If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. In the case of Epic v. Google‚ the jury on Monday announced its decision‚ determining that Google transformed its Google Play app store and Google Play Billing service into an unlawful monopoly. The jury reached a unanimous consensus on all queries presented to them‚ affirming that Google possesses monopolistic control in both the Android app distribution and in-app billing service sectors. Jurors concurred that Google engaged in practices that stifled competition within these markets‚ resulting in harm to Epic Games‚ the maker of the popular Fortnite video game. Furthermore‚ the jury concluded that Google unlawfully linked its Google Play app store with its Google Play Billing payment services. They also found that Google’s distribution agreements‚ its Project Hug initiatives with game developers‚ and its contracts with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs)‚ were similarly detrimental to competition. Over four weeks‚ the trial of Google versus Epic Games unfolded‚ featuring testimony from key executives: Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai and Epic’s CEO Tim Sweeney. Epic’s primary allegation was Google’s misuse of its dominant position in the Android ecosystem. The claim focused on Google leveraging its financial power to safeguard its Play Store’s payment system‚ where it imposes a commission ranging from 15% to 30% on transactions within apps. This model‚ similar to Apple’s approach with its iPhone app store‚ has been a significant profit generator for Google. In its defense‚ Google argued that these fees were necessary to offset the substantial investments made in developing the Android platform‚ which has been freely available since 2007. To counter claims of a monopoly‚ Google pointed to other Android app stores‚ such as Samsung’s‚ as evidence of market competition. The jury’s decision in this case all depended on how they defined the smartphone app market. Epic contended that Google’s Play Store monopolizes the market‚ leading to higher prices for consumers and hindering innovation among app developers. Google‚ however‚ portrayed a competitive market that includes Apple’s iPhone app store and other Android alternatives. The trial also highlighted Google’s competitive relationship with Apple in-app distribution‚ despite their differing operating systems. This aspect is central to another antitrust trial in Washington‚ where the US Justice Department accuses Google of dominating the online search market. In this trial‚ to be decided by a judge‚ Google’s financial arrangements to secure its default search engine status on various devices‚ including payments to Apple‚ are under scrutiny. Analysis: The immediate takeaway here is that Google‚ or rather Alphabet‚ its parent company‚ is almost certainly gearing up to appeal. Why wouldn’t they? This verdict strikes at the heart of its revenue stream from the Google Play store‚ and it’ll fight tooth and nail to protect it. But this isn’t just about Google protecting its turf; it’s about setting a precedent. If this verdict holds‚ it could open the floodgates for similar lawsuits and force major changes in how app stores are run‚ possibly leading to more openness and fairer competition. Looking ahead‚ the implications of this ruling could be far-reaching. First‚ it could embolden more developers to challenge the status quo. If Epic can take on Google and win‚ others might follow suit‚ leading to a wave of legal challenges against app store policies. This could pressure companies like Google and Apple to lower their fees and loosen their grip on app distribution and payment systems. Moreover‚ this case could also attract more regulatory scrutiny. Governments around the world are already eyeing Big Tech with a critical eye‚ and this ruling could be the catalyst for stricter regulations governing app stores and digital marketplaces. In a broader sense‚ this could be the beginning of a more significant shift in the tech industry. We’re talking about potential changes in how digital marketplaces operate‚ how tech companies wield their power‚ and how they’re regulated. It’s a moment that could redefine the boundaries of tech monopolies. While Alphabet’s likely appeal means this saga is far from over‚ the Epic v. Google verdict is a watershed moment. It’s a wakeup call to the tech giants and a beacon of hope for smaller players fighting for a level playing field. The post Epic Games Wins Lawsuit Against Google’s “Illegal Monopoly” appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

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Local “enterprise reporter” Christopher Maag’s latest New York Times byline boasted of having “spent four weeks reporting in Paterson and Clifton‚ N.J.‚ interviewing members of the Palestinian community‚” and the resulting journalism certainly identified with the Palestinian cause‚ with added melodrama that started in the headline: “In a Place Called Little Palestine‚ People Feel Afraid. And Forgotten.” From the get-go‚ Maag's intent was to set a dour scene: The mood has been dark lately in the Palestine Hair Salon. The TVs behind the barbers’ chairs play a stream of war images that repeat across the mirrored walls: children in Gaza crying‚ men clawing at rubble‚ the wounded carried on planks through the streets of Rafah. Raed Odeh is the owner and top barber of the shop‚ one of eight barbershops along Palestine Way in South Paterson‚ the center of one of the largest communities of Palestinians outside the Middle East.... Odeh‚ who was also deputy mayor‚ served as the spokesman for Palestinians in Paterson: “This is a massacre‚” said Mr. Odeh‚ 51. “I’m very worried. I wonder if Gaza is still going to exist next month.” After two months of dreadful revelations of Hamas rape squads and other atrocities‚ “militants” the best the Times can do to describe Hamas: Militants with Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7‚ taking about 240 hostages and killing about 1‚200 people‚ Israeli authorities said. Israel responded with ground and air attacks that‚ according to Gazan health authorities‚ have killed more than 15‚000 people in Gaza. …. Since shortly after the war began‚ antisemitic incidents have risen all across the country. Many Palestinians in Paterson also reported a shocking rise in Islamophobic rhetoric. According to a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations‚ the group received nearly 1‚300 reports of anti-Muslim and anti-Arab bias and violence in the United States in the month after Oct. 7 -- a 216 percent increase over the same period last year. (CAIR’s executive director Nihad Awad has spoken of how “happy” he was to see Hamas’s October 7 assault on Israeli civilians.) Maag also tried to suggest that it was odd that people with ties to a location would spend more time watching news about it even as a major event was happening there. "In less fraught times‚ the televisions in Palestine Hair Salon play soccer games nonstop. But since the war began‚ the TVs have stayed tuned to Al Jazeera‚" he wrote. Al Jazeera was a virulently anti-Israel outlet Arab news network. Journalists typically treat those who claim they distrust the media as paranoid rightists‚ but in this case they sympathize: “I think you’ll find that most people here don’t trust Western media‚” Mr. Odeh said. Then came another phony potted history of the “Nakba‚” ignoring the five-nation Arab invasion the day Israel declaring independence on May 14‚ 1948 -- a paragraph that ended with this mopey line that’s the opposite of true‚ given the handwringing over Gazans since Hamas’s terrorist incursion: "The world’s attention has been trained on Gaza since Oct. 7: To Palestinians in South Paterson‚ that confirms the suspicion that their lives matter only when Israelis die‚" he huffed.

