Britain says Google's online-ad commitments no longer needed
LONDON (Reuters) -Britain's antitrust regulator said commitments it secured from Google in 2022 related to online advertising were no longer needed after the tech company decided against a standalone prompt for third-party cookies in April.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) had been concerned that Google's original plan to downgrade third-party cookies could have weakened competition in digital advertising.
In 2022 it accepted commitments from Google that addressed its concerns about its "privacy sandbox" proposals, specifically around plans to remove some third-party cookies from its Chrome browser.
"The CMA believes the commitments are no longer necessary and is now consulting before it takes a decision on whether to release them later this year," it said on Friday.
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Google AI Overviews strike again following the fatal Air India crash
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, BGR may receive an affiliate commission. Google said at I/O 2025 that AI Overviews are quite popular with users, but I've always found them to be the worst kind of AI product. Google is forcing AI results on as many Google Search queries as it can just because it can. It's not because users want AI Overviews in search. The separate AI Mode is generative AI in Google Search done the right way. It's a separate tab or an intentional choice from the user to enhance their Search experience with a Gemini-powered chat. Today's Top Deals Best deals: Tech, laptops, TVs, and more sales Best Ring Video Doorbell deals Memorial Day security camera deals: Reolink's unbeatable sale has prices from $29.98 The reason I don't like the idea of AI Overviews being forced on users aggressively is their well-known problems with accuracy. We've learned the hard way that AI Overviews hallucinate badly. The glue-on-pizza incident won't be forgotten anytime soon. While Google has improved AI Overviews, the AI-powered Search results still make mistakes. The latest one concerns the fatal Air India crash from earlier this week. Some people who rushed to Google Search to find out what happened saw an AI Overview claiming that an Airbus operated by Air India crashed on Thursday, soon after takeoff. Some AI Overviews even mentioned the type of plane, an Airbus A330-243. In reality, it was a Boeing 787. I've said more than once that Google should abandon AI Overviews. The glue-on-pizza hallucinations were one thing. They were funny. Most people probably realized the AI made a mistake. But this week's hallucination is different. It spreads incorrect information about a tragic event, and that can have serious consequences. The last thing we want from genAI products is to be misled by fake news. AI Overviews do exactly that when they hallucinate. It doesn't matter if these issues are rare. One mistake like the one involving the Air India crash is enough to cause harm. Google is showing It was an Airbus aircraft that crushed today in India. how is this being allowed? byu/Economy_Shallot_9166 inartificial This isn't just about Google's reputation. Airbus could be directly impacted. Imagine investors or travelers making decisions based on that search result. Sure, they could seek out real news sources. But not everyone will bother to verify the snippet at the top of the page. Google's disclaimer that 'AI responses may include mistakes' isn't enough. Not everyone notices, or even reads, that fine print. At least Google corrected this hallucination and gave Ars Technica the following statement: As with all Search features, we rigorously make improvements and use examples like this to update our systems. This response is no longer showing. We maintain a high quality bar with all Search features, and the accuracy rate for AI Overviews is on par with other features like Featured Snippets. I'll also point out that not all AI Overviews may have listed Airbus as the crashed plane. Results can vary depending on what you ask and how you phrase it. Some users might have gotten the correct answer on the first try. We don't know how many times the Airbus detail appeared by mistake. AI Overviews might make similar mistakes on topics beyond tragic news events. We have no way of knowing how often they hallucinate, no matter what Google says about accuracy. If you've been following AI developments over the past few years, you probably have a sense of why these hallucinations happen. The AI doesn't think like a human. It might combine details from reports that mention both Airbus and Boeing, then get the facts mixed up. And it's not just AI Overviews. We've seen other genAI tools hallucinate too. Research has even shown that the most advanced ChatGPT models hallucinate more than earlier ones. That's why I always argue with ChatGPT when it fails to give me sources for its claims. But here's the big difference. You can't opt out of AI Overviews. Google has pushed this AI search experience on everyone without first ensuring the AI doesn't hallucinate. AI Mode, by contrast, is a much better use of AI in Search. It can genuinely improve the experience. I'll also add that instead of talking about AI Overviews and their hallucinations, I could be praising a different AI initiative from Google. DeepMind is using AI to predict hurricane forecasts, which could be incredibly helpful. But here we are, focusing on AI Overviews and their errors, because misleading users with AI is a serious problem. Hallucination remains an AI safety issue that nobody has solved yet. Don't Miss: Today's deals: Nintendo Switch games, $5 smart plugs, $150 Vizio soundbar, $100 Beats Pill speaker, more More Top Deals Amazon gift card deals, offers & coupons 2025: Get $2,000+ free See the
