AP Technology

April 21, 2025

Google faces off with US government in attempt to break up company in search monopoly case

WASHINGTON (AP) — Google on Monday began confronting an existential threat as the U.S. government tries to break up the company as punishment for turning its revolutionary search engine into a ruthless monopoly. The drama began to unfold Monday in a Washington courtroom as three weeks of hearings kicked off to determine how the company should be penalized for operating an illegal monopoly in search. The proceedings, known in legal parlance as a “remedy hearing,” feature a parade of witnesses that includes Google CEO Sundar Pichai. The moment of reckoning comes four-and-a-half-years after the U.S. Justice Department filed a landmark lawsuit alleging Google’s search engine had been abusing its power as the internet’s main gateway.

Instagram tries using AI to determine if teens are pretending to be adults

Instagram is expanding its use of artificial intelligence to determine if kids are lying about their ages on the app, parent company Meta Platforms said on Monday. Meta has been using AI to determine people’s ages for “some time,” the company said, but photo and video-sharing app will now “proactively” look for teen accounts it suspects belong to teenagers even if they entered an adult birthday when they signed up. If a kid is found to be misrepresenting their age, their account will automatically become a teen account, which has more restrictions than an adult one.

UN researchers warn that Asian scam operations are spreading across the rest of the world

BANGKOK (AP) — A new U.N. report warns that transnational organized crime groups in East and Southeast Asia are spreading their lucrative scam operations across the globe in response to increased crackdowns by authorities. Scam compounds have proliferated in Southeast Asia especially in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and the Philippines. The operations are shifting to stay a step ahead of the police. A new report issued Monday by the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime says that scam centers that have bilked victims out of billions of dollars through false romantic ploys, bogus investment pitches and illegal gambling schemes. They are now operating as far afield as Africa and Latin America.

Vance and Modi meet in New Delhi to discuss trade deal and avoid US tariffs

NEW DELHI (AP) — U.S. Vice President JD Vance has held talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as New Delhi looks to avoid U.S. tariffs, negotiate a bilateral trade deal with Washington and strengthen ties with the Trump administration. Vance is on a largely personal four-day visit to India. Vance met with Modi at his residence in New Delhi on Monday. Modi’s office said that the two leaders “reviewed and positively assessed the progress in various areas of bilateral cooperation.” The U.S. is India’s largest trading partner and the two countries are now holding negotiations aiming to seal a bilateral trade agreement this year.

Countries shore up their digital defenses as global tensions raise the threat of cyberwarfare

WASHINGTON (AP) — Countries around the world are tightening their cyberdefenses as global tensions rise. Experts say cybersecurity is taking on a greater significance amid a looming trade war, conflicts across the globe and fraying international alliances. Chances are rising that a cyberattack could cause significant economic damage, disrupt vital public systems, reveal sensitive business or government secrets, or even escalate into military confrontation. At the same time, President Donald Trump’s administration has moved to cut some of the federal agencies and programs dedicated to cybersecurity. Meanwhile, China, Russia, Iran and North Korea are increasingly working together, and criminal organizations pose their own cyberthreat.

No sweat: Humanoid robots run a Chinese half-marathon alongside flesh-and-blood competitors

BEIJING (AP) — In one small step for robot-kind — thousands of them, really — humanoid robots ran alongside actual humans in a half-marathon in the Chinese capital. The bipedal robots of various makes and sizes navigated the 13.1-mile course on Saturday supported by teams of human navigators, operators, and engineers, in what event organizers say was a first. As a precaution, a divider separated the parallel courses used by the robots and people. While flesh-and-blood participants followed conventional rules, the 20 teams behind their machine counterparts competed under tailored guidelines, which included battery swap pit stops. Tiangong Ultra, from the Tiangong Team, claimed victory among the nonhumans, crossing the finish line in 2 hours, 40 minutes and 42 seconds.

The US has a single rare earths mine. Chinese export limits are energizing a push for more

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — America’s only rare earths mine has fielded calls from anxious companies since China responded to President Donald Trump’s tariffs by limiting exports of seven heavy metals. The mine in California can’t meet the U.S. demand for rare earths, which is why Trump is pushing for new mines. Rare earth elements are ingredients in electric vehicles, advanced fighter jets, smartphones and many other products. They aren’t actually rare, but it’s hard to find them in a high enough concentration to make a mine worth the investment. Experts say prices are likely to increase quickly if China extends its import controls but there is likely enough of a stockpile to keep factories operating for now.

Google’s digital ad network declared an illegal monopoly, joining its search engine in penalty box

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google has been branded an abusive monopolist by a federal judge for the second time in less than a year, this time for illegally exploiting some of its online marketing technology to boost the profits fueling an internet empire currently worth $1.8 trillion. The ruling issued Thursday by U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Virginia comes on the heels of a separate decision in August that concluded Google’s namesake search engine has been illegally leveraging its dominance to stifle competition and innovation. The cases were brought three years apart by the U.S. Justice Department in an attempt to undercut the power that Google has amassed since its inception in a Silicon Valley garage in 1998.

What to Stream: ‘Andor,’ ‘Babygirl’ and new Wu Tang Clan music

NEW YORK (AP) — The second season of the Star Wars series “Andor” and the streaming release of the Wu Tang Clan’s latest album are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you. Also among the streaming offerings worth your time, as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: Willie Nelson releases his 77th solo studio album, “Oh What A Beautiful World,” and the arrival of Nicole Kidman’s “Babygirl” on Max. Also streaming the week of April 21. are a new season of “Vanderpump Villa” and a new Willie Nelson album, his 77th.