Google extends work from home to 2021

Alphabet Inc’s Google said on Monday it would allow employees, who do not need to be in the office, to work from home until the end of June 2021.

Google had said in May it would begin reopening more offices globally as early as June this year, but most Google employees would likely work from home until the end of this year.

The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the news, said Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai made the decision himself last week after debate among an internal group of top executives that he chairs.

Several other companies have also allowed most of their employees to work from home until the end of 2020 in a bid to safeguard them against the Covid-19 pandemic, with Twitter Inc proposing remote work for some of its employees indefinitely.

Australia’s consumer watchdog launched court action against Google on Monday alleging the technology giant misled account holders about its use of their personal data.

The commission alleges the California-based company misled millions of Australians to obtain their consent and expand the scope of personal information that Google collects about users’ internet activity to target advertising. Google countered the allegration saying its account holders had been asked to “consent via prominent and easy-to-understand notifications.”