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Google takes down Paytm from Play Store

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Earlier on 18th September 2020, Google took down Paytm, India’s most reliable and valuable digital payment app from Play Store. Google accused Paytm of violating the Play Store gambling policies and thus the app disappeared from the Play Store all of a sudden. Paytm has a monthly active user base of 50 million thus becoming Google Pay the biggest competitor in the country. Paytm accused Google of restricting the financial service app from adding new users. Let’s have a more detailed look into this.

Why Paytm has been taken down by Google?

Sports betting is banned in India. But, escaping the strong vigilance, many online sites arrange sports betting illegally. According to Google, Play Store doesn’t allow online casinos in its list and other gambling apps that promote and welcome users for sports betting in India. TechCrunch was informed by two unnamed people that Paytm has introduced a fantasy sports service (Paytm First Games) in its marquee app that violated many times the policies of the Play Store. 

The Android-maker also maintains similar guidelines around gambling. There are many apps made by Indian companies that lead the users to an external website where one can participate in paid tournaments and betting related to sports in India. And, all such apps violet the policies of Google Play Store thus bringing doom on themselves. Suzanne Frey, VP, Product, Android Security, and Privacy, wrote in a blog post that the rules are made to protect users from potential harm that can be caused by these misleading apps. She also further mentioned that even after warning the developer if the app is not brought into compliance it might also result in permanently terminating the Google Play Developers account.

After Paytm was taken down by Google, Paytm tweeted addressing all its users that the app is temporarily unavailable and it will be back soon. The company also assured that all the money is safe and they don’t need to worry.

Paytm
Image Source: blog.paytm.com

Sports betting in India

Google taking down Paytm accused of illegal sports betting might be a loud and clear message to all developers across the country. Since India is a country with a huge base of cricket lovers and IPL that started on 19th September, it might be a gentle warning. Google wanted to warn everyone that the betting policies of the Play Store should be taken seriously. The previous seasons of IPL have witnessed the interest of millions of Indians in such apps where they can participate in sports betting.

Apart from Paytm, Google has also asked Disney+ Hotstar to display a warning before showing ads of fantasy sports app.  

Paytm accused Google

Vijay Shekhar Sharma, co-founder and CEO of Paytm in response to this accusation by Google said that Google is not allowing Paytm to acquire new users. Google took down the app of Paytm hours after it rolled out cricket-themed scratch cards for cashback. He said that though Google has previously raised concern about Paytm First Games, this time it was about “nothing but” provided cashback to the users. He further said if cashback is the issue, the same rule should apply for Google Pay and PhonePe as well. The company has pulled the new feature and revised the app’s current version.

In response to Google taking down Paytm, FIFS (Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports) said that it has launched a complaint to Google about allowing some big companies like Paytm to launch and promote cash contest. The FIFS said that the guidelines of Google regarding Fantasy Sports should be imposed on everyone equally.

Is it back on the Play Store again?

The app was taken down from Play Store on Friday morning. It was back again in the evening after the company submitted its regulated version of the app to Play Store. The app was banned as the company rolled out a new feature called “Paytm Cricket League”, a day before IPL. The CEO of the company said the feature was cricket-themed cashback for users but Google said it violated policies against “simulated gambling content”. Though Google says Paytm violated policies, some industry experts are looking at it as a potential conflict of interest as Paytm is Google Pay’s biggest rival in the country.

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Google Sets an Unprecedented Goal to Tap Only on Renewable Power by 2030.

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With our world on the verge of destruction as we are running out of non-renewable resources, green energy is the need of the hour. Fuels like natural gas and coal are in high demand around the world because many industries are consuming it and they are present in a limited amount. Many countries and the R&D department of many companies are carrying out research to make green energy more accessible and affordable. Because once we find a strong source of renewable energy we can put a stop to the use of limited resources. Till then we should consume power from natural non-renewable resources judiciously.

Speaking of consuming energy judiciously, Google is aiming to use 100% clean energy by 2030. The chief executive officer of Google, Sundar Pichai told Reuters yesterday that they will ditch consuming power generated from coal and natural gas and completely depend on renewable sources of energy.

