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Bytes: Week in Review - RIP Skype

May 9, 2025
Joanna Stern, a Senior Personal Technology Columnist at The Wall Street Journal, shares her insights on the shifting landscape of technology. She discusses OpenAI's troublesome pivot to profit and the challenges tied to its nonprofit roots. The conversation highlights the Department of Justice's efforts to break up Google's advertising monopoly and the hurdles it faces. Lastly, Joanna reflects on the legacy of Skype, from its revolutionary beginnings to its decline amidst fierce competition from modern communication platforms.
10:39

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • The Department of Justice is pressing for the breakup of Google's ad tech business, highlighting ongoing antitrust scrutiny and the challenges involved.
  • OpenAI has decided to maintain its nonprofit structure after facing backlash against its plan to transition into a fully profit-driven model.

Deep dives

Google's Antitrust Challenges

Google faces ongoing antitrust scrutiny, with the Department of Justice pushing for the company to break up its ad tech business. The Justice Department argues that Google should sell off two of its ad tech products, a move that Google claims is technically unfeasible due to the deep integration of its systems. This argument mirrors previous claims regarding the company’s Chrome browser, where Google insisted that selling it would be impractical. As regulatory pressure mounts, the challenge remains whether Google can successfully navigate the complexities of breaking apart its intertwined business components.

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