E-Business
Google to Pay $700m to US Consumers in Antitrust Settlement

Alphabet,Google parent has agreed to pay $700 million as part of an antitrust settlement made public on Monday, with the funds going to US customers of its Android app store and state governments.
Dozens of US states had joined forces in a lawsuit filed in July 2021 that accused Google of abusing its power regarding consumer access to apps on mobile devices running its Android operating system.
As part of the settlement, the company will make changes to its Google Play app store to reduce competition barriers for developers, including by implementing the ability for apps to bill users directly.
The announcement comes after Epic Games won a related suit last week, when a jury said Google partook in an illegal monopoly through Play.
That lawsuit, backed by 37 state attorneys general, accused Google of using anti-competitive tactics to discourage Android apps from being distributed in app shops other than its Play store, where its payment system collects commissions on transactions.
The settlement was originally announced in September, but the deal’s details were not disclosed.
“Google will pay $630 million into a settlement fund to be distributed for the benefit of consumers according to a Court-approved plan and $70 million into a fund that will be used by the states,” the search engine giant said in a statement Monday.
The settlement fund will be used to distribute money to eligible users across the United States.
Eligible consumers who made a purchase on the Play store between August 16, 2016 and September 30, 2023 will receive a minimum of $2, according to the court settlement.
Apps will also now be able to charge Android users directly for in-app purchases, though they’ll still face a commission charge from Google.
“App and game developers will be able to implement an alternative billing option alongside Google Play’s billing system for their US users who can then choose which option to use when making in-app purchases,” the statement read.
In addition to the US states who filed the case, all 50 States, the District of Columbia and two territories have joined the settlement.
But Tim Sweeney, the CEO of Epic Games, the maker of Fortnite, called the settlement “an injustice to all Android users and developers” as it will continue to allow for “scare screens” that dissuade users from using any alternatives to Google Play.
Epic Games also decried that users who chose to use a different payment option on their device would still pay Google a 26 percent commission, instead of the 30 percent that most apps are charged on Play.
The company pointed out that the states were originally seeking $10.5 billion in unjustly collected fees before settling for just $700 million.
Epic sued Google and Apple in 2020, accusing the tech titans of abusing control of their respective shops selling apps and other digital content on mobile devices.
Epic Games refused a settlement with Google and won its case when a jury decided that the search engine giant wields illegal monopoly power through its Android app store.
Alphabet said Monday that they “are challenging that verdict and our case with Epic is far from over.”
Epic mostly lost its case against Apple.
(AFP)
E-Business
Microsoft Servers Hacked by Chinese Groups

Chinese “threat actors” have hacked Microsoft’s SharePoint document software servers and targeted the data of the businesses using it, the firm has said.
China state-backed Linen Typhoon and Violet Typhoon as well as China-based Storm-2603 were said to have “exploited vulnerabilities” in on-premises SharePoint servers, the kind used by firms, but not in its cloud-based service.
The US tech giant has released security updates in response and has advised all on-premises SharePoint server customers to install them.
“Investigations into other actors also using these exploits are still ongoing,” Microsoft said in a statement.
The firm said it had “high confidence” the hackers would continue to target systems which have not installed its security updates.
It added that it would update its website blog with more information as its investigation continues.
Microsoft said it had observed attacks in which hackers had sent a request to a SharePoint server “enabling the theft of the key material by threat actors”.
Charles Carmakal, chief technology officer at Mandiant Consulting firm, a division of Google Cloud, told reporter, it was “aware of several victims in several different sectors across a number of global geographies”.
Carmakal said it appeared that governments and businesses that use SharePoint on their sites were the primary target.
A number of adversaries who stole material encoded by cryptography were then able to regain ongoing access to the victims’ SharePoint data, he said.
“This was exploited in a very broad way, very opportunistically before a patch was made available. That’s why this is significant,” Carmakal said.
Carmakal said the “China-nexus actor” was deploying techniques similar to previous campaigns associated with Beijing.
Microsoft said Linen Typhoon had “focused on stealing intellectual property, primarily targeting organizations related to government, defence, strategic planning, and human rights” for 13 years.
It added that Violet Typhoon had been “dedicated to espionage”, primarily targeting former government and military staff, non-governmental organizations, think tanks, higher education, the media, the financial sector and the health sector in the US, Europe, and East Asia.
Meanwhile, Storm-2603 was “assessed with medium confidence to be a China-based threat actor”.
E-Business
NIMC Warns Nigerians of Fake NIN Website

