Tech Titans

Google Shares Fall as DOJ Seeks Break-up

Shares of Google parent Alphabet tumbled more than 6% on news that the Department of Justice (DOJ) asked a federal judge to order a sell off of Google’s Chrome web browser, one of several drastic remedies aimed at busting up the Big Tech firm’s monopoly over online search.

In addition to the search giant’s go-to web portal, the feds say, Google should either be required to sell off its Android operating system or be barred from making search and other services mandatory on Android.  

The judge could later mandate a sale of Android if Google failed to adhere to the restrictions, DOJ attorneys said in recent filings. A Bloomberg analyst estimated that Chrome could be worth up to $20 billion, a tiny fraction of Alphabet’s $2.2 trillion market capitalization.

Judge Amit Mehta recently ruled Google operates an online search monopoly and has been considering what remedies or penalties to impose. 

Google has said it would harm consumers and businesses if it is forced to sell Chrome, the world’s most popular web browser.

“The DOJ continues to push a radical agenda that goes far beyond the legal issues in this case,” said Google executive Lee Anne Mulholland.

Google will also be asked to establish new measures around its Artificial Intelligence (AI), Android operating system, and use of data.

“The government putting its thumb on the scale in these ways would harm consumers, developers and American technological leadership at precisely the moment it is most needed,” added Ms. Mulholland.

The DOJ has not commented on the report, but Google has made it clear it is a proposal it opposes.  

“While a divestment of Chrome or Android would hurt Google, both are just appendages to support the company’s advertising sales that are unlikely to provide much benefit to potential buyers,” stated influential tech blogger John Gruber. “It’s like saying I have to sell my left foot,” Gruber wrote in a recent blog post. “It’s very valuable to me but of no value to anyone on its own.”  

Bezos & Sanchez Donate $110m to Combat Homelessness

Amazon Boss Jeff Bezos and his fiancee Lauren Sanchez are donating $110.5 million in grants for organizations that work to get homeless families off the street. 

Just one month after the “dynamic duo philanthropists” donated $100 million through their Bezos Earth Fund to help combat climate change they have once again opened up their deep wallets to combat homelessness.

The enormous gift will be granted to 40 different organizations that focus on family homelessness through the duo’s Bezos Day 1 Families Fund. 

“With homelessness on the rise, there has never been a more important time to support  individuals and organizations making a difference,” Ms. Sanchez said in a statement. “Every family deserves a home, and we’re thankful to be able to play a part in working towards making that a reality.” 

Mr. Bezos said it was a privilege to be able to help in this arena. “The 40 organizations we’re recognizing today are leading groundbreaking work on the frontlines of the fight to end homelessness and build independence for families,” the Amazon founder stated in the same statement, “No child should ever have to sleep outside, and it’s a privilege to help in the extraordinary efforts of these organizations.”

In a recent joint interview with CNN news, Jeff Bezos and his partner, Emmy award-winning journalist Lauren Sanchez stated that he would give away most of his $124 billion fortune during his lifetime. He stated the duo will primarily focus on fighting climate change and supporting others who can help improve the deep divide over social and political issues. 

“The hard part is figuring out how to do it in a levered way,” he said of his philanthropic strategy, which he sees as being similar to his tech-building savvy. “It’s not easy. Building Amazon was not easy. It took a lot of hard work, a bunch of very smart teammates, hard-working teammates, and I’m finding, and I think Lauren is finding the same thing, that charity, philanthropy, is very similar.”    

 Microsoft Prez Urges Push Against Cyberattacks

Microsoft President Brad Smith has urged President-elect Donald Trump to push harder against cyberattacks from Russia, China and Iran amid a number of state-backed hacks aimed at US officials and election campaigns, the Financial Times reported. 

“Cybersecurity deserves to be a more prominent issue of international relations. I   hope that the Trump administration will push harder against nation-state cyberattacks. We should not tolerate the level of attacks that we are seeing today,”  Mr. Smith stated, urging the incoming administration to send a strong message.

He reportedly said the Biden administration made “tremendous progress in strengthening cybersecurity protections,” adding that, “there’s more steps that are needed, especially in dissuading and deterring these countries from unleashing these cyberattacks.”   

A recent study from Microsoft found its customers were facing more than 600 million cyberattacks daily, including from criminal gangs and nation-state groups that have joined together to conduct joint operations and share tools. 

“The US also needs to help accelerate exports of key American digital technologies, particularly to the Middle East and Africa after the Biden White House slapped export controls on AI chips due to concerns the technology could end up in China’s hands,” Mr. Smith suggested. “We really need to standardize processes so that American technology can reach other parts of the world as fast as Chinese technology.”

Earlier this year, Morgan Adamski, Executive Director of U.S. Cyber Command said “Chinese-linked cyber operations are aimed at gaining an advantage in case of a major conflict with the U.S.” 

U.S. officials have warned that China-linked hackers have compromised IT networks and taken steps to carry out disruptive attacks in the event of a conflict. Their activities include gaining access to key networks to enable potential disruptions such as manipulating heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems in server rooms, or disrupting critical energy and water controls.