Google “stretch” goal

Alphabet Inc’s Google is planning to use only carbon-free electricity to power all its offices and data centers by 2030. Google is a multinational company trying to become completely dependent on renewable energy sources and if they succeed it will become the first company to ditch non-renewable sources of energy.

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, has described it as a “stretch” goal as it will force the company to push itself beyond the technical norms of offsetting carbon emissions. He also said that to achieve this goal they also need to make a major technological and political breakthrough. The initiative taken by the company is appreciated as this will set an example for many industries around the world to pursue an alternative option. Someone had to start it and Google is helping others find solutions like it is doing for itself.

Climatic change limits the resources

Though we are receiving alert messages about how rapidly our limited resources are declining, how global warming is gradually becoming a nightmare for the Arctic and Antarctic region, this year triggered the situation. The high rate of wildfire in 2020 has led to the destruction of many natural resources with climate change at its peak. The western part of the United States has witnessed damage to wildfire and Google wants to draw people’s attention to this via its new goal and product feature.

Google
Image Source: nasdaq.com

It’s been many years that Google has inclined towards the renewable sources of energy and a part of Google’s offices and data centers run on it. Almost 61% of the total Google’s hourly electricity usage at a global level is fueled by renewable sources like wind, solar power, etc. So, more than half of Google’s energy consumption comes from green sources which are a very big success for the company. But, the consumption of green energy is not equally distributed. For example, in Google’s Oklahoma data center 96% of the total hourly energy required is met by carbon-free resources while in the gas-reliant Singapore operation only 3% is met. So, Google’s new goal will establish uniformity as well.

Sundar also said that to fuel all the offices and data centers 24/7 with carbon-free resources is pretty challenging. So, they spent the entire last year coming up with a practical model and hence confident about reaching the goal by 2030. He didn’t reveal any cost of the new system yet.

Other companies 

Other big companies like Amazon and Microsoft are also trying to eradicate carbon emissions from the environment. But, it is only Google that publicly announced their goal to be fulfilled by 2030. Every company should try its best to start producing green energy in-house as scientists say that by 2030 global warming will take a huge toll on our planet.

Stop pollution 

Jennifer Layke, the global director of the World Resources Institute (funded by Google) said that the action of Google has inspired many in America and Europe over the last decade. Google trying to ditch carbon-containing sources of energy is nothing new, the only difference is now it will look onto nations with crucial polluting regions like India, Indonesia, Vietnam, and China. Jennifer also said that if we are unable to ditch carbon, we will suffer in the hands of natural disasters like drought and firestorms.

Google has remained carbon-neutral since 2007 thus focusing more on planting trees, funding projects concerning green energy, etc. The carbon fuel electricity usage for Google is going now as compared to the early 2000s.

Fake News

The EU Asks Facebook, Google, and Twitter to Do More to Combat Fake News

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The coronavirus pandemic has been a rather unfortunate event that has shaken the world vigorously. However, one of the gravest aftermaths of it has been the large-scale sharing of fake news. Around the world, governments are doing all they can to hold tech giants more accountable for their actions. As a result of combined efforts, tech giants, such as Google, Facebook, and Twitter had agreed to accept a self-regulatory code in a bid to combat fake news two years ago. However, the European Commission has now urged these companies to do more to prevent the spread of disinformation. Here’s a look at what the EU is asking of these companies, and how they have reacted in the past.

Proactive Approach

The COVID-19 situation has made governments more active with regards to stopping the spread of misinformation. As a result, social media is now being asked to take a more proactive approach when it comes to combating fake news. The tech giants mentioned above, along with companies like Mozilla and advertising bodies have been asked to do more. All these companies had signed a more lenient deal in 2018 that aimed to prevent more heavy-handed regulations against hate speech. Later on, TikTok and Microsoft also joined these companies in promising to stop the spread of fake news. 

Shortcomings in the Code

However, following an assessment last year, experts concluded that the Code contained several shortcomings. As per a study done by Reuters, the Code allowed for its incomplete and inconsistent application. Furthermore, the report stated that there was a lack of uniform definitions, which allowed for different platforms to interpret the laws differently. Also, there were a lot of gaps in the commitments stated in the Code. The Code also featured limitations that were intrinsic to the very nature of the self-regulatory Code. Vera Jourova, who serves as the Vice President of the European Commission, therefore, called for greater transparency.

