Business Technology News Roundup: Sep 05, 2025

SpaceX continued its dominance in commercial satellite launches, successfully deploying 28 additional Starlink units through dual launches from both coasts in under nine hours. The now 8,000-strong satellite constellation expands access to high-speed internet in underserved US rural regions and over 60 countries worldwide. This achievement not only accelerates SpaceX’s ambitious broadband goals, but also sets a precedent for rapid, scalable infrastructure development in the new space economy.

Two devastating data breaches rattled US tech users and businesses in early September. Google alerted 2.5 billion Gmail subscribers to reset passwords after Salesforce-operated systems exposed login credentials, fueling targeted phishing waves. Meanwhile, TransUnion confirmed a leak of sensitive financial data social security numbers and credit histories affecting 4.4 million Americans, attributed to exploits by the infamous Shiny Hunters group. Both breaches highlight the hidden dangers of third-party integrations and stresses the urgent need for encrypted data exchanges, proactive credential rotation, and user education.

Cloudflare published details of its defense against an 11.5 Tbps Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack, a scale never before seen on the internet. The short-lived, 35-second wave leveraged IoT devices and hijacked cloud infrastructure, aiming to cripple servers and online platforms at record velocity. Thanks to advanced AI-driven filtering and real-time traffic rerouting, Cloudflare’s response kept critical services running, sending a message to would-be attackers about next-gen resilience. The attempted breach underscores calls for stronger endpoint security and collaborative cross-industry defenses as DDoS events grow more sophisticated.

Google faced a $425 million penalty following a California jury’s decision that the search giant violated commitments to protect blocked user tracking. Despite privacy settings selected by millions of users, Google continued to gather browsing activity via hidden “Web & App Activity” and location history tools. The verdict resonated through the tech community, with experts pointing to the rising demand for transparent privacy policies and enforceable consumer protection. Google’s legal team has signaled an appeal for the damages, while lawmakers eye possible reforms around opt-out clarity and user consent.

A pivotal ruling in the US Department of Justice’s landmark antitrust case against Google set new precedents for digital competition. Judge Amit Mehta declined to force Google to divest Chrome or Android but ended its exclusive contracts for search, opening doors for rival search engines on browsers and devices. Device makers like Apple and Samsung can now preload competing search apps, with Google retaining its lucrative $20 billion Apple default deal. Critically, Google will share segments of its search index and anonymized user interaction data with approved competitors, enabling market alternatives to better challenge its dominance. The company must also publicly disclose changes to ad auction procedures, under supervision for six years by a newly established Technical Committee. The outcome hailed as a balanced approach boosted Google’s stock over 7% and is expected to ripple across future antitrust debates involving AI and digital advertising.