Google has been facing an antitrust investigation in Europe brought by the European commission. The investigation could see Google have to pay fines near $5 billion if things don’t go … Continue reading
Computer manufacturer Dell is under investigation by the Justice Department over sales of computers to the Syrian government. The sale of Dell computer products to the Syrian government reportedly originated with a distributor based in Dubai that works with Dell. There are currently sanctions in place that prevent most goods made in the US from […]
Here’s a question. Forced to decide, would you rather have a patent troll breathing down your neck, or cuddle up with an entity just as ghoulish that’s living under a bridge? The FTC wants your thoughts on the matter, even if its description isn’t quite so… colorful. The agency is putting out a call for public commentary on its proposed investigation of patent assertion entities, which have come under federal scrutiny as of late. Key to the proposal, the FTC would request information from 25 patent trolls to learn non-public information such as their corporate structure, patent holdings, means of acquiring patents, the cost of enforcing them and the earnings that the trolls generate. Accordingly, the agency hopes to “develop a better understanding of how they impact innovation and competition.”
For comparison sake, the FTC also proposes an information request from approximately 15 companies in the wireless communication sector, which would include manufacturers and other licensing entities. You’re more than welcome to answer the bridge question in the comments, but if you want to contact the FTC directly, you’ll find everything you need after the break.
[Image credit: Tristan Schmurr / Flickr]
Filed under: Misc
Source: FTC
Europeans are already jittery about possible foreign surveillance of their communications; today, those worries have reached a fever pitch. Belgian government investigators now suspect that a recently discovered virus in the internal systems of Belgacom, the country’s telecom giant, was planted as part of state-backed cyber espionage. The malware’s sophistication, scale and strategic focus suggest an attacker with “significant financial and logistic means,” according to prosecutors. Neither side has officially named a culprit. Local newspaper De Standaard isn’t quite so reticent, however — it alleges that the NSA has been spying on Belgacom’s voice traffic for at least two years, and that the discovery was prompted by Edward Snowden’s leaks. Whether or not the NSA is involved, the damage may be limited. Belgacom scrubbed its systems clean this weekend, and it doesn’t believe that the attack compromised customer data.
[Thanks, Joachim / image credit: Diluvienne, Flickr]
Dan Cooper contributed to this report.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet
Via: Reuters
Source: De Standaard (translated), Belgacom
Ford has found itself on the receiving end of an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which states it has received a dozen complaints about the auto maker’s Focus Electric vehicles. Reportedly, the electric vehicle is prone to stalling without warning, a potential hazard. The complaints received by the NHTSA concerned Focus Electric […]
Google is once again under FTC scrutiny, this time over its advertisement methods and whether it is using them to harm its competition, something that is separate from the issue closed earlier this year concerning whether it was in violation of antitrust laws. For now it remains a preliminary investigation, and there’s no word on whether the agency has pegged Google as having broken any laws.
According to the Washington Post, the investigation is the result of Google’s acquisition of DoubleClick back in 2008 for a hefty $3.1 billion. Such a purchase raised the FTC’s hackles over whether possessing the advertisement platform, in addition to its own AdSense, could put the Internet giant in a position to harm its competitors. Google went ahead with the buyout, and has been under the FTC’s eye in that regards since then.
One of the biggest concerns specified by the FTC was something referred to as tying, which shoehorns consumers into having to buy multiple products from a single company. This is anti-competitive, and likewise would put Google in violation of the law. This concern was raised shortly before the DoubleClick acquisition, and since then the percentage of the advertisement market Google controls has increased.
Beyond its newly launched preliminary investigation, not much else is known at the moment. We’ll have to wait to see if Google has violated any laws, but it is possible the investigation will be wrapped up and will fade away without any hoopla, as has been the case many times. When asked about the investigation, both the FTC and Google declined commenting on the matter.
This follows the antitrust debacle Google went through with the FTC throughout last year, eventually settling with the agency back in January for terms many criticized as being a mere slap on the hand. While that investigation partly concerned the advertisement aspects of Google, in addition to a variety of other issues, including prioritizing its own results over competitors, the issue was separate from this one.
