Lucid Car Navigates Google's €5.5 Billion Germany Investment and EU Antitrust Probes

Google is intensifying its efforts to combat digital fraud, expand its global infrastructure, and enhance user engagement through a multifaceted strategy. The tech giant has filed a lawsuit targeting the Lighthouse phishing-as-a-service (PhaaS) operation, announced a €5.5 billion investment in Germany, introduced a new visual search feature in its mobile app, and faces an EU antitrust probe over its search policies.

Legal Action Against Phishing Networks

Google has launched a legal campaign to dismantle the Lighthouse PhaaS operation, which has been implicated in scamming over 1 million victims across 120 countries. The lawsuit leverages the RICO Act, Lanham Act, and Computer Fraud and Abuse Act to disrupt the infrastructure enabling large-scale smishing attacks. These campaigns often mimic trusted brands like E-Z Pass and Google itself, using spoofed websites to steal sensitive data according to reports. Google has also endorsed bipartisan U.S. legislation, including the GUARD Act and Foreign Robocall Elimination Act, to address the growing threat of digital scams according to sources.

Expanding Digital Infrastructure in Germany

Google plans to invest €5.5 billion in Germany over the next four years, including the construction of a new data center in Dietzenbach and expansion of existing facilities in Hanau, Munich, Frankfurt, and Berlin. The initiative, praised by German officials as a catalyst for innovation and job creation, is expected to secure approximately 9,000 jobs annually until 2029. This move underscores Germany's ambition to become a European leader in digital infrastructure according to official statements.

Enhancing User Engagement with Visual Search

To compete with platforms like Pinterest, Google has introduced a dedicated "Images" tab in its mobile Search app. The feature, which curates personalized visual content for creative projects such as trip planning and home design, aims to boost user engagement. The tab also tests ad placements, signaling potential revenue opportunities for the company. This update follows the 2018 launch of the Collections feature, which allowed users to save diverse search results according to TechCrunch reporting.

Regulatory Scrutiny Over Search Practices

The European Commission is investigating Google's site reputation abuse policy, which critics argue unfairly demotes news and media content in search results. Regulators allege the policy may violate the Digital Markets Act by disadvantaging publishers who monetize their platforms. Google defends the policy as a measure to combat deceptive tactics that degrade search quality. The case adds to the company's ongoing regulatory challenges in Europe according to regulatory filings.