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Image Source: digitalinformationworld.com

Flexibility in the Digital Rule Book

Jourova also stated that the world is now witnessing new threats, making new measures extremely essential. Furthermore, Jourova said that these social media platforms need to be held accountable and that they should become more transparent. They also need to provide better access to their data to make the internet a safer place. As a result, the Commission is working on an Action Plan which will help the E.U. become more resilient towards digital threats. The E.U. Commission will soon propose a Digital Services Act by the end of 2020 to increase the responsibilities and liabilities of such platforms.

Requirement for Better Laws

The new Act aims to bring more rules that will restrict the freedom of platforms, products, and services. As a result, the move has set ablaze a fear within the tech industry as they will now face more heavy-handed opposition from governments. A joint statement regarding the inefficiencies of the older plan and the need for a new one came out on Tuesday. The announcement was made by Vera Jourova, who is the EU Commissioner, Security Chief Julian King, and Mariya Gabriel, who serves as the Digital Commissioner. The statement also noted that the old laws allowed for the large-scale spread of propaganda and disinformation which needs to be stopped. As a result, the EU Commission said that the tech giants need to work together and cooperate with governmental and independent bodies.

Trouble Brewing

In recent years, both Facebook and Twitter, with the former in particular have come under scrutiny in the US and Europe. One of the main talking points in such debates has been the Russian influence on the 2016 American election and the Brexit vote that occurred in the UK. The fears of such an influence led to the EU, asking for a better framework to moderate and regulate the spread of information by such platforms. The EU also stepped in requesting American tech companies to provide monthly reports with data on how they are fighting fake news regarding COVID-19 in June. With the US Presidential Election set to take place next year, the pressure is mounting to build such a framework as soon as possible. The rise in the number of manipulated videos and audios by using Deep-Fake technology has also become a popular talking point. Facebook’s refusal to fact-check posts have also drawn fire from lawmakers in the US, and employees within the company. Hence, it will be interesting to see how the companies handle this new law, and whether it will be successful in changing the way social

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Google urged the EU to provide flexibility while setting the Digital Rule Book

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On 3rd September 2020, Google urged the European Commission to bring flexibility to the upcoming Digital Services Act. Google further said that one single rule book is hard to fit all and thus amendments should be made accordingly. On 8th September 2020, the public consultation period on this matter ends. Google made a 135-page submission urging the European legislature to bring more clarity to the rules and regulations of the online platforms.

Why a new strategy?

On 1st July 2020, the new rules by the European Union to boost competition rolled out mostly because of losing Google’s market grip. The main reason to set a new rule book was the conclusion of multiple antitrust actions against Google proving ineffectual. The new Digital Rule Book set by the EU mainly focuses on two things- laying ground rules for data sharing and how the digital marketplace should operate.

Margrethe Vestager, digital chief of EU and top antitrust enforcer informed Reuters in June that the new rule book has been set up to prevent history from repeating itself. The nation doesn’t want to witness what happened with the Google cases and wants to boost competition at the same time. Google didn’t choose to reply in response to this statement.

Many actions have been taken on the operations of Google’s search engine, its OS on the Android mobile, and advertising business-related to anti-competitiveness. The rivals of the company have said that they are yet to see more competitors. So, in response to all these cases, the U.S. antitrust enforcers are preparing a case against Google. Moreover, the Digital Services Act of the EU can force the giant tech companies to give access to data under certain conditions to their small rival firms.

Why did Google ask for clarity and flexibility?

After the EU has decided to roll out the new set of rules, Google asked to reconsider all the facts and operations of every company being different from others. It said that though it is important to identify and put a stop to all the illegal contents, the mandating use of technology can “overblock Europeans” which is a very big negative point.

Google, DIgital rule book tech news

New rules should come with new features that will improve the current situation, filter the content judiciously, etc. The company further said that the rules should be laid out in such a manner that it will get rid of the extra burden of undue costs from European businesses. Because in the time of the pandemic, that is the least desirable thing for any nation.

