Technology — Who are Google's rivals?

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View Online Technology Technology The Big Story  Does anyone compete with Google in online search? As the Department of Justice and the tech giant begin their 10-week trial, both sides are sparring over which platforms are Google's rivals. © Getty Images The DOJ and state attorneys general argue that Google's rivals are limited to other search engines, such as Microsoft's Bing, DuckDuckGo and Yahoo.    The government argues that Google has limited competition and therefore stifled innovation by not having to compete in search.   However, Google said that it does face competition in search the search market from more niche search sites like Yelp or Bookings.com, social media sites like TikTok and Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram, and online shopping sites like Amazon.    That competition for search requires Google to stay competitive with its products and features, a lawyer for the company said in an opening statement.   When asked to clarify why the DOJ doesn't view the alternative sites as competitors in search, attorney Kenneth Dintzer said those sites do not do what general search does.    General search engines crawl and index the web to provide links across the internet.   A search on a platform like TikTok is limited to what is on TikTok and not the whole of the internet, Dintzer said.    Read more about key questions at the center of the trial in a full report at TheHill.com.    Welcome to The Hill's Technology newsletter, I'm Rebecca Klar — tracking the latest moves from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads  How policy will be impacting the tech sector now and in the future: Hawley presses Microsoft president over minimum age for AI-powered tool Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) on Tuesday grilled Microsoft President Brad Smith about the minimum age to use the company’s artificial intelligence-powered search tool due to concerns it could have a negative impact on young children.  Hawley questioned Smith during a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing on artificial intelligence (AI) regulation. He wanted to know why Microsoft refuses to raise the minimum age to use Bing …  Full Story Apple will switch to USB-C charging port in new iPhone 15 Apple officially announced on Tuesday that it will abandon its proprietary Lightning cable in favor of the more universally accepted USB-C port. The switch will be implemented in the new iPhone 15 models, announced at the annual Apple keynote event Tuesday. The announcement comes exactly 11 years after the Lightning cable was first announced.  "USB-C has become a universally accepted standard, so we're bringing USB-C to iPhone …  Full Story Cruz questions FTC chair over push toward AI investigation Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) sent a letter to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairwoman Lina Khan asking about the regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) by her agency Monday. In the letter, first obtained by Politico, Cruz asks Khan about the FTC’s stance on AI regulation. He notes recent actions by Khan and the agency, like an investigation of the company behind ChatGPT and a New York Times op-ed by Khan in May in which …  Full Story The Refresh  News we've flagged from the intersection of tech and other topics: Chatbot connects users with abortion info A new chatbot called Charley aims to provide users with confidential information about abortion care, especially in states where abortion has been banned or restricted, Mashable reported.  MGM suffers cybersecurity setback A cybersecurity issue at MGM Resorts forced the company to shut down many of its systems, including at locations like The Aria, The Cosmopolitan, Mandalay Bay, Bellagio, New York-New York and Vdara, The Verge reported.  On Our Radar  Upcoming news themes and events we're watching: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's (D-N.Y.) AI Insight Forum will convene on Wednesday morning. Scheduled attendees include former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates, X owner and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.  In Other News  Branch out with other reads on The Hill: What to know about the successful rescue of a US researcher who was trapped in a deep Turkish cave ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A major rescue operation in Turkey's Taurus Mountains succeeded in bringing out an American researcher who fell seriously ill nine days ago at a depth of some 1,000 meters (3,000 feet) from the entrance of one of the world's deepest caves. An experienced cave rescuer himself, … Full Story What Others are Reading  Two key stories on The Hill right now: The 25 staffers who make Capitol Hill run They stay behind the scenes, leading House and Senate offices, keeping committee work running smoothly, researching policies and managing lawmakers' … Read more Senate's initial batch of funding bills overcomes first procedural hurdle The Senate cleared an initial batch of funding bills past their first procedural hurdle Tuesday, with little more than two weeks out until a looming … Read more What Others are Reading  Opinions related to tech submitted to The Hill: Congress should support new antibiotics for increasingly harmful superbugs     You're all caught up. See you tomorrow!  Check out The Hill's Technology page for the latest coverage. Like this newsletter? 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