From the telecom regulator ‘whitelisting’ VPNs in Pakistan to the court ruling that Google illegally monopolised internet search in the US, here’s everything we covered at Digital Rights Monitor (DRM) this week.
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PAKISTAN: Telecom regulator confirms ‘whitelisting’ VPNs
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has confirmed that it is following through with its plan to regulate the use of virtual private networks (VPNs), according to an official notification.
The announcement came amid speculation that the VPNs would be banned completely, which sparked a wave of concern and alarm as X (previously Twitter) remains suspended in the country. X was blocked on February 17, 2024, a week after the general elections were held. The users have since been accessing the platform using VPNs.
“In response to recent media reports regarding PTA blocking VPNs, it is clarified that no such action has been taken and all kinds of blocking is undertaken only under the directions of the government of Pakistan in accordance with legal frameworks and guidelines,” the PTA said in an Instagram post.
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US: Google illegally monopolised internet search, court rules
Google created illegal monopoly using billions of dollars over internet search to become the default search engine around the world, a US judge has ruled.
The ruling says Google violated antitrust laws and shelled out about $26.3 billion in 2021 alone to retain its monopoly over the search engine market. The development marks a significant turning point in the regulation of Big Tech platforms by federal authorities, which have ranged against leading tech conglomerates to rein in their powers.
“The court reaches the following conclusion: Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly,” US District Judge Amit Mehta said in a 227-page ruling, which adds that Google controls 95 per cent of web browsing and 95 per cent of online search on smartphones.
The ruling could have a seismic impact on Google’s owner Alphabet’s gargantuan advertising acumen, which has been the company’s major source of revenue. The court’s findings allow the regulators to proceed with a second trial, which will entail possible remedies, including a split of Alphabet itself. The breakup could change the face of online advertising and disintegrate Google’s decades-long dominance in the industry.
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X sues leading companies over ‘massive advertiser boycott’
X, formerly Twitter, has taken a number of companies to court accusing them of leading a “massive advertiser boycott” on the platform.
X, which is owned by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, has witnessed dramatic falls in advertising revenue following the billionaire’s acquisition.
The lawsuit was filed on Tuesday in a federal court in Texas against various firms, including Unilever, Mars, CVS Health, and Orsted. The targeted companies are members of the World Federation of Advertisers, which is an initiative of the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM).
According to the complaint, it is an “an antitrust action relating to a group boycott by competing advertisers of one of the most popular social media platforms in the United States”. The lawsuit accuses GARM of carrying out a coordinated conspiracy to withdraw advertisements from X and cause monetary losses to the company.
Musk, in a post on X, said, “We tried peace for two years, not it’s war.” This indicates that the billionaire is determined to follow through with his legal plans against advertisers for allegedly withdrawing “billions of dollars in advertising revenue” from X.
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