Google’s proposed adjustments to its search result formats, aimed at complying with the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), have gained backing from Airlines for Europe, a major lobbying group representing airlines such as Air France KLM and Lufthansa. The DMA prohibits tech giants like Google from favouring their services in search results, with non-compliance risking fines of up to 10% of global annual turnover.
The airline group endorsed Google’s horizontal layout, featuring same-sized boxes for airlines and comparison sites, with a distinct blue colour for differentiation. However, they raised concerns over pricing consistency and criticised Google’s plan to use indicative dates rather than specific ones for flight bookings, arguing that this change could harm the consumer experience.
In response to ongoing disagreements with rivals, Google has signalled it may revert to its older “10 blue links” search result format if consensus cannot be reached on its current proposals. This highlights the challenges tech companies face in balancing regulatory compliance with the demands of diverse stakeholders.
Ceneo, a subsidiary of Polish e-commerce platform Allegro, has filed a lawsuit against Google and its parent company Alphabet, seeking 2.33 billion zlotys ($567.6 million) in damages. The lawsuit claims Google’s preference for its price comparison services in search results caused significant harm to Ceneo’s business.
Ceneo’s demands include 1.72 billion zlotys for losses incurred and an additional 615 million zlotys in interest from 2013 to November 2024. The company also plans to seek statutory interest from the filing date until damages are paid. The case is tied to the European Union’s $2.7 billion antitrust fine against Google for leveraging its dominance in search to disadvantage smaller rivals.
A Google spokesperson responded to the lawsuit, expressing disagreement and stating the company’s ‘Shopping remedy’ has been effective in supporting brands, retailers, and comparison sites across Europe. Meanwhile, broader efforts to curb Google’s dominance include a US Department of Justice recommendation for Google to divest its Chrome browser and abstain from re-entering the browser market for five years.
Google has introduced Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking Experimental, an AI model designed for advanced reasoning, now available on its AI Studio platform. Billed as effective for multimodal understanding, coding, and complex problem-solving, it aims to enhance AI’s reasoning capabilities.
Unlike typical AI, reasoning models like Gemini fact-check themselves during response generation, improving accuracy but requiring more processing time. However, early testing shows mixed results, suggesting room for refinement in practical applications.
The rise of reasoning models reflects the industry’s search for new methods to optimise AI performance. While promising, challenges such as high computational costs and uncertain scalability remain points of debate.
A Google Street View image helped authorities in Spain in a missing person investigation. The image showed a person moving a large object into a car and another transporting a white bundle in a wheelbarrow. Authorities later located human remains in a cemetery in Soria province using advanced techniques.
Though Google Maps was involved, police clarified the image was not pivotal in solving the case of a 33-year-old man who disappeared in Tajueco. Two individuals were arrested in connection with the crime.
Google Maps has previously assisted law enforcement, including locating an Italian fugitive in 2022.
Google has proposed changes to its agreements with companies like Apple to address a US antitrust ruling against its dominance in online search. The tech giant suggested making its distribution deals non-exclusive and allowing annual reviews for developers who set Google as the default search engine.
The company urged caution against drastic measures such as selling its Chrome browser or unbundling Android features, arguing that such remedies could stifle innovation in a rapidly evolving AI landscape. Judge Amit Mehta previously found Google’s agreements gave it an unfair advantage, particularly through deals requiring Android manufacturers to pre-install Google search to access its Play Store.
Revenue-sharing deals, which are vital to smaller developers like Mozilla, would remain under Google’s plan. Critics, including DuckDuckGo, argue the proposal fails to restore competition and largely maintains the status quo. Apple reportedly earned $20 billion from its agreement with Google in 2022, underlining the financial stakes of these deals.
An April trial will determine if broader remedies are necessary to boost innovation and competition in search and artificial intelligence. The US Department of Justice, along with several states, is seeking measures to curb Google’s dominance, including restrictions on its payments for default search placement and licensing of its search technology to rivals.
