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Google has announced its plans to discontinue the Google Pay app for US users as of June 4, 2024, refocusing its efforts on the Google Wallet service.
All users must switch to Google Wallet for their financial transactions from this date. This service offers the same financial services as Google Pay but promises to be more efficient and improved. Furthermore, Google Wallet will introduce new features not available in Google Pay.
Users are assured that they will not lose any data during the transition.
All saved cards and transaction histories will be transferred to Google Wallet automatically.
According to Joris van Mens, Google’s head of product management, Google Wallet has seen impressive growth and popularity in the US. The platform securely stores credit cards for tap-and-pay transactions, transit cards, and driver’s licenses.
As part of its redesign, Google has emphasized the user-friendly interface and robust security features of Google Wallet. They aim to make the platform a “digital safe house” for users to store sensitive data without fear of security threats.
Users of Google Pay are encouraged to transfer any funds they have in the app to their bank accounts before June 4th, 2024. After this date, peer-to-peer payments and in-app deals will no longer be offered.
To aid in the transition, Google has provided detailed guides to help users transition from Google Pay to Google Wallet. The company has also reaffirmed its commitment to user privacy and security throughout this process.
Google Wallet will offer several new and interesting features
After the transition, Google Wallet will offer several exciting and interesting features, including making and receiving payments and sending money to friends and family.
Google Search will accommodate the deal-finding aspect of the app, allowing users to find deals and offers with a few simple keywords, enhancing the user experience despite the app’s discontinuation.
However, this discontinuation will not affect Google Pay users in other countries like Singapore and India, where the app will continue to function as usual. For users in the U.S., Google Wallet will soon become their default Android payment app.
Despite not currently supporting money transfers or cash-back offers, Google Wallet will continue operating as a simple tap-and-pay service, storing payment and loyalty cards. Google has plans to introduce more features to Google Wallet in the future, in line with its philosophy of simplicity.
Featured Image Credit: Lucas; Pexels
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The Supreme Court is currently deliberating on landmark cases that could significantly alter the digital landscape, focusing on whether social media companies’ rights to moderate content on their platforms are protected under the First Amendment. These cases stem from laws enacted in Florida and Texas, aimed at curbing what is perceived as censorship of conservative viewpoints by major tech platforms.
According to Washington Post reporting, the justices explored the nuanced distinctions during the hearings between government censorship and private content moderation. Paul Clement, representing NetChoice—a trade association with members including tech giants like Google, Facebook, and X — argued that while government-imposed content moderation could be considered censorship, similar actions by private entities amount to editorial discretion.
The scope of the Florida law and its applicability to various online services, including Etsy, Uber, and Gmail, was a point of contention. Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson expressed concerns about the law’s broad reach, while Justice Samuel Alito questioned the extent of the protections sought by the tech companies, specifically whether services like Gmail could legally delete accounts of public figures based on ideological disagreements.
The Supreme Court’s decision, expected by June, is highly anticipated given its potential impact on the regulation of the internet and the balance between free speech and content moderation. The case has attracted attention from various quarters, including former President Donald Trump, who submitted a brief in support of the Florida law, highlighting the political significance of the court’s forthcoming ruling ahead of the presidential election.
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The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has brought $212,500 in fines against two casino operators.
The Board’s Office of Enforcement Counsel (OEC) announced and confirmed the charges.
Operators fined
Mountainview Thoroughbred Racing, responsible for the Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course, faced two separate fines that added up to $147,500. The other operator to be fined was Sugarhouse HSP Gaming, taking home a charge of $65,000.
Mountainview Thoroughbred Racing was charged for not having the proper protocols in place to stop fraudsters from creating, accessing, and using multiple accounts on Penn Interactive’s iGaming and sports betting platforms. The platform was vulnerable to people using the personal identification documents of other individuals to create accounts and the withdrawal and staking of bets using stolen or fraudulently obtained devices.
A $97,500 fine was placed on the operator for not having the checks and balances to avoid such illegal and fraudulent behavior.
The casino and sports betting provider would also face a separate fine of $50,000 for three incidents involving minors under the age of 21 being able to access the gaming floor.
Sugarhouse HSP Gaming would be assessed, and a $65,000 fine was decided upon for two separate incidents. The operator failed to notify the Pennsylvania State Police and the Gaming Control Board of a voucher theft and also failed to meet the correct staffing requirements for a period of 40 days.
The Board would also act on petitions filed by the OEC for the potential banning of three adults from all Commonwealth casinos for engaging in gambling activities whilst minors were abandoned.
The Involuntary Exclusion List of the PGCB would see three individuals added to it.
One man was placed for leaving a 9-year-old unattended in a vehicle with an outside in the parking lot of Presque Isle Downs and Casino in Erie County.
A female patron was placed on the Involuntary Exclusion List after leaving three children, ages 4, 7, and 12, unattended in the parking lot of Presque Isle Downs, and another female patron would be added after leaving a 12-year-old unattended in a vehicle at the valet entrance at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course.
PGCB reiterated via the statement that “leaving minors unattended at a Pennsylvania casino also subjects the offending adult to criminal prosecution in addition to exclusion from all Pennsylvania casinos” and has created a campaign to help bring awareness to the issue.
Image credit: Pexels.
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