Technology executives from Meta, Google and TikTok were in Washington District Court on Wednesday to appear in high-level cases that could dramatically change the US tech business landscape.
In one courtroom, Sundar Pichai, chief executive of Alphabet, parent company of Google, took the witness box and tried to persuade a judge to go easy on the company as the court tries to decide how best to remedy what it has determined as its status as an anticompetitive monopoly.
In another courtroom, Adam Presser, TikTok's head of operations, trust and safety, was called as a witness by the Federal Trade Commission as it sought to prove similar allegations against Meta, owner of Facebook.
For Meta and Google, their decades of unprecedented dominance are at stake.
Google is trying to make the best of a bad situation stretching back to August, when US District Judge Amit Mehta ruled that the company had been illegally exploiting its dominance in the search sector to stifle competition and innovation, therefore harming consumers.
What's under way now is the remedy portion of the trial, which prompted the appearance of Alphabet's chief, Mr Pichai on Wednesday.
"The plaintiff’s proposal is too broad," he said before Mr Mehta, referring to the Department of Justice's aggressive remedy that could result in a massive break-up of Alphabet.
Among the DOJ's solutions is a proposal that would require Google to share search data with rivals with the goal of increasing competition.
Mr Pichai described the DOJ's data sharing plan as "extraordinary" and that he felt it was the equivalent of "a de facto divestiture of search", which he said was the result of many years of research and investment.
He also questioned how productive it would be to share the company's search data.
"It would be trivial to reverse engineer and effectively build Google search from the outside," Mr Pichai added.
It's not entirely clear when the remedy portion of the DOJ's antitrust case against Google will be finished, but if Mr Mehta decides to go with a stronger remedy action, it could be the beginning of the end of the search giant's reign in search, search advertising revenue and technology influence.
Since the start of Meta's trial several weeks ago, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp has tried to prove that it's not a monopoly, as it has competitors including TikTok and YouTube.
The FTC, however, used various instances, written and spoken by TikTok officials, to prove that it is not a competitor to Meta, rendering the company's point moot.
“Our service is not intended for networking purposes," said Mr Presser, while answering a series of questions by an FTC attorney.
"In our view social networking services [like Facebook] are platforms for people to build social networks and relationships… the TikTok consumption experience is driven by user interests and is not dependent on social network driven inputs." He added that it might be accurate to call TikTok a social platform, but not a social network, like Facebook.
He also told the court that the China-based platform sought to dabble in making enhancements to TikTok's social network offerings, but that the company hadn't "been particularly successful" in doing so.
If TikTok or YouTube are not seen by the court as competitors to Meta, the company could be at risk of losing the trial and being forced to sell off profitable portions of its business, such as Instagram and WhatsApp.
Meta's trial is expected to take two and a half months.
Some analysts have suggested that the FTC's anticompetitive arguments might be difficult to prove amid a technology landscape cluttered with apps and social platform offerings.
Even if the FTC loses, however, Meta is still spending enormous time and resources defending itself. The company's chief executive and famous founder, Mark Zuckerberg, has not been immune from having to take the stand.
With the intense trial continuing, competitors are not by any means standing still.
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Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
Points to remember
- Debate the issue, don't attack the person
- Build the relationship and dialogue by seeking to find common ground
- Express passion for the issue but be aware of when you're losing control or when there's anger. If there is, pause and take some time out.
- Listen actively without interrupting
- Avoid assumptions, seek understanding, ask questions
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'
Rating: 1 out of 4
Running time: 81 minutes
Director: David Blue Garcia
Starring: Sarah Yarkin, Elsie Fisher, Mark Burnham
The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The specs
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Sebastian Stefan, Sebastian Morar and Claudia Pacurar
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2014
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Sector: Logistics
Raised: $2.5 million
Investors: DP World, Prime Venture Partners and family offices in Saudi Arabia and the UAE
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch
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More on Quran memorisation:
Like a Fading Shadow
Antonio Muñoz Molina
Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez
Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)
