In a preliminary report into Google's alleged anti-competitive practices, the European Union says it believes breaking up the company could be essential.The European Commission has been investigating Google's ad business, and specifically its market dominance, since 2021. Following its preliminary report, the EU has now sent Google a statement of objections."The Commission preliminarily finds that, in this particular case, a behavioural remedy is likely to be ineffective to prevent the risk that Google continues such self-preferencing conducts or engages in new ones," says the EU Commission in a statement Read more...

Reddit CEO Steve Huffman on Monday told Reddit employees that he is unconcerned about current protests over the company's sudden API changes. In a letter shared by The Verge, Huffman said that while there's a "lot of noise" right now, it "will pass." He also said that Reddit "has not seen any significant revenue impact so far." A number of community-moderated subreddits began shutting down and going private on Monday, June 12, with the blackout set to last until Wednesday, June 14 in many cases. Subreddits with millions of subscribers are participating in the protest. Going private means that no new posts are able to be submitted to a given subreddit, and in some cases, the content from the subreddit…

Illustration by Samar Haddad for The Verge As connected becomes the default for every household appliance — from TVs and washing machines to ovens and vacuums — we break down exactly what makes a home ‘smart’ and help you decide if it’s the right fit for you. I find the simplest way to explain the concept of a smart home is that it’s a natural evolution of our homes. A smart home isn’t fundamentally different from a “regular” home — it’s just the improvement of one. In the same way that electricity made our homes better and more functional, so is connectivity improving the way we live in and use our homes. I’ve lived in a smart home for a…

Illustration by Samar Haddad for The Verge As connected becomes the default for every household appliance — from TVs and washing machines to ovens and vacuums — we break down exactly what makes a home ‘smart’ and help you decide if it’s the right fit for you. I find the simplest way to explain the concept of a smart home is that it’s a natural evolution of our homes. A smart home isn’t fundamentally different from a “regular” home — it’s just the improvement of one. In the same way that electricity made our homes better and more functional, so is connectivity improving the way we live in and use our homes. I’ve lived in a smart home for a…

A U.S. federal judge in Seattle ruled on Thursday that Apple and Amazon must face a consumer antitrust lawsuit in U.S. court accusing them of conspiring to artificially inflate the price of iPhones and iPads sold on Amazon.com. Mike Scarcella for Reuters: In his ruling, U.S. District Judge John Coughenour rejected bids from Apple and Amazon to dismiss the prospective class action on various legal grounds. Coughenour said the “validity” of the relevant market, a central issue in antitrust litigation, was a question for a jury. The plaintiffs are U.S. residents who bought new iPhones and iPads on Amazon beginning in January 2019. They contend an agreement between Apple and Amazon that went into effect that year restricted the number…

A U.S. federal judge in Seattle ruled on Thursday that Apple and Amazon must face a consumer antitrust lawsuit in U.S. court accusing them of conspiring to artificially inflate the price of iPhones and iPads sold on Amazon.com. Mike Scarcella for Reuters: In his ruling, U.S. District Judge John Coughenour rejected bids from Apple and Amazon to dismiss the prospective class action on various legal grounds. Coughenour said the “validity” of the relevant market, a central issue in antitrust litigation, was a question for a jury. The plaintiffs are U.S. residents who bought new iPhones and iPads on Amazon beginning in January 2019. They contend an agreement between Apple and Amazon that went into effect that year restricted the number…