Internet search giant Google wants to weigh in on an appeal over whether Epic Games’ lawsuit accusing Apple of abusing its dominance in the app store marketplace should be heard in Australia, as the ACCC wins its bid to intervene in the case.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has called on Apple and Google to seize a “window of opportunity” to address the regulator’s concerns about their significant power in the app marketplace or face possible regulation.
Google misled or is likely to have misled some reasonable users of its Android devices about the digital giant’s use of their location data, a judge has found in a win for the consumer regulator.
A judge has found that a clause in Apple’s agreement with developers requires that Fortnite game developer Epic Games litigate a closely watched competition lawsuit against the tech giant on its home turf.
A judge has dismissed a case run by gangland lawyer Zarah Garde-Wilson seeking details from Google about the identity of an online reviewer after criticising her instructing solicitor’s “incoherent arguments” and late filed submissions.
Fortnite developer Epic Games has filed a lawsuit against Google for alleged anti-competitive conduct and misuse of market power, after launching a similar claim against Apple in November.
Google is looming large over the advertising technology world, the ACCC says in a new report highlighting growing concerns the global tech giant’s “unrivalled” ability to preference its own technology could affect competition.
The chair of the ACCC says that while it has made concessions in response to complaints from Google and Facebook about its proposed media bargaining code, it won’t budge on the final offer arbitration model which would be used to resolve disputes with media companies under the code.
Tech giants Google and Facebook have come under fire in a Senate inquiry for their “threats” to block news in Australia if a draft media bargaining code proposed by the ACCC is passed without any amendments.
Facebook and Google should not be expected to solve the challenges currently facing the Australian media industry, according to the social media giant, which has called on the government to address concentration in the media market.