Google has filed a lawsuit against the operators of a what is believed to be the largest smart TV botnet in the world - BadBox 2.0.The company said in its complaint that this China-based botnet had compromised more than 10 million uncertified devices - including TV streaming boxes, tablets and projectors. Google said that cybercriminals pre-installed malware or used malicious apps to download malware on hardware that was running open-source Android software. These compromised devices were then used to conduct "large-scale ad fraud and other digital crimes." In addition to the lawsuit, which is an injunction against the botnet's operators as well as unspecified damages, Google said it has updated Google Play Protect to automatically block known apps associated with BadBox 2.0.The FBI is also working to dismantle BadBox 2.0, with an alert about the operation issued last month. The original BadBox botnet campaign, which also primarily infiltrated Android operating systems, was identified in 2023 and disrupted in 2024.Google has been a target for this type of cybercriminal activity before. In 2021, it disrupted Glupteba, which at the time was one of the largest botnets with about one million Windows PCs impacted.Read the full complaint below:This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/google-is-suing-the-badbox-20-botnet-group-185812719.html?src=rss

Google has agreed to pay a fine of $55 million AUD ($36 million USD) for anticompetitive practices, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) announced. It stems from deals Google undertook with Australian telecommunications companies Telstra and Optus to only pre-install Google Search.The key there is that these companies couldn't install any other search engine. Telstra and Optus then got a share of Google's ad revenue from customers using Google search on their respective Androids. Google admitted these agreements were "likely to have had the effect of substantially lessening competition." These deals were in place from December 2019 to March 2021."Conduct that restricts competition is illegal in Australia because it usually means less choice, higher costs or worse service for consumers," ACCC Chair Gina-Cass Gottlieb said before turning the emphasis to AI. "Importantly, these changes come at a time when AI search tools are revolutionising how we search for information, creating new competition. With AI search tools becoming increasingly available, consumers can experiment with search services on their mobiles."Unlike some past instances in which Google has defended itself against an investigation or fine, the company is cooperating. It has admitted liability and proposed the fine alongside the ACCC. A court will determine whether its an apt punishment. Google has offered a range of search provider options to EU Android users since 2020 - after facing another antitrust ruling and a 4.3 billion ($5 billion) fine.Last year, Telstra and Optus came to agreements with the ACCC that they wouldn't make similar arrangements with Google moving forward.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-will-pay-australia-36-million-over-anticompetitive-search-deal-with-mobile-carriers-110956889.html?src=rss