NewsBytes Briefing: Google sued for shady practices, and more
Over the weekend, another case was added to the list of lawsuits against Google. This time, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is taking the tech giant to the court, claiming that it failed to take proper consent from Australians about combining the personal information on their Google accounts with their activities on non-Google sites. Here are other major developments.
Big Tech CEOs' hearing rescheduled to Wednesday
The high anticipated Congressional hearing of Chief Executives of four of the largest US tech companies - Google, Amazon, Apple, and Facebook - has been postponed to July 29. The decision was taken to accommodate the memorial service of civil rights leader John Lewis, who passed away on July 17. It's the first time that these four executives will testify in one hearing.
Telegram gets profile videos; TikTok blocks QAnon hashtags
Separately, WhatsApp rival Telegram has pushed an update, introducing features like sending 2GB files in chat (WhatsApp, are you listening?), setting profile videos, showing thumbnail preview of photos/videos in the conversation list, and automatically archiving messages from people who are not in contacts. In another development, video platform TikTok has launched a crackdown on several hashtags related to the pro-Trump QAnon conspiracy theory.
Musk says he is not worried about Twitter DM hack
Just recently, Twitter said that hackers that targeted its platform accessed DMs of 36 high-profile accounts. In response, Elon Musk, who was also targeted, claimed he is not worried about it. Speaking to the New York Times, Musk said, "We can probably cherry-pick some section of my DMs that sound bad out of context but overall my DMs mostly consist of swapping memes."
Other important developments to note
Google has confirmed that it will be providing free replacement devices to people who are facing problems while connecting their Nest Thermostats to Wi-Fi. Then, Apple is said to be working on a Face ID-like feature for MacBooks, while OnePlus has leaked 271 email addresses of its customers through a mass email in which the sender forgot to use the BCC field.
Finally, some updates around COVID-19
India on Sunday reported nearly 49,000 cases of COVID-19, taking the totally tally to over 14.3 lakh, and nearly 700 new deaths. The first part of COVAXIN's Phase 1 trial has been completed with 50 volunteers being administered by the shot. Meanwhile, an AIIMS study has shown that focusing on fever as a predominant symptom of COVID may lead to many cases being missed.
