According to an article from The Verge, the appeal was dismissed on Wednesday, as Google and its parent company Alphabet remained on the hook for a fine of roughly USD$2.8 billion.
Government has shifted from a hardline discouragement on paying the ransom, leading to fewer people coming forward, to a different focus that encourages victims to collaborate with law enforcement as soon as possible.
While researchers relayed plenty of optimism, they also noted that “the current system is only a proof of concept so far, having only been shown to work with one participant.” More trials would ultimately be needed to see further viability, and additional editing features are likely the next steps for this remarkable effort.
A number of years ago, the South Korean phone manufacturer took pokes at Apple for removing their 3.5mm headphone jack and the use of a notch, though Samsung has ironically since added both of those “features” to its phones.
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