National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has issued a public warning that it is not associated with NINcard.com.
According to the commission, the website has been circulating online to offer services for Nigerians seeking National Identification Number (NIN) services.
NIMC, in a post on its official X account on Wednesday, said, “NINcard.com is not in anyway affiliated to NIMC. Stay vigilant!”
The warning was accompanied by screenshots of fake payment receipts and OTP request pages from the website, both of which were boldly stamped “FAKE” by NIMC to alert the public.
E-Business
NITDA, API Partner Against Harmful Online Content

National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), in partnership with the Advocacy for Policy and Innovation (API), has convened a one-day workshop in Abuja to advance dialogue on the draft Online Harm Protection (OHP) Bill to confront harmful online content.
The bill, a rights-based, locally rooted, and multi-stakeholder initiative, is aimed at addressing the challenges of the digital age.
The event, which held yesterday, brought together government officials, civil society, academics, digital platforms, and legal experts to shape a policy framework designed to combat online ills such as cyberbullying, disinformation, hate speech, digital exploitation, and gender-based violence, while safeguarding democratic freedoms and digital inclusion.
In his keynote remarks, Kashifu Inuwa, director general, NITDA urged a paradigm shift in the way society engages with digital technologies.
“For almost two decades, we have viewed digital technology through a consumer lens. But these technologies are not just products and services. They are transforming how we live, work, and interact. They shape our politics, our society, and our democracy,” he said.
Warning against unaccountable digital power in the hands of private corporations, the DG likened the digital journey to the tale of Alice in Wonderland, where initial fascination with innovation has given way to deeper concerns about privacy, autonomy, and manipulation by big tech platforms.
“We thought we were using Google, but now we realise Google is using us. Social media, once a tool of expression, has become a tool of surveillance and influence,” Inuwa noted.
He, therefore, emphasised the urgency of developing a democratic and accountable framework. He explained that following the 2021 Twitter ban, NITDA facilitated dialogue between the government and platform operators, leading to a Code of Practice that stressed Nigeria’s sovereignty and legal standards.
According to him, the same process birthed the multi-stakeholder steering committee and the OHP White Paper in December 2024, laying the foundation for the current legislative push.
Earlier in her opening remarks, Victoria Manya, co-founder, API, observed the moral and civic necessity of the bill.
Her words: “The internet did not break society, it merely revealed its unfiltered version. Every day, Nigerians are exposed to harassment, disinformation, exploitation, and even algorithmic violence. The OHP Bill is not a war on the Internet. It is a peace offering to its users, a social contract for a digital future that is safe, inclusive, and democratic.
“We cannot answer the question of algorithmic power with unchecked state control. We must answer it with shared, rights-based governance. This bill must not be written for the people, but with them.”
- E-Financial2 days ago
Kuda Unveils New Wallet for Multiple Currencies
- Telecom2 days ago
Telcos Resume SIM Card Sales after 2-Week Halt
- Telecom2 days ago
Nigeria, Others Achieve 84% Adult Mobile Phones Penetration
- E-Business2 days ago
How AI Alert by Airtel is Transforming Mobile Security in Africa
- E-Business2 days ago
NITDA, API Partner Against Harmful Online Content
- Telecom1 day ago
Telcos: How and Why Network Services have Been Poor
- Telecom1 day ago
Glo Launches Nigeria’s First-of-its-kind Device Protection Plan
- News2 days ago
Horn of Africa Leaders Seek Enhanced Digital Integration for Increased Regional Growth