GAFA et al

[New] US federal and state antitrust enforcers are preparing a lawsuit against Google which could come this year, focusing on the tech giant's dominance of online advertising.
[New] On Monday the The Australian government will not bow to threats from big tech companies not to show local content, describing the coming stoush with Google and Facebook as a battle worth fighting.
[New] Google and Apple's virus tracing system is coming in two separate phases: First, sometime in May, both companies will put out the operating-system-level programming interfaces that allow the health agency apps to tap in and start offering their services.
Apart from the automotive OEMs, tech giants like Apple, Intel, Cisco, Amazon, Sony are investing big time in AI for self-driving vehicles, which is going to make magical transportation, driven by algorithms like reinforcement learning, a reality in a few years.
Alibaba will generate $4.5 billion in global cloud platform revenue, surpassing Google, but Google will retain its third-place ranking for North American clients due to Alibaba's small footprint in that region.
Later this year, users will no longer need to install an app to opt in to the contact-tracing effort: Apple and Google say proximity tracking will be built directly into phones' operating systems in the coming months to help ensure broad adoption.
By limiting demand, Amazon should be able to better meet its current orders so consumers do not become frustrated with it and adjust its processes to protect its workers and avoid legal issues that could cost it more sales going forward.
The novel coronavirus pandemic can wipe out more than $44 billion in global ad revenue for the tech giants Facebook and Google in 2020 as digital advertising runs dry.
While some existing GM vehicles already feature infotainment systems that run on Google's Android platform, this partnership will see GM add core Google services to its vehicles, including Google Assistant, Google Maps, and the Google Play store.
With Apple launching a credit card with Goldman Sachs, Google gearing to roll out checking accounts this year, and Facebook trying to drum support for Libra, FinTechs will be competing with Big Tech in 2020.
LiveChat's customers can use Apple Business Chat to give their customers an opportunity to easily contact businesses, receive real-time support, access products, and services or make purchases using Apple Pay.
Apple and Google are releasing an API for apps to use in May, but eventually, later in the year, exposure notification will be introduced at the operating system level to ensure a broader adoption, which is necessary for contact tracing to succeed in cutting down on the spread of COVID-19.
Every one in six Americans own a smart speaker (Google Home, Amazon Echo) and eMarketer forecasts that nearly 100 million smartphone users will be using voice assistants in 2020.
While Apple phones and Amazon e-commerce have been allowed in, much of China's large and lucrative national market is shielded from foreign firms and investment, even while Chinese firms are expecting access to the markets of other countries.
Apple and Google would then plan to provide software updates to more than two billion active devices across the world using their software program by the end of the year.
Apple Pay leads OEM battle: Apple Pay will account for a 52% share of OEM Pay transactions by value, up from 43% in 2020.
The number of countries launching contact tracing apps is expected to rise even further from next month following news of the ground-breaking collaboration between Google and Apple to add a tracing capability into their operating systems.
The heightened competition with established online platforms such as Rakuten and Amazon from a retail giant, such as Aeon, could be a catalyst for further growth in the e-commerce market and related logistics activities.
The plan announced by Google and Apple will accelerate efforts to launch contact tracing apps around the world.
Technology like Amazon Alexa for Business, for example, could become a new interface and remove the need for physically pushing a button or touching a surface in an office.
Apple and Google in May will release APIs that will allow for interoperability between Android and iOS devices using apps from public health authorities, while later in the year, a broader Bluetooth-based contact tracing platform will be made available at the OS level.
Google will pump more than $10bn into offices and data centres across the US this year as it gears up for a fight with rival clouds Amazon Web Service and Microsoft Azure.
With Google planning to withdraw support of third-party cookies in its Chrome browser in the next couple of years, first-party data will become more valuable for mobile marketers.

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Last updated: 24 May 2020