What Did Google Do This Week? [FREE ISSUE]
Google had an incredibly litigious week, and still made buckets of cash.
EDITOR NOTE: WDGDTW is moving to Beehiiv soon.
GOOGLE HAS THREE C’S WEEK - COURTS, CODE, AND COMPETITORS
NOTE: An abridged version due to apartment move. Back to normal next week.
The US DOJ called for a breakup of Google’s ad business amid its antitrust trial, while Apple argued in court that its $20 billion Google Search deal is unnecessary, signalling strain in their alliance. Apple is also developing its own AI-powered search engine, intensifying platform risk. Google publicly denied reports of declining traffic from iOS.
Google settled a $50 million lawsuit from Black employees over racial bias claims, and saw a Biden-era payments oversight regime dismantled. In the UK, its digital tax exposure remained intact despite new trade terms.
Product-wise, Google launched scam-detecting AI tools, improved Gemini’s coding capabilities, and streamlined its iOS app interface. It also pushed AI Max, a new ad format for AI-driven search, while Alibaba debuted ZeroSearch, which may sidestep traditional search entirely.
Elsewhere, Google backed a Hollywood film to polish its public image, Jack Clark of Google DeepMind discussed AI risks and regulation, and the BBC explored Google’s cultural entrenchment through language.
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