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Google's plan to buy security firm Wiz gets antitrust review
Justice Department antitrust enforcers are reviewing whether Google's planned $32 billion acquisition of cybersecurity company Wiz Inc. would illegally limit competition in the marketplace, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Officials in the department's antitrust division, who are probing the deal, have been examining the contours of the Alphabet Inc. unit's plan following its announcement in March, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing a confidential matter. Such inquiries include discussions with the merging companies as well as competitors and customers. The review, which is in its early stages, could last months more. It will ultimately determine whether US officials let the deal proceed. Although full-scale antitrust merger reviews are relatively rare compared to the number of deals announced each year, there are signs that the firms were bracing for scrutiny. Google agreed to pay Wiz a breakup fee of about $3.2 billion, or about 10% of the deal value, if it doesn't close, Bloomberg previously reported. Spokespeople for Google and the DOJ declined to comment on the review. A spokesperson for Wiz didn't respond to a request for comment. Meanwhile, Google has been facing intense antitrust scrutiny from Washington. In the past year, the search engine firm was found by federal judges to have illegal monopolies in online search and some advertising technology markets. Following those two rulings, it is facing a potential breakup of large parts of its business, including its Chrome web browser and some advertising tools used to place display ads around the web. Wiz, which provides cloud security, wouldn't be Google's first purchase of a large cybersecurity firm. In 2022, it bought Mandiant for $5.4 billion. Both deals are meant to bulk up the company's cloud computing business, which has historically lagged its peers, including Microsoft Corp. The DOJ also reviewed the Mandiant deal, but never challenged the transaction. Mandiant and Wiz provide complimentary services, with the former specializing in threat intelligence and cyber breaches. Wiz offers similar capabilities but its tools also work to identify and block threats across organizations' often-complex cloud environments. Wiz also works with competing services from Inc., Oracle Corp. and Microsoft. When announcing the deal, Google said the Wiz acquisition was a way to beef up its cloud security offerings and provide customers with new ways to keep their systems secure in a new era of AI. The companies said Wiz's products will continue to work on major cloud platforms, including competing services. Sisco writes for Bloomberg.
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Vietnam parliament approves hiking tax on alcoholic drinks to 90% by 2031
HANOI (Reuters) -Vietnam's National Assembly on Saturday approved a proposal to raise the special consumption tax on alcoholic beverages to 90% by 2031 from the current 65%, a move that will add to challenges facing the industry even though the top rate won't be as high as first flagged. Under the legislation, the tax rate on beer and strong liquor will rise to 70% by 2027, a year later than initially proposed, before reaching 90% in 2031. Vietnam currently imposes a 65% tax on these products and the initial proposal last year had the tax rising to as high as 100%. The finance ministry has said the aim of the higher taxes is to curb alcohol consumption. Vietnam is Southeast Asia's second-largest beer market, according to a report by consultancy KPMG in 2024. Vietnam's beer industry, led by Dutch brewer Heineken, Denmark's Carlsberg, and local brewers Sabeco and Habeco, has already faced challenges from stringent drink-driving laws introduced in 2019, which set a zero-alcohol limit for drivers. The country's Beer and Alcoholic Beverage Association chief has said industry revenue has declined for the past three years. In response to weakening demand and the initial proposal for the tax hike, Heineken last year suspended operations at one of its Vietnam breweries. On Saturday, the lawmakers also approved a new levy of eight percent on sugary drinks exceeding 5g/100ml of sugar that will take effect in 2027 and rise to 10% in 2028.
