ACCC watching as Google hit with antitrust action, break-up threat

Australia’s competition watchdog is closely watching a United States antitrust case against internet search and advertising giant Google, with a US government lawsuit accusing the company of illegally using its market power to fend off rivals.

Facebook fined $7 billion after privacy probe, new antitrust inquiry opens

Facebook will pay a record $US5 billion ($A7.2 billion) fine to resolve a government probe into its privacy practices and will boost safeguards on user data, the US Federal Trade Commission and the social media company say.

US Democrats say tech giants have become too big and powerful. Photo: AP/Richard Drew

Democrats to consider breaking up Facebook: Biden

US presidential hopeful Joe Biden says he would be open to breaking up Facebook, a sign of the deep skepticism among many Democratic contenders about the power of massive technology firms.