Commission …

Tech

Google slapped with massive $1.7 billion antitrust fine – its third in three years

March 20th, 2019

Chris Smith

Reports a few days ago said that Google would receive a new massive fine in Europe, and the EU on Wednesday delivered its latest ruling against the tech giant. This time around we’re looking at a €1.5 billion ($1.7 billion) antitrust fine as a result of illegal practices in Google’s AdSense business.

Tech

Consumer groups want EU to go after Google for tracking users with their phones

November 27th, 2018

Chris Smith

A report a few weeks ago revealed what some Google users already knew: That disabling Location History doesn’t mean Google will not record your location with the help of certain mobile apps, especially the ones that need your location to work correctly, like Google Maps and Search. There is a way to stop location tracking …

Business

The days of Google letting device makers install its apps for free in Europe are almost over

October 19th, 2018

Andy Meek

It looks like Google is going to potentially start making bank by licensing out its app suite to Android handset makers in Europe. That’s according to documents obtained by The Verge, which show how in response to a major anti-trust ruling against Google from the European Union this summer, the company is starting to rework …

Business

Google is making a huge change to its business model in response to the EU

October 16th, 2018

Andy Meek

Google is preparing for a major shift to its business model in response to a record-breaking EU fine this summer over the rules that Google binds Android handset makers to if they want access to the OS — rules that include requiring those handset manufacturers to set Google’s own search and web browsers as the default …

Tech

Let’s remember that nobody asked Google to make Android free

July 18th, 2018

Chris Smith

The European Union just hit Google with a record-breaking $5 billion fine for abusing its position in the mobile business. The EU didn’t like the fact that Google “forces” Android device makers to install Google Search and the Chrome browser alongside Google Play on their devices, or the fact that Google pays carriers and partners …

Tech

Google hit with record-breaking $5 billion fine in Android antitrust case

July 18th, 2018

Chris Smith

We knew this was coming so it’s hardly a surprise that Google will receive a new antitrust penalty in Europe. Recent reports said the new fine would break the previous record for the EU region, which must have been terrible news for Google given that the company was the holder of that dishonorable record. On …