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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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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The specs: 2018 Maxus T60
Price, base / as tested: Dh48,000
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder
Power: 136hp @ 1,600rpm
Torque: 360Nm @ 1,600 rpm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel consumption, combined: 9.1L / 100km
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
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Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
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Rating: 4/5
GIANT REVIEW
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Director: Athale
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Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
How The Debt Panel's advice helped readers in 2019
December 11: 'My husband died, so what happens to the Dh240,000 he owes in the UAE?'
JL, a housewife from India, wrote to us about her husband, who died earlier this month. He left behind an outstanding loan of Dh240,000 and she was hoping to pay it off with an insurance policy he had taken out. She also wanted to recover some of her husband’s end-of-service liabilities to help support her and her son.
“I have no words to thank you for helping me out,” she wrote to The Debt Panel after receiving the panellists' comments. “The advice has given me an idea of the present status of the loan and how to take it up further. I will draft a letter and send it to the email ID on the bank’s website along with the death certificate. I hope and pray to find a way out of this.”
November 26: ‘I owe Dh100,000 because my employer has not paid me for a year’
SL, a financial services employee from India, left the UAE in June after quitting his job because his employer had not paid him since November 2018. He owes Dh103,800 on four debts and was told by the panellists he may be able to use the insolvency law to solve his issue.
SL thanked the panellists for their efforts. "Indeed, I have some clarity on the consequence of the case and the next steps to take regarding my situation," he says. "Hopefully, I will be able to provide a positive testimony soon."
October 15: 'I lost my job and left the UAE owing Dh71,000. Can I return?'
MS, an energy sector employee from South Africa, left the UAE in August after losing his Dh12,000 job. He was struggling to meet the repayments while securing a new position in the UAE and feared he would be detained if he returned. He has now secured a new job and will return to the Emirates this month.
“The insolvency law is indeed a relief to hear,” he says. "I will not apply for insolvency at this stage. I have been able to pay something towards my loan and credit card. As it stands, I only have a one-month deficit, which I will be able to recover by the end of December."
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Army of the Dead
Director: Zack Snyder
Stars: Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera
Three stars
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
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RESULT
Bayer Leverkusen 2 Bayern Munich 4
Leverkusen: Alario (9'), Wirtz (89')
Bayern: Coman (27'), Goretzka (42'), Gnabry (45'), Lewandowski (66')