According to a report by Nikkei Asia, Japan’s competition watchdog, the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC), is expected to find Google guilty of violating the country’s antitrust laws. The JFTC is reportedly preparing to issue a cease-and-desist order, directing Google to halt its monopolistic practices. The investigation, which began last October, focuses on Google’s dominance in web search services.
Google has yet to comment on the allegations, and the JFTC has also not responded to requests for a statement. This investigation follows similar antitrust actions in Europe and other major economies, where concerns have been raised about Google’s market power. The company’s Chrome browser, which is the most widely used globally, plays a central role in its advertising business by providing valuable user data.
This development comes amid increasing scrutiny of Google’s practices. In the US, the Department of Justice has argued that Google should be forced to divest Chrome and be banned from re-entering the browser market for five years as part of efforts to address its search engine monopoly.
Major firms including Google, Stripe, and Shopify have pledged $80 million to support innovative carbon capture technologies, targeting emissions from paper mills and sewage plants in the US. This investment is part of the Frontier coalition’s strategy to develop cost-effective solutions for reducing atmospheric carbon.
Two start-ups, CO280 and CREW, will benefit from the funding. CO280 plans to deploy carbon capture technology adapted from the oil industry to trap emissions from paper mills. Meanwhile, CREW will enhance wastewater treatment processes with limestone to absorb carbon dioxide, leveraging rocks’ natural CO2-attracting properties.
The coalition’s aim is to drive down the cost of carbon removal to $100 per metric ton in the US, a significant reduction from current prices. Frontier’s head of deployment, Hannah Bebbington, highlighted the potential to integrate these technologies into older industries, paving the way for large-scale, affordable carbon removal in the near future.
Google’s Willow quantum chip has ignited a debate about the multiverse theory, with Hartmut Neven from Google’s Quantum AI team suggesting that the chip’s performance supports the idea of quantum computation occurring across parallel universes. The chip’s ability to solve a computational problem exponentially faster than classical computers has raised the possibility that this speed is linked to the multiverse.
However, critics argue that Willow’s success can be explained by alternative interpretations of quantum mechanics, such as the Copenhagen or pilot-wave theories, and that there is no direct evidence proving the existence of parallel universes. Despite its impressive computational achievement, Willow does not provide empirical proof for the multiverse.
The implications of this debate extend beyond the multiverse theory itself, offering an opportunity to explore more profound questions about quantum mechanics and the nature of reality. Whether or not Willow proves the multiverse, the discussion prompts further investigation into quantum computing’s potential and its transformative impact on fields such as cryptography, material science, and AI.
Additionally, the conversation around Willow encourages scientists to re-examine established theories and explore new possibilities, driving innovation and expanding the frontiers of scientific understanding.
Google has launched the second generation of its AI model, Gemini, along with innovative applications like real-time AI-powered eyeglasses and a universal assistant, Project Astra. CEO Sundar Pichai called it the dawn of a ‘new agentic era,’ where virtual assistants can autonomously perform complex tasks under user supervision.
Gemini 2.0 now powers features such as AI Overviews in Google Search and includes advancements in image and audio processing. Google also revealed tools like Project Mariner for automating web tasks and Jules, an AI tool for software coding.
The company’s focus on embedding AI in widely used products like Search, YouTube, and Android is seen as a strategy to outpace competitors like OpenAI. Its Project Astra prototype can process multilingual conversations and integrate data from Maps and Lens. Testing on AI-enabled eyeglasses marks Google’s return to wearable tech, challenging rivals like Meta in the augmented reality space.
More than 20 price comparison websites across Europe, including Germany’s Idealo and France‘s LeGuide, criticised Google’s proposed changes to its search results, claiming they fail to comply with EUDigital Markets Act (DMA) requirements. The Act prohibits companies from favouring their own products and services on their platforms.
Google’s latest proposal includes redesigned search results to balance comparison sites and supplier websites, alongside testing an older ‘ten blue links’ format in some countries. However, the websites argue Google has disregarded feedback from over a year of discussions.
The critics, in an open letter, called on the European Commission to take decisive action, including fines, to ensure compliance. Google referred to a November statement highlighting efforts to meet DMA requirements.
