EU Charges Amazon With Distorting Online Retail Competition

FILE PHOTO: European Union flags flutter outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium August 21, 2020. REUTERS/Yves Herman
FILE PHOTO: European Union flags flutter outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium August 21, 2020. REUTERS/Yves Herman
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EU Charges Amazon With Distorting Online Retail Competition

FILE PHOTO: European Union flags flutter outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium August 21, 2020. REUTERS/Yves Herman
FILE PHOTO: European Union flags flutter outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium August 21, 2020. REUTERS/Yves Herman

The European Commission has been investigating Amazon’s dual role - as a marketplace for merchants and also a rival seller - since July last year, triggered by complaints from traders about the company’s practices.

The investigation also focuses on how Amazon uses competitively sensitive merchant data to select winners for its “buy box”, which allows customers to add items from a specific retailer directly into their shopping carts.

Vestager will send a statement to Amazon outlining her charges, the person said. She has scheduled a 1230 CET (1130 GMT) news conference, without specifying the subject.

Sources had told Reuters last month that she might narrow her case to speed up the investigation.

Amazon can ask for a closed door hearing to defend itself. An EU decision could come next year.

The charges come as the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified Amazon’s role in the global economy, with online sales soaring.

Vestager has a reputation of being one of the world’s toughest antitrust regulators. Under her watch, the EU has imposed large fines on Alphabet’s Google and other companies.

The crackdown on Big Tech’s power has also spread to the United States, where the Trump administration last month filed a historic monopoly lawsuit against Google.



Saudi Arabia Joins Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence

Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) President Dr. Abdullah Al-Ghamdi speaks at the India AI Impact Summit 2026. (SPA)
Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) President Dr. Abdullah Al-Ghamdi speaks at the India AI Impact Summit 2026. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Joins Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence

Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) President Dr. Abdullah Al-Ghamdi speaks at the India AI Impact Summit 2026. (SPA)
Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) President Dr. Abdullah Al-Ghamdi speaks at the India AI Impact Summit 2026. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia has officially joined the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI), an initiative hosted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and originating from the G7, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Saturday.

Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) President Dr. Abdullah Al-Ghamdi made the announcement at the India AI Impact Summit 2026.

Al-Ghamdi emphasized that the accession to the GPAI underscores the Kingdom’s leadership in fostering the responsible and reliable use of AI. 

This strategic partnership aims to expand AI risk monitoring to the Middle East, aligning regional priorities with international standards and reinforcing the Riyadh Charter on AI to ensure ethical technological development for the benefit of humanity, he added.

Supported by Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, the membership aligns with Vision 2030 goals to localize advanced technologies and boost the digital economy's contribution to GDP.

By joining over 40 nations, Saudi Arabia will actively shape international AI standards, promote ethical and responsible AI use, and attract high-quality global investments into its robust regulatory environment.

Saudi Arabia ranks third globally in contributions to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development AI Policy Observatory, having submitted over 60 policies to support international governance.

 


Xbox Boss Phil Spencer Retires as Microsoft Shakes Up Gaming Unit

During 12 years leading Xbox, Phil Spencer oversaw blockbuster studio buys and an evolution to video games being played just about anywhere players can get online. KEVORK DJANSEZIAN / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
During 12 years leading Xbox, Phil Spencer oversaw blockbuster studio buys and an evolution to video games being played just about anywhere players can get online. KEVORK DJANSEZIAN / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
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Xbox Boss Phil Spencer Retires as Microsoft Shakes Up Gaming Unit

During 12 years leading Xbox, Phil Spencer oversaw blockbuster studio buys and an evolution to video games being played just about anywhere players can get online. KEVORK DJANSEZIAN / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
During 12 years leading Xbox, Phil Spencer oversaw blockbuster studio buys and an evolution to video games being played just about anywhere players can get online. KEVORK DJANSEZIAN / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

Microsoft on Friday put out word that Xbox stalwart Phil Spencer is retiring, in a shakeup of leadership at the tech titan's video game unit.

Former Instacart chief operating officer Asha Sharma will take over as head of Microsoft Gaming, with Matt Booty becoming executive vice president and chief content officer, said AFP.

"As we celebrate Xbox's 25th year, the opportunity and innovation agenda in front of us is expansive," Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella said in a message to employees.

"I am long on gaming and its role at the center of our consumer ambition."

Changes to the gaming team include Sarah Bond leaving her job as Xbox president "to begin a new chapter" away from Microsoft, according to the company.

The shakeup comes as cloud computing and artificial intelligence have become priorities at Microsoft, driving revenue growth but also massive spending on infrastructure to power the technology.

"When I walked through Microsoft's doors as an intern in June of 1988, I could never have imagined the products I'd help build, the players and customers we'd serve or the extraordinary teams I'd be lucky enough to join," Spencer said in a message to colleagues.

"It's been an epic ride and truly the privilege of a lifetime."

Spencer headed the Xbox unit for 12 of his 38 years at Microsoft, nearly tripling the size of the business as video games evolved from packaged software for consoles to subscription services and digital downloads on an array of devices.

Spencer also guided the Xbox team through acquisitions of Activision Blizzard, ZeniMax, and Minecraft.

Xbox boasts more than 500 million monthly users and a vast stable of game studios, along with a subscription gaming service.

"We are witnessing the reinvention of play," Sharma said in a blog post announcing the leadership changes.

"To meet the moment, we will invent new business models and new ways to play by leaning into what we already have: iconic teams, characters and worlds that people love."


Indian PM, President of Saudi Arabia’s SDAIA Discuss AI Cooperation 

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) President Dr. Abdullah Al-Ghamdi meet on the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit 2026. (SPA)
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) President Dr. Abdullah Al-Ghamdi meet on the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit 2026. (SPA)
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Indian PM, President of Saudi Arabia’s SDAIA Discuss AI Cooperation 

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) President Dr. Abdullah Al-Ghamdi meet on the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit 2026. (SPA)
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) President Dr. Abdullah Al-Ghamdi meet on the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit 2026. (SPA)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with President of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) President Dr. Abdullah Al-Ghamdi on the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Friday.

Discussions focused on knowledge transfer and the exchange of expertise to accelerate digital development in both nations. They also tackled expanding bilateral cooperation in data and AI.

Al-Ghamdi commended India’s leadership in hosting the summit, noting that such international partnerships are essential for harnessing advanced technology to benefit humanity and achieve shared strategic goals.