Former Google staffer says Silicon Valley needs to start having a conscience

The European Union and the United States want to introduce tighter rules for tech giants like Google. Search engine rivals are ready to step up as efforts are made to create a fairer competitive environment.

In a rare move among Silicon Valley giants, over 200 employees at Google and its parent company Alphabet have formed a labor union. Their move coincides with growing scrutiny of influential high-tech operators worldwide.

Amazon has become the latest tech giant to clamp down on microblogging and social network service Parler, notifying it of plans to suspend its web hosting service on Sunday.

The US tech giant and a group of French newspapers said their agreement calls for payments made for showing content through online searches. The first-in-Euorpe pact follows several months of negotiations.

Australia wants Google to pay for displaying local media content. In return, the tech giant has threatened to disable its search engine in the country. Could this confrontation set a precedent?

The tech giant paid female engineers less than men in similar positions. Unfair practices meant Asians and women were also overlooked for engineering roles.

Topping Google's search rankings is the dream of online publishers far and wide. Germany's government found a shortcut to the summit for its new health website, but a court in Munich has dragged it back down for now.

The tech company has posted record profits for two straight quarters as homebound people use more of its services during the pandemic. Google's dominance in online search means its dream run is likely to continue.

A Russian regulator has given Google one day to delete banned content or face punitive measures. In a clampdown on tech giants, Moscow has said it wants to beef up its so-called internet sovereignty.

Germany's Federal Cartel Office is probing tech giant Google under amended competition laws. The antitrust authority now has powers to prohibit major digital corporations from engaging in anti-competitive practices.

France's competition watchdog fined the American tech giant €220 miillion ($267 million). The regulator said Google had given its own advertising products preferential treatment.

Google has launched a new website and feature to help those facing food poverty find free food in their local community.