Australia's competition watchdog said there was a need to revisit efforts to ensure greater choice for internet users, citing Google's dominant search engine market share and its competitors' failure to capitalise on the artificial intelligence boom.
Australia's competition watchdog said there was a need to revisit efforts to ensure greater choice for internet users, citing Google's dominant search engine market share and its competitors' failure to capitalise on the artificial intelligence boom.
A report by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said that while the integration of generative AI tools into search engines is still nascent, Big Tech's deep pockets and dominant presence give it an upper hand.
The commission said it was concerned Google and Microsoft could integrate generative AI into their search offerings, including through commercial deals, which raises concerns about the accuracy and reliability of search queries.
"While some consumers may find the generative AI search experience more useful and efficient, others may be concerned about the accuracy and reliability of AI-generated responses to search queries," Commissioner Peter Crone said.
Google and Microsoft did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.
Australia has intensified the spotlight on the tech giants, which are mostly domiciled in the U.S. It was the first country to make social media platforms pay media outlets royalties for sharing their content.
Last month, it passed a law that banned social media for children aged under 16, and proposed a law earlier this week that could impose fines of up to A$50 million ($32.28 million) on tech giants if they suppress competition and prevent consumers from switching between services.
The Australian watchdog on Wednesday urged the use of service-specific codes that help prevent anti-competitive behaviour, address data advantages and allow consumers to switch between services freely.
These proposed measures have been agreed to in principle by the government, ACCC said, and it will close its enquiry by next March.
Sudan’s armed forces have accused the United Arab Emirates and Ethiopia of carrying out a drone attack targeting Khartoum airport, as a renew...
Iran’s Foreign Ministry has said it is difficult to assess the U.S. response to its proposal, citing Washington’s history of “exc...
Türkiye and Armenia have agreed to restore the historic Ani Bridge, in a move described as “symbolic and concrete cooperation” by&...
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas’s planned visits to Yerevan and Baku framed the 8th European Political Community summit on 4 May, as Euro...
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 5th of May, covering the latest developments you need to kno...
A court in Sydney is set to review a non-publication order in the case of former Australian SAS soldier Ben Roberts-Smith, who is accused of war crime murder in Afghanistan.
Australia and Japan agreed on Monday to deepen cooperation on energy and critical minerals, as Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi met her Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese during a three-day visit.
Australia began public hearings on Monday in an inquiry into the Bondi Beach mass shooting in December, with Jewish Australians giving evidence about their experiences of rising domestic antisemitism.
An initial inquiry into last year’s mass shooting at Bondi Beach has called for counter-terrorism reforms, increased security at Jewish public events, and further gun control measures.
A 77-year-old man and a 63-year-old woman were killed on Monday (4 May), after a man drove a car into a crowd on a pedestrianised street in the the eastern German city of Leipzig, authorities said.
Iran warned Armerican forces on Monday (4 May) not to enter the Strait of Hormuz, after the U.S. said it had launched a mission to try and reopen the sea passage. Meanwhile, Iran's Foreign Minister said there was no military solution to the Middle East conflict.
Medics are working to evacuate two people with symptoms of the deadly respiratory illness, hantavirus, from a luxury cruise ship being held off West Africa, after three people died and several others fell ill, officials have said.
Tensions are escalating in the Gulf after new attacks linked to maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. forces say they struck Iranian fast boats at sea following hostile manoeuvres, after Iran was blamed for an earlier attack on a UAE oil facility.
What is hantavirus? Three people have died and three are still ill on a Netherlands-based cruise ship after it was hit by a suspected outbreak of the deadly virus, according to authorities on Sunday.
Sudan’s armed forces have accused the United Arab Emirates and Ethiopia of carrying out a drone attack targeting Khartoum airport, as a renewed wave of strikes shattered months of relative calm in the capital nearly three years into the civil war.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 5th of May, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Monday (4 May) that meteorological monitoring equipment at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in south-eastern Ukraine had been damaged by a drone.
A blast at a fireworks factory in China's Hunan province has killed 21 people and injured 61, prompting President Xi Jinping to call for a thorough investigation, state media reported on Tuesday.
The UK is moving to join a €90 billion European Union loan scheme for Ukraine, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer saying the benefits outweigh the costs, as he pushes for closer ties with Europe at a summit in Armenia this week.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment