Topline
Google’s plan to ban online tracking devices on its Chrome web browser has caught the eyes of U.S. competition watchdog after tech giant advertising competitors complained they will not be able to collect more data about web users – the study adds to woes against Google ‘s trust at home and abroad as regulators try to manipulate the power of big tech companies.
U.S. competition authorities are reportedly looking into Google’s decision to ban surveillance … [+]
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Key facts
Investigators from the Department of Justice – which already has a trust probe in the company – have been asking advertising operators whether Google’s decision to install third-party tracking tools (known as cookies) out of their Chrome browser unfairly hindering their ability to do business, Reuters reported Thursday.
Analysts are reportedly asking whether Google is using 60% global market share at Chrome to gain an unfair advantage over its competitors in the online advertising space, where it is also a key player. .
Google’s advertising competitors are concerned that the company may pursue other methods of data collection while using privacy to determine closing methods that are open to competitors.
Officials from more than a dozen companies in several departments have spoken to investigators, Reuters reports, noting that the investigation may not lead to a lawsuit.
Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Key background
This report is within the broader landscape of ongoing trust studies around the world aimed at unleashing the power of some of the biggest players in the tech world. Online advertising is at the heart of the digital economy and reliance on aggressive data collection is growing rapidly as privacy issues shift to the center of space. Google’s critics dismiss the company’s apparent advantage when it comes to protecting users’ privacy, accusing them of arming it for their own benefit. Apple, one of the major technical players in privacy reform, took the plunge this week when a French regulator said it would not intervene in its plans to ban tracking “just because it could adverse effects of companies in the ecosystem. ”
What do you look
The UK competition watchdog is also checking Google about the upcoming Chrome changes. Texas also pushed the Chrome changes to an ongoing antitrust suit and raised 14 other states and regions against Google for trying to shut down the open internet with their popular browser.
Quote Cruise
“There is a weapon for privacy to justify business decisions that secure power for their business and disadvantage the wider market,” Acxiom data broker Chad Engelgau told Reuters.
Further reading
Exclusive: Google’s privacy push pulls US antitrust review – sources (Reuters)
Google moves away from individual web tracking signals Another move for digital advertising (Forbes)