Companies other than Google

But, is it only Google that has fallen victim to this unhealthy situation? The new template formed by the EU will become a very good example for other governments around the globe on how to tacitly rein in companies like Apple, Amazon, and Facebook. It seems that after Google, Amazon and Apple are next in line.

Targeting unfair contractual terms will harm Amazon if the investigation is carried out for the company against a dual role. One for the digital marketplace for its customers, and second as a competitor against other traders. Apple might also suffer antitrust investigation by the EU after Spotify has raised complaints about unfair curbs on its music streaming platform and a 30% fee for its in-app purchase system. Both Amazon and Apple declined to comment on this matter.

Imposing DSA will endanger the reputation of Facebook as the Digital Services Act focuses mainly on catching the frauds earning money through false advertisements. There are many business advertisements on the web that makes high profit by providing false information. So, it is clear that the EU Commission is hell bound to lay strict rules which will not only affect Google but the topmost companies of the 21st century to date. In response to rolling out the Digital Rule Book, a Facebook spokesman said that the company is supporting the EU for laying off “a harmonized EU framework” that will help in content regulation.

 In a nutshell, some of the biggest companies have been placed in the EU crosshair and both the offender and the defender will try their best to keep a better part of their negotiation. But, one thing is for sure that the U.S. Department of Justice is expected to file a case against Google soon.

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Apple in collaboration with Google launched COVID-19 ‘Exposure Notification Express’ via iOS 13.7

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Only after the outburst of the novel coronavirus, Apple and Google started working together to develop a contact tracing system. The system was designed in a way that new apps can be created by PHAs (Public Health Authorities) and this system will be incorporated. So, whoever downloaded and installed this app when came close to another person using the app data will automatically be transferred and saved. This helped later to get notified if the user in the past few days came in contact with a COVID-19 patient or not.

Yesterday, the two companies announced a big advancement in the existing technology by rolling out new tools. The new tools are launched to make the task for PHAs easier as they do not need to maintain their apps. Currently, the tool has been incorporated in iOS 13.7 and Google is working on the same for Android. For Android, there will be an automatically generated application that will be implemented in Android 6.0 later this month.

What is Exposure Notification Technology?

Exposure notification technology or exposure notification API is software made jointly by Google and Apple to help the PHAs incorporate it in apps. After the PHAs and other organizations built these apps with incorporated exposure notification API they can release it publicly. The general public can use these apps to stay updated about the COVID-19 cases around them and if they came in contact with any of the affected patients.

Both the companies took care of the user’s privacy and hence encrypted the transmitted Bluetooth metadata. Keeping in mind public privacy, the location information of the users is not exposed. Instead of this, the notification alert just shows a time and place where the device came in close Bluetooth range with other devices. So, if a user-tested COVID-19 positive and updated in the app only then the other users will receive notification that they came in contact with a potential COVID patient. The first version (Beta version) of this software was released in May 2020. But, now Apple has announced about the modified system which will not require creating a separate app by any PHA anymore.

contact tracing system
Image Source: appleinsider.com

No separate apps required anymore

Since changes in the software have been made, people might get a little confused. The working system of this new modified tool is different for both iOS and Android. It is a bit complex for Android and that is why it will launch later this month. So, the most striking and best improvement is that you don’t have to download and install an app on your own that is created by the PHAs to keep yourself updated.

Instead of downloading the app, you will receive notification from your local health authority then you can choose to opt-in. If you are an iOS user you have to install a provisioning profile and in case of an Android user, an auto-generated app will be installed via Google Play.

Role of PHAs

The PHAs don’t have to create apps on their own, so what they will do? They will provide Apple and Google with necessary information like contact information, proper guidance procedure, the recommendation for effected patients, precautions for those who came in contact with the virus, etc. Then the notification system can deliver it to the users helping them to take necessary steps as required.

The local health authorities are still responsible for what messages should be sent and the further steps if someone with positive COVID-test updates in the database. So, they are just relieved of developing their apps as most of the tech part is covered by Apple and Google. But, in the meantime already 20 countries around the world have developed and launched their apps.

