EU Sends Information Request to 17 Tech Firms Including Amazon, Apple, Meta

09 January 2024, US, Las Vegas: The Google logo can be seen on the Internet company's pavilion at the CES technology trade fair. (dpa)
09 January 2024, US, Las Vegas: The Google logo can be seen on the Internet company's pavilion at the CES technology trade fair. (dpa)
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EU Sends Information Request to 17 Tech Firms Including Amazon, Apple, Meta

09 January 2024, US, Las Vegas: The Google logo can be seen on the Internet company's pavilion at the CES technology trade fair. (dpa)
09 January 2024, US, Las Vegas: The Google logo can be seen on the Internet company's pavilion at the CES technology trade fair. (dpa)

The European Commission said on Thursday it had sent requests for information under the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) to 17 tech companies that it regards as very large online platforms (VLOP) and search engines.
It said it contacted AliExpress, Amazon's Amazon Store, Apple's AppStore, Booking.com, Meta's Facebook and Instagram, Alphabet's Google Search, Google Play, Google Maps and Google Shopping, Microsoft's LinkedIn and Bing, Pinterest, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube and Zalando, Reuters reported.
The EU asked the companies to provide more information by February 9 on measures they have taken to give researchers access to data that could be relevant to the upcoming EU and national elections as well as countering illegal content and goods sold online.
The DSA came into force in November last year and requires very large online platforms and search engines to do more to tackle illegal content and risks to public security.
The Commission opened its first probe under the DSA in December 2023 into social media company X over suspected breaches of its obligations.



Google to Discount Cloud Computing Services for US Government, FT Reports

FILED - 09 January 2024, US, Las Vegas: The Google logo is pictured on the Internet company's pavilion at the CES technology trade fair in Las Vegas. Photo: Andrej Sokolow/dpa
FILED - 09 January 2024, US, Las Vegas: The Google logo is pictured on the Internet company's pavilion at the CES technology trade fair in Las Vegas. Photo: Andrej Sokolow/dpa
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Google to Discount Cloud Computing Services for US Government, FT Reports

FILED - 09 January 2024, US, Las Vegas: The Google logo is pictured on the Internet company's pavilion at the CES technology trade fair in Las Vegas. Photo: Andrej Sokolow/dpa
FILED - 09 January 2024, US, Las Vegas: The Google logo is pictured on the Internet company's pavilion at the CES technology trade fair in Las Vegas. Photo: Andrej Sokolow/dpa

Google will heavily discount cloud computing services for the United States government, in a deal that could be finalized within weeks, the Financial Times reported on Friday, amid President Donald Trump's efforts to implement sweeping measures to minimize federal spending.

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Oracle will offer federal agencies a 75% discount on its license-based software and a "substantial" discount on its cloud service through the end of November.

Google's cloud contract is likely "to land in a similar spot", the Financial Times said, citing a senior official at the General Services Administration, adding that equivalent discounts from Microsoft's Azure and Amazon Web Services are expected to follow soon.

"Every single of those companies is totally bought in, they understand the mission," the senior official told the newspaper. "We will get there with all four players."

Reuters could not immediately verify the report.

Google and the General Services Administration did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment outside regular business hours.

In April, Google agreed to offer a 71% discount till September 30 to US federal agencies for its business apps package that could generate up to $2 billion in cost savings if there is government-wide adoption.