EU fines Google over search practices
European Union regulators imposed a roughly $1 billion penalty on Google over its search engine practices, according to reporting by The New York Times and CNBC on July 23, 2026. CNBC described the action as enforcement under a landmark EU digital law, marking a fresh regulatory hit on the company.
Selfie sign-in rolls out for Google accounts
Google announced a new selfie-based sign-in option for Google Accounts on its official blog on July 23. The feature offers users an additional way to access their accounts beyond passwords.
Google study: AI augments rather than replaces workers
A Google study, reported by The Wall Street Journal on July 23, found that artificial intelligence is helping workers rather than replacing them. The findings add to corporate research on AI's workplace impact and its effect on productivity and headcount.
Gemini delays fuel internal frustration at Google
Reporting by Axios on July 23 linked delays in Google's Gemini rollout to broader employee frustration inside the company. The piece points to internal tensions around the pace of the artificial-intelligence product.
Prior EU ruling and Alphabet's record quarter
In early July 2026, Google lost a years-long appeal against a record €4.1 billion (roughly $4.7 billion) EU antitrust fine, according to AdExchanger's coverage of Alphabet's second-quarter earnings call on July 22. The earnings call underscored Alphabet's pivot away from ad-centric discussion, with "advertising" mentioned only 21 times during scripted remarks and not at all during investor Q&A. Alphabet's Q2 2026 revenue reached $119.8 billion, up from $96.4 billion a year earlier, while Google Cloud revenue climbed 82% year over year to $24.8 billion. Chief Financial Officer Anat Ashkenazi said the company expanded its debt portfolio from $16 billion to $100 billion over the past 12 months.
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