News in brief: DOJ Wants Google to Sell Chrome; Amazon Launches New App to Rival Temu and Shein; AUS Social Media Ban for Under 16s Not Backed by Parliamentary Inquiry; Dentsu APAC Revenue Dips

DOJ to Force Chrome Spin-off?

The US Department of Justice plans to ask a judge to force Google to sell its Chrome browser, Bloomberg reports. Following an August ruling that Google monopolised search, the DOJ may also seek measures addressing artificial intelligence and Google's Android system, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Amazon Launches New App to Rival Temu and Shein

In a bid to compete with low-cost retail rivals Temu and Shein which have been drawing in many Amazon customers, the e-commerce giant has launched Haul, a new mobile-only app. Haul caps the price of products on sale at USD$20 (£15.79), although it said most products would cost less than half of the price cap. The app is currently only available to customers in the US. Like Temu and Shein, Haul’s business model operates with lower prices and longer waits for shipping. 

AUS Social Media Ban for Under 16s Not Backed by Parliamentary Inquiry

In Australia, the Labour Government’s plan to introduce a social media ban for those under 16 years of age could be facing a potential roadblock. An Australian parliamentary inquiry into the matter – tabled by the Senate on 18th October – has stopped short of recommending the ban. Instead, the inquiry’s recommendations include establishing a Digital Affairs Ministry with overarching responsibility for the coordination of regulation to address the challenges and risks presented by digital platforms. The committee supports the need for legislation to combat mis/disinformation, also recommending the establishment of a Digital Media Competency Fund dedicated to the digital media literacy of young Australians and improving the digital media literacy of other groups at risk of being taken in by mis/disinformation. Additionally, the document suggests that to improve transparency around digital platforms' systems and processes, the government should adopt transparency requirements similar to the measures in the European Union's Digital Services Act. 

Dentsu Q3 APAC Revenue Dips

Meanwhile, Dentsu reported organic growth of just 0.3% in its Q3 2024 earnings. EMEA saw a solid increase of 7.1%. In contrast, the APAC region saw quite a decline in net revenue, decreasing by 11.6%. Despite this, a growth of 2.7% was reported for Japan, the country’s highest nine-month net revenue to date. Elsewhere, the Americas saw a decline of 4%.