Google Agrees to Pay $8 Million to Settle Claims Against Deceptive Pixel 4 Ads

Google, a unit of Alphabet, has agreed to pay $8 million (roughly Rs. 65 million) to settle claims it used deceptive advertisements to promote the Pixel 4 smartphone, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced on Friday.

The search and advertising giant, which also makes Android smartphone software and owns YouTube, has been scrutinized for antitrust and consumer protection infractions by both the federal government and state attorneys general. The federal government has filed two antitrust lawsuits.

In this instance, Paxton’s office alleged that Google hired radio announcers to give testimonials about the Pixel 4 even though the company had refused to allow them to use one of the phones.

“If Google is going to advertise in Texas, their statements better be true,” Paxton said in a statement. “In this case, the company made statements that were blatantly false, and our settlement holds Google accountable for lying to Texans for financial gain.”

Google said in a statement that it takes compliance with advertising laws seriously. “We are pleased to resolve this issue,” said spokesperson Jose Castaneda.

Meanwhile, Google is also facing issues in India as the competition watchdog has begun an inquiry into the company after some companies alleged the service fee the US firm charges for in-app payments breaches an earlier antitrust directive, a regulatory order seen by Reuters showed on Friday.

Tinder-owner Match Group and Indian startups have asked the watchdog to investigate Google’s new User Choice Billing (UCB) system, which they alleged was anti-competitive.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Friday issued an order stating “it is of the opinion that an inquiry needs to be made.”

© Thomson Reuters 2023


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Google Self-Repair Programme Launched for Pixel Smartphones

Google has launched a self-repair programme that will allow Pixel owners to repair their phones themselves. Google said that it has collaborated with iFixit, an online repair community, for its Genuine Pixel Parts Program. It will provide step-by-step phone repair guides as well as genuine Pixel smartphone spare parts. The parts will be available for purchase at ifixit.com for Pixel 2 through Pixel 6 Pro, as well as future Pixel models, in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and EU countries starting later this year.

As per a blog post by Google, the full range of spare parts for common Pixel phone repairs including batteries, replacement displays, cameras, among others will be available either individually or in iFixit Fix Kits. These kits will include tools like screwdriver bits and spudgers. Google already offers repairs by authorised technical experts in countries where Pixel phones are available.

Meanwhile, iFixit says that the full set of tools in our Pixel repair kits will include iOpener, replacement pre-cut adhesive, iFixit opening picks (set of six), iFixit opening tool, suction handle, angled tweezers, precision bit driver with integrated SIM eject tool, and 4mm precision bits appropriate for the specific Pixel phone. It also says that the step-by-step Google Pixel phone repair guides are live for every Pixel through the Pixel 5, and they are currently writing guides for the Pixel 5a, Pixel 6, and Pixel 6 Pro.

Google has already partnered with companies like Acer and Lenovo for the Chromebook repair programme, “helping schools find information about repairable Chromebooks and develop in-house repair programmes.” The technology giant has also introduced Chrome OS Flex allowing education and enterprise users repurpose old Mac or Windows machines to run a version of Chrome OS alongside their Chromebooks.



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