Google

Google swiftly disrupted a foreign-based cybercriminal group behind a massive SMS phishing campaign, known as the “Smishing Triad,” after filing a lawsuit. The group used a phishing kit called “Lighthouse” to target over a million people in 120 countries with deceptive SMS messages impersonating legitimate services. These messages led victims to fraudulent websites to steal financial information. Google acted within 24 hours, but details of the shutdown methods were not disclosed. This proactive approach highlights the fight against sophisticated phishing operations.

Google has filed a lawsuit against a Chinese cybercriminal organization, “Smishing Triad,” alleging they orchestrated a massive SMS phishing campaign using the “Lighthouse” phishing-as-a-service kit. This kit facilitated widespread attacks stealing user data by mimicking recognizable brands. Google invokes RICO, Lanham Act, and CFAA, seeking to dismantle the platform and prevent further harm. The lawsuit details a sophisticated operation with specialized subgroups and millions of compromised credit cards, highlighting Google’s commitment to combating online fraud and supporting legislative measures against cybercrime.

Google’s Private AI Compute is a new cloud-based system aiming to balance powerful AI with user privacy by replicating on-device data security within a cloud environment. Similar to Apple’s approach, it addresses the challenge of providing computationally intensive AI while protecting data confidentiality. The system uses Google’s infrastructure, including TPUs and TIEs, encrypted connections, and Zero Access assurance to secure data processing. It enhances features like Magic Cue and Recorder, offering faster, more personalized results. Google intends Private AI Compute to unlock a new generation of privacy-centric AI tools.

Wall Street declined Thursday amid concerns over AI stock valuations and a surge in corporate layoffs. Apple is reportedly in talks with Google to integrate Google’s AI into Siri, potentially costing Apple $1 billion annually. Despite solid sales, Costco shares dipped, with analysts scrutinizing its premium valuation. Disney replaced Penn Entertainment with DraftKings as ESPN’s official sportsbook partner, aiming to enhance its DTC business and boost engagement within the ESPN ecosystem.

Google has launched its seventh-generation Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), Ironwood, now generally available to cloud customers. This custom-designed AI accelerator aims to rival Nvidia GPUs by offering specialized, high-performance computing power for AI workloads like training LLMs and real-time inference. Ironwood boasts interconnectivity of up to 9,216 TPUs in a single pod. AI startup Anthropic has pledged to utilize up to 1 million Ironwood TPUs. The move underscores Google’s commitment to AI infrastructure amid growing cloud revenue and increased capital expenditure.

Apple is reportedly integrating a customized version of Google’s Gemini into Siri, a move that could cost Apple $1 billion annually. This upgrade aims to enhance Siri’s summarization and planning capabilities by leveraging Gemini’s 1.2 trillion parameter model. A hybrid approach is planned, with Apple’s Private Cloud Compute ensuring data privacy. The collaboration reflects Apple’s strategy to bridge AI capability gaps and stay competitive, while intending to develop its own technology long-term. The updated Siri, codenamed “Linwood,” is expected in iOS 26.4.

Alphabet (GOOG) plans a significant increase in capital expenditure in 2026, driven by soaring AI demand and a large customer backlog. This follows a strong Q3, exceeding $100 billion in revenue. 2025 capital expenditure is projected at $91-$93 billion, up from previous forecasts, to expand data centers and AI infrastructure. Google Cloud’s backlog grew 46% quarter-over-quarter. The company is also using AI to enhance its search business, with AI Mode gaining considerable traction among users. Meta is similarly increasing its capital expenditure, highlighting industry-wide AI investment.

Alphabet (GOOGL) anticipates strong earnings, fueled by a 38% Q3 stock surge and AI optimism. Investors are focused on Alphabet’s AI competitiveness amidst rivals like OpenAI. A favorable antitrust ruling, though mandating data sharing, is viewed positively. Analysts expect Gemini AI models to drive growth in Search and Cloud. Despite AI competition like ChatGPT, Google promotes Gemini as a comprehensive solution. Investors eye the launch of Gemini 3, but competitive pressures in AI remain a key concern for Google’s long-term success.

Anthropic and Google have solidified their cloud partnership with a multi-billion dollar deal, granting Anthropic significant access to Google’s TPUs and a projected gigawatt of AI compute by 2026. This supports Anthropic’s scaling AI development and deployment. Anthropic’s multi-cloud architecture, leveraging Google TPUs, Amazon Trainium chips, and Nvidia GPUs, optimizes for cost, performance, and efficiency. Anthropic’s revenue is rapidly growing, nearing $7 billion annually, driven by enterprise adoption of Claude and Claude Code. While Google is a key partner, Amazon remains crucial, offering AWS cloud infrastructure and Trainium chips. Anthropic maintains independence, avoiding exclusivity and control over its AI models.

Google plans to invest $15 billion in a new AI hub in southern India, its largest outside the U.S., over the next five years. This signals India’s growing strategic importance in the global tech landscape. Raiden Infotech, Google’s Indian subsidiary, will build three campuses in Visakhapatnam. This investment, part of Google’s increased $85 billion capital expenditure forecast for 2025, aligns with its $25 billion investment in US data centers. Microsoft and AWS are also investing heavily in India, fueling competition and innovation within the sector.