Tucker Carlson‚ a conservative media figure who started releasing videos on social media earlier this year after his popular Fox News Channel program was suddenly nixed‚ has announced the launch of a company‚ the Tucker Carlson Network‚ a subscription streaming service that costs $72 per year for an annual subscription or $9 per month for a monthly subscription."The corporate media lied too much. And it killed them‚" Carlson declared in a video posted on the TCN X account. — (@) "We've decided that we need something new. Something relentlessly honest that the corporate gatekeepers can't touch‚" Carlson noted in another video."There's only one solution to a propaganda spiral like the one we're living through‚ and it's telling the truth about the things that matter — clearly and without fear. That's our job. We plan to do it every day‚ no matter what‚" text on the website reads.Carlson‚ who has been posting content on X‚ told Megyn Kelly during an appearance on her program that "the X stuff is not going away‚" noting that he has "been amazed by what a great platform it's been." One of the benefits for members of Carlson's platform will be an "Ask Tucker" section where people can pose questions for Carlson to answer. "People often ask Tucker for personal advice. Now‚ as a member‚ you can ask him any question — and he'll respond‚" the website states.People are already signing up for Carlson's new platform."Just signed up for @TCNetwork. At six bucks a month‚ it's cheaper than a pint at my favorite pub‚" J Michael Waller tweeted. — (@) "I subscribed to @TuckerCarlson⁩ new project and you should too‚" Julie Kelly posted.Correction: The story originally stated that the streaming service "costs $6 per month for an annual subscription‚" but the annual subscription is actually billed yearly at $72.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A former Major League Baseball all-star player has been deported to Venezuela after he was convicted of sexually assaulting a girl beginning when she was 13 years old. Felipe Vazquez played pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2016 to 2019‚ but he was arrested in Sept. 2019 over the sexual relationship he had with a girl in Scottsdale. In 2021‚ he was convicted by a jury of 10 counts of sexual abuse of children‚ two counts of unlawful contact with a minor‚ one count of statutory sexual assault‚ one count of indecent assault of someone under 16‚ and one count of corruption of a minor. Vasquez testified in his trial that he did not know the girl was a minor and claimed that he believed she was an adult woman that he wanted to have a relationship with. He claimed that he had even asked for her to show him identification that she was of legal age. The accused admitted to falsely telling him she was 17 years old but denied showing him a fake identification card. Prosecutors presented evidence that Vasquez had exchanged explicit videos and photographs with the victim for two years afterward. "I thought we put on a very strong defense‚ obviously the jury disagreed‚" said defense attorney Gary Gerson to KDKA-TV at the time of his client's conviction. "I'm not sure exactly what their assessment of the case was‚ but it appears to me that they may have concluded that Felipe had a mistaken belief but it was not reasonable. And therefore they rejected our mistaken age defense." Immigration ordered that Vasquez should be removed from the U.S.‚ and he waived his right of appeal. On December 1‚ he was deported to Venezuela. Vasquez also played for the Washington Nationals. Here's more about the conviction: Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A Chicago-area hospital system announced that they will give its patients the option to choose "x" as an alternative to identifying as male or female. Northwestern Medicine said that the decision was made to accommodate transgender‚ nonbinary‚ or intersex people. Dr. Sumanas Jordan‚ director of the Gender Pathways Program at Northwestern Medicine‚ explained the decision in a press release Monday. "Northwestern Medicine hospitals and outpatient centers affirm every patient's gender identity. The new medical record designation will enhance communication with patients‚ align with best practices and help our staff better meet the needs of the diverse population we serve‚" wrote Jordan. He went on to claim that the "x" designation would help prevent depression and anxiety."Research has shown that people who are nonbinary often experience more discrimination than people who identify as male or female‚" he added. "That discrimination can cause psychological and social distress that makes them less likely to seek the healthcare services they need. If we want our patients to be proactive about their health‚ we must make it clear we welcome them and affirm their gender identities."Northwestern Medicine offers numerous medical services for transgender patients‚ including "masculinizing" and "feminizing" surgeries. It lists "vaginoplasty" and "phalloplasty" as well breast augmentation and mastectomy under those surgeries. "We believe that everyone deserves high-quality health care that respects and validates their gender identity‚" says a statement on the website. "Out of respect and to meet your needs‚ we may ask what pronouns you would like us to use. Only you can choose your pronouns." Northwestern Medicine includes 10 hospitals and about 200 locations in Chicago and northern Illinois. Here's a local news report about the decision: Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

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