government

Yesterday, the European Commission hit Google with a record-breaking $5 billion fine for antitrust violations. There are actually a few different angles to the Commission's complaint, but to boil it down, it essentially claimed that Google used Android to cement its search dominance. Google, obviously, argued against the fine and announced its intent to appeal the ruling, and today the company finds itself with an unlikely ally: President Trump.

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Google has drawn the ire of the European Union once more, earning itself a massive €4,342,865,000 fine ($5.05 billion) for what the EU views as antitrust violations. Today's fines center around Google Search and Android - more specifically, how Google has used Android as a "vehicle to cement the dominance of its search engine" as internet traffic shifts from desktop to mobile. Google now has 90 days to bring its illegal conduct to an end, otherwise it faces additional fines that will add up quickly.

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Microsoft is calling for government regulation of facial recognition, citing both the benefits and risks associated with the technology. "Facial recognition technology raises issues that go to the heart of fundamental human rights protections like privacy and freedom of expression," Microsoft President Brad Smith said in a long essay today. For all the good it offers, the same technology can be used to oppress a population.

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The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a new report detailing the NASA Commercial Crew Program and delays its two contracted companies, Boeing and SpaceX, are experiencing. Both space companies are behind schedule, with the report revealing that NASA anticipates Boeing being slightly closer to completion than SpaceX.

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Hackers who stole a US Air Force drone manual were caught trying to sell it on the dark web, a security firm has reported. The discovery was made on June 1 by Recorded Future's Insikt Group, which was monitoring for "criminal actor activities" on the parts of the Internet where few people venture. The documents reportedly were associated with the USAF's MQ-9, an unmanned aerial vehicle more commonly known as a UAV or drone.

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When last we spoke about Hawaii and their plans to ban some sunscreens, proposed law SB 2471 wasn't yet live. As of this week, and thanks to Governor David Ige's final signature, that law is in full effect. The law's writing says that there's a layover until January 1st, 2021*, at which point none of a certain set of sunscreens can be sold in or transported to Hawaii's chain of islands - the entire state, that is.

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Back in 2011, China Mobile took the first legal step to make its entrance in the US market, one that would allow it to offer wireless phone service to individuals within the nation. The Section 214 license application has been with the FCC for years, the agency having been tasked to seek info from the Executive Branch over whether authorizing the carrier would be "in the public interest of the US." That answer is officially no.

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A federal probe into Facebook's handling of user data is said to have grown, adding another three government agencies alongside the Department of Justice. According to sources that have surfaced, the FBI, FTC, and SEC have joined a probe into Facebook's Cambridge Analytica controversy, marking an expansion of the government's focus on the company.

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It seems that Microsoft is indeed working on a new Surface. Of course, many of us probably expected Microsoft to be preparing a new Surface for launch later on in the year, and this appearance at the FCC seemingly confirms those suspicions. After all, gaining FCC certification is usually one of the last steps before launch for new devices.

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The US Supreme Court has ruled that officials must have a warrant to acquire a week or more of phone location data. Such information, particularly when mapped over a large period of time, has the potential to reveal sensitive details about someone, such as who they associate with, religious beliefs, and more. The ruling does not, however, require a warrant in all situations.

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The US Department of Homeland Security has issued a warning over a new type of malware out of North Korea. The DHS worked with the FBI to unearth and reveal the existence of a malware variant it says is known as "TYPEFRAME." Analysts with the two government agencies analyzed a total of 11 samples of the trojan, including infected Windows files.

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Elon Musk's Boring Company just netted itself a pretty big contract. The city of Chicago, more specifically the Chicago Infrastructure Trust, has selected The Boring Company to create an underground link that provides express service between O'Hare International Airport and downtown Chicago. Obviously, the goal is to provide quick travel for people going to and from the airport, but the hope is that it will also help decrease traffic in the area as well.

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