SOURCE: Washington Post
Google under investigation by FTC over advertisements is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
The European Union has set its sights on its next target, or should we say targets. It has placed both Huawei and ZTE in its crosshairs and plans on launching an investigation against the companies due to suspicions over unfair subsidies as well as national security issues. Normally, the EU would launch investigations based on complaints from companies, however, this time around, the EU is taking matters into its own hands.
The European Commission believes that Huawei and ZTE may possibly be receiving unfair subsidies that allow it in turn to undercut its European rivals. EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht is taking charge of this operation, and will ultimately be deciding whether or not to go through with the investigation. He will also be investigating whether or not these companies pose a danger to national security. Last February, he told Reuters that “there were ‘serious security concerns’ involving mobile telecom networks,” and noted Huawei in his statement.
The EU tried to seek help from several European manufacturers, including Ericsson, Alcatel-Lucent, and Nokia Siemens. All of the companies refused to offer their help because of the potential risk that follow along. If they were to participate in the investigation, they fear that they would be shut out of the Chinese telecoms market, a growing market that is very important for these businesses.
Along with the lack of support from European manufacturers, several EU countries are divided on the issue as well. Britain and the Netherlands are supportive of Huawei because it is a major job provider in Europe. Other countries are concerned about Huawei gaining more influence in their wireless markets. These countries are mainly concerned about the espionage rumors that have circulated both Huawei and ZTE.
Many countries had concerns that the Chinese government was using Huawei and ZTE devices to spy on other nations. This caused a huge scare amongst many countries. Canada considered banning Huawei devices from its government, the United States launched a provision that placed restrictions on U.S. government agencies from purchasing devices from these businesses, and Germany restricted Huawei from supplying its products for a national academic research network.
Huawei and ZTE have continuously denied that their devices are used to spy on other nations. They also say that they are not receiving unfair subsidies, and the low cost of their products is due to the low-cost of their manufacturing, as well as their own innovation. They say that they have always complied with international laws. Karel De Gucht will discuss the possibility of this investigation with other EU trade minsters at a meeting in Dublin this week.
[via Reuters]
EU intends to launch an investigation against Huawei and ZTE is written by Brian Sin & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Suffice it to say that unmonitored in-app purchases by kids have proved problematic — most of all for the parents who first learn about them through a gigantic bill. The UK’s Office of Fair Trading is concerned enough that it’s launching an investigation into whether mobile- and web-based games for the junior set are running afoul of consumer protection laws. Its six-month study will explore whether or not those games are “misleading or aggressive” when they goad kids into parting with real cash for virtual goods; the regulator also hopes to hear from game developers, app store operators and the parents themselves. OFT senior director Cavendish Elithorn tells the BBC that the investigation won’t likely ban in-app purchasing when all is said and done, but we wouldn’t be surprised if the outcome involves more than just a few app store disclaimers.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet
Via: Electronista
Source: Office of Fair Trading, BBC
Microsoft is under investigation by United States regulators over software bribery claims involving foreign government officials, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing “people familiar with the matter.” The piece says both the US Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission are looking into the Redmond, Washington-based software giant, investigating allegations of kickbacks in China, and its “relationship with certain resellers and consultants in Romania and Italy.” Though neither the Justice Department nor the SEC would confirm the investigation, Microsoft told the WSJ, “We sometimes receive allegations about potential misconduct by employees or business partners. We cooperate fully in any government inquiries,” without confirming the situation.
With regard to China, Microsoft’s allegedly being investigated for kickbacks that its Chinese subsidiary is said to have paid for software contracts in the region. In Romania the situation is said to be similar to that in China, but in Italy it’s said to involve customer loyalty plans.
Update: Microsoft further outlines its response to the allegations here (though still without confirming whether or not the investigations are taking place).
Filed under: Software, Microsoft
Source: The Wall Street Journal
Samsung has formally (and publicly) apologized over the hydrofluoric acid leak that occurred in January. Alongside this, Vice Chairman Kwon Oh-hyun said that the company will revoke its application to get its plants certified as green for another five years. He added that the company is now overhauling its existing system to prevent any similar accidents from recurring. Samsung’s ‘green’ plants were previously able to sidestep governmental checks on the facilities’ environmental impact. Meanwhile, police are still investigating seven people on charges of negligence over the incident.
Source: Yonhap News
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