Implementation of this new system

This new Exposure Notification Express will be first implemented by DC, Maryland, Nevada, and Virginia. Both Apple and Google are also working with the U.S. Association of Public Health Laboratories that will help the users to track even after they are traveling out of their home state. It is proven that this system has helped in reducing the spread of COVID-19 and preventing many deaths.

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Facebook Takes the Battle to the Government by Planning to Block Australian Publishers from Sharing Articles

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Facebook in a new statement has announced that it will block publishers and users from Australia from sharing news pieces and articles. However, this move will serve as a significant pushback against a newly proposed law that will force Facebook to pay media companies for their articles and content. Furthermore, this new announcement will also escalate tensions between the tech giant and the Australian government. Both parties have been caught in a bitter antitrust battle, with the government holding Google and Facebook responsible for paying publishers for the content they provide these platforms. Here’s a look at how the battle came to heads and what this move could mean to users and publishers.

New Law In-Play

The Australian government is yet to approve and ass the new legislation. However, an arbitration panel tasked with working out the by-laws and clauses has proposed that tech companies must pay their content publishers if the two sides cannot agree. Facebook hit back through a blog post yesterday, claiming that such a proposal was hugely unfair. The social media giant also stated that such a law would allow content creators and publishers to charge any amount they wanted. Furthermore, the company said that if the law did come through, it would be forced to prevent Australians from sharing any media on Facebook and Instagram. 

Facebook Takes A Stand

Facebook’s VP of Global News, Campbell Brown, said that this decision was hard to take for the company. However, he reiterated that it was the only way to protect Facebook against a move that would hurt them and Australia’s media outlets. She went ahead to state that the social media giant was still working on a full-proof method to block Australian media from sharing articles. Following this announcement, Josh Frydenberg, who serves as Australia’s Treasurer, said that these were nothing but heavy-handed threats.

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Instead, he stated that such a law would help make the media landscape more sustainable as digital platforms would have to pay for the content they put out. Rod Sims, who serves as Australia’s competition regulator, also said that such threats were misconceived and ill-timed. He went on to say that the newly proposed law would go a long way in ensuring that the media remains fair and transparent.

Google Follows Suit

Since the Australian legislation will also affect the Alphabet’s Google, the tech giant has also been vocal about its displeasure regarding such a law. They too raised alarms and said that such a measure would force them to put out much less efficient versions of Google Search and YouTube. As a result, such a move, Google Australia and New Zealand MD, Mel Silva, said would critically damage the use of free internet services, like Google in Australia. 

Fighting for Transparency

The Aussie government claims it is only trying to make things more fair and transparent for its media bodies. Furthermore, it states that such a law would help level the playing field and give local media a chance against large tech companies. For instance, the local media is struggling as a result of the free sharing of news by such tech giants with News Corp, a media agency owned by Rupert Murdoch planning to cut jobs in Australia.

Murdoch’s decision will result in the closing down of over 100 regional and local newspapers in Australia, putting these media persons at risk. Murdoch has long asked Facebook and Google to pay for the articles, news pieces and content that appear on their platforms. Hence, it was obvious that New Corp would laud the government’s efforts to make this a reality. Michael Miller, who serves as the executive chairman of News Corp, stated that such a move would put an end to the tech giant’s free-riding on the content created by others. Since such companies derive a lot of benefit from such content, it is only fair that they pay the people making such content out of their own pockets.

Impact and After-Effect

However, if Facebook does follow through with its plans as per the announcement, publishers would no longer have access to a broad audience. Facebook claims that in just the first five months of this year, it sent over 2.3 billion clicks to news websites based in Australia from its News Feed. As a result, blocking such news from their feed could result in a massive loss of audience for news channels, while also limiting the appeal the platform enjoys in Australia. Australia’s new rules come as a part of a global push to make tech giants more accountable and regulated.

France came out with a statement asking Google to pay media companies for the articles it shares in April. Two months later, Google said it would start paying for certain news services in Brazil and Germany. Facebook came out with its separate News Feed last October and pays certain publishers for stories. The tech giant is also in plans to extend this News tab on a global basis but will block the sharing of news if governments try to intervene in its efforts. It will be interesting to see whether the social media giant is capable of halting this global push for more regulation and whether that would be a wise choice for the consumers.