From the telecom regulator warning about possible internet disruptions in Pakistan to the European Union (EU) investigating Google’s AI compliance, here’s everything we covered at Digital Rights Monitor (DRM) this week.
Read our weekly news roundup.
UK: Google abusing power in digital advertising, says regulator
Google has been found of abusing its market dominance over digital advertising in the United Kingdom (UK), the country’s competition watchdog said in a statement on Friday.
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has found that the search engine giant took advantage of its market dominance and impeded competition from rivals in the digital advertising space. The watchdog said “Google may have broken competition law by using its dominance to favour its own ad tech services in open-display advertising”.
Google has time and again been accused of abusing its dominance in global browsing and advertising, with the latest cases having emerged in the UK, the United States (US), Turkey, and Japan. Shelling out billions of dollars to monopolise internet search, forcing manufacturers to designate Google as the default search engine on devices, and suppressing rival apps are some of the allegations that are routinely levelled against Google.
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PAKISTAN: Senate warned of broad internet disruptions without licence renewals
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has warned the Senate about possible widespread internet disruptions across the country if the licences for the Long Distance International (LDI) companies are not renewed, according to a report by APP.
The alert came up in a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication, which was chaired by Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan. The renewal of LDI and Fixed Line Local Loop (FLL) were among the focal points of discussion at the meeting.
The PTA’s Chairperson Major General (retd) Hafeezur Reman informed the committee of the issues pertaining to the renewal of licences. The four companies likely to be affected include Wateen, he said, which operates across 24 cities in Sindh and Balochistan.
According to the PTA chief, Wateen provides connectivity services to 44 banks and the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) in the country, and the licence lapses could have a severe impact on the overall communications infrastructure. A committee was established to address the issue, but a resolution has yet to be reached, he said.
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INDIA: Internet suspended in Manipur as student protests turn violent
Internet services in five districts of India’s Manipur state have been suspended as the continuing protests led by students against ethnic violence turned intense on Tuesday, according to reports.
The government has choked both broadband and cellular internet services, with a curfew imposed in the restive state. The shutdown of internet services will last five days. However, it is yet unknown when the curfew will be lifted.
The suspension of connectivity services and the curfew come after violence flared up on September 1, 2024, between the Meitei and Kuki communities in the northeastern state of the world’s biggest democracy. Drones were used to drop explosive devices, which resulted in several deaths, according to reports.
Following the attacks, a large number of Meitei students took to the streets to protest against the Kuki community, which is a minority group. The Meitei blamed the drone-facilitated attacks on a Kuki militant group, which it denied the responsibility for. The protestors’ demands include changes in Manipur’s “unified command” that is in charge of the security.
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EU: Google’s AI compliance under investigation
The European Union (EU) is investigating whether Google’s AI venture is in compliance with personal data protection rules in the region, according to reports by international media.
The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC), which has, over the years, levied heavy fines on leading tech companies, has launched a probe against Google. The DPC is known for penalising powerful tech conglomerates, including Meta, which has accrued billions of dollars in fines from the watchdog and strict demands for corrective measures.
The DPC will be assessing whether Google’s practices for training its AI system, known as the “Pathways Language Model 2”, comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The GDPR is the primary piece of legislation covering tech companies and digital operations in the EU member states.
The DPC opens inquiries into potential and established data breaches on behalf of the EU as major tech companies have their European headquarters in Ireland.
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AUSTRALIA: Fines announced for tech companies over failure to prevent misinformation
Australia has announced fines for tech companies over failure to prevent the spread of mis-and-disinformation on their social media platforms, according to an official statement.
Tech companies will be fined about 5 per cent of their global revenue if they fail to contain misinformation online. Social media firms will have to establish codes of conduct highlighting their strategies and containment measures for misinformation, according to the government.
These codes of conduct will be approved by country’s top regulator, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). Thee authority will have “new powers to hold digital platforms to account and improve efforts to combat seriously harmful misinformation and disinformation”.
If a platform fails to set guidelines for misinformation, the regulatory body will establish them itself. Companies found violating these standards will be penalised accordingly. While the codes of conduct will be voluntary, they will have to be approved by the regulator.
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Keep following DRM for updates on internet governance, platform takedowns and internet shutdowns, and corporate accountability from around the world
