In today’s Digest, we cover Google avoiding the sell-off of Chrome in its search antitrust trial, Disney agreeing to pay $10m to settle the FTC kids’ privacy case, and Singapore warning Meta to curb scams or face a fine.

Google avoids Chrome sell-off in search antitrust trial 

Google has avoided the forced sale of Chrome and Android: a US court rejected the Department of Justice’s request to break up Google’s core products. Judge Amit Mehta said the proposal overreached.  He issued the ruling on 2nd September in Washington, D.C. The decision follows his earlier finding that Google violated antitrust law. The Department of Justice had proposed remedies in November 2024, including forcing Google to sell Chrome. 

The ruling still imposes several limits. Google cannot sign exclusive deals for Google Search, Chrome, Google Assistant, or the Gemini app. It must share search index and user interaction data with approved competitors and provide search and text ad syndication on fair terms. It must also disclose significant changes to ad auctions to prevent hidden price manipulation.

The court acknowledged that AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude are reshaping search. Judge Mehta noted that these products are attracting heavy funding and competing for queries faster than traditional rivals ever did. Those companies are in a "better position to compete with Google than any traditional search company has been in decades", Judge Mehta wrote. 

Disney to pay $10m to settle FTC kids’ privacy case

Disney will pay USD$10m (£7.4m) to settle a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit over children’s privacy violations. The case involves videos Disney uploaded to YouTube, many of which  the FTC said Disney failed to mark as “made for kids”. That mistake allowed those videos to run targeted ads, violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.

The videos, mostly uploaded during the pandemic, weren’t on Disney-owned platforms. The company called it an administrative error, but the case could set a precedent for other content providers distributing work on third-party sites. “Supporting the well-being and safety of kids and families is at the heart of what we do,” a spokesperson said. 

The company added it remains committed to strong compliance standards and will keep investing in tools to lead on children’s privacy. YouTube declined to comment.

Singapore warns Meta to curb scams or face fine

Singapore has directed Meta to roll out anti-scam measures on Facebook or risk a fine of up to S$1m (£578,000). The order comes under the new Online Criminal Harms Act, which took effect in February 2024. The move targets advertisements, accounts, profiles and business pages impersonating key government officials. 

“Facebook is the top platform used by scammers for such impersonation scams, and the police has assessed that more decisive action is required to curb these scams," said Minister of State for Home Affairs Goh Pei Ming.