Alphabet Hits $3 Trillion Market Cap

Google’s parent company, Alphabet, has officially become the fourth publicly traded company to cross the $3 trillion valuation milestone. The elite club already includes Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia, and now Alphabet joins their ranks after a surge in its stock price.

On Monday, September 15, Alphabet’s shares jumped more than 4% to $251.22, pushing its market capitalization just past the $3 trillion mark. This achievement highlights the company’s continued dominance in search, advertising, and increasingly, artificial intelligence.

What Drove Alphabet’s Stock Surge?

Alphabet’s stock has been on an impressive run in 2025, climbing more than 70% since April and adding nearly $1.2 trillion in value during that period. A key catalyst was a favorable antitrust ruling from U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta earlier this month.

The ruling rejected calls by the U.S. Department of Justice to force Google to sell its Chrome browser and Android operating system, both central to its business. Instead, the court ruled that regulators had “overreached” in their demands, noting that the rise of new AI players such as OpenAI has already reshaped the competitive landscape.

This lighter-than-expected decision reassured investors, leading to a rally that boosted Alphabet’s market cap by more than $230 billion in just four days.

Nearly Two Decades in the Making

Google’s journey to the $3 trillion mark has been two decades in the making:

• 2004: Google went public with its IPO.
• 2015: Alphabet was created as Google’s parent company.
• 2025: Alphabet breaks into the $3 trillion club.

The milestone demonstrates how Google evolved from a simple search engine into a tech powerhouse spanning search, cloud services, YouTube, Android, and AI-driven innovation.

The Bigger Picture

Alphabet’s milestone also signals broader market confidence in Big Tech despite regulatory pressures. With Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, and now Alphabet all above the $3 trillion threshold, investors are betting on tech companies that dominate both hardware and software in the age of artificial intelligence.

Facebook’s $725 Million Settlement Payments Begin

Meta, Facebook’s parent company, has officially started distributing payments from its $725 million privacy settlement, one of the largest of its kind in U.S. history. The settlement stems from lawsuits accusing Facebook of mishandling user data and sharing personal information with third parties, a controversy that peaked during the 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal.

Millions of Facebook users in the U.S. who had accounts between 2007 and 2022 were eligible to file claims in 2023. Although Meta has consistently denied any wrongdoing, the company agreed to the massive payout to close the case.

Who Is Eligible to Receive Payment?

To qualify, users needed to:

• Have had an active Facebook account anytime between May 24, 2007 and December 22, 2022.
• Submit a claim form by the August 25, 2023 deadline.

Those who successfully filed claims are now receiving confirmation emails from the Facebook User Privacy Settlement Administrator, complete with a Claimant ID and payout details.

When Are Payments Being Sent?

The administrator confirmed that settlement payments started rolling out in September 2025 and will continue for about 10 weeks. Claimants can expect:

• An email notification 3–4 days before payment is issued.
• Delivery via the payment method selected during the claim process (direct deposit, PayPal, Venmo, or prepaid card).

This staggered schedule ensures that millions of approved users receive their share smoothly.

How Much Will Users Actually Get?

Although $725 million sounds huge, the settlement is split across millions of claimants, which brings the individual payout down to a modest sum. Court filings show:

• Average payout: $29.43
• Maximum payout: $38.36 (for those active the full 15 years)

The distribution is based on an allocation points system, where each month of Facebook activity during the eligibility period adds to the final amount. In short, the longer you’ve been active on Facebook, the bigger your share.

Why This Settlement Matters

The trending keyword here is “privacy”—and this settlement underscores just how valuable it has become. While the cash payouts may not be life-changing, the case is a reminder of the importance of data protection and accountability in the tech industry.

For everyday users, this is a wake-up call to:

• Regularly check privacy settings on apps and platforms.
• Be mindful of what data is shared with third-party apps.
• Stay updated on digital rights and online security.

FBI Warns of Fake Toll Texts and Delivery Smishing Scams

In early 2025, the FBI flagged a surge in smishing—SMS phishing—scams targeting both iPhone and Android users. Unlike phishing emails, these deceptive messages arrive via text and often impersonate toll agencies or courier services, claiming urgent payment is needed to avoid penalties. Many of these messages lure recipients to fake websites via links that steal personal data or infect devices with malware.

Cybersecurity units, like Palo Alto Networks' Unit 42, have discovered that thousands of domains—many using the Chinese .xin top-level domain—are being used in these scams. This tactic makes the URLs appear official while steering users toward phishing traps.

New QR Code Scam: The Brushing Technique Arrives in the Mail

More recently, the FBI warned about clever new scams involving QR codes sent inside unsolicited packages—often with no return address. Known as the brushing technique, this method lures curious victims into scanning QR codes that lead to phishing sites or silently install malware.

Once scanned, these codes may lead to fraudulent payment pages or trigger downloads of malicious apps, putting your personal and financial information at risk. It’s become a modern twist on old-school phishing—but with an impressive disguise.

Why These Scams Work—and Why You Should Be Cautious

• Sense of Urgency: Fake messages mimic official notices that prompt immediate action.
• Authority Mimicry: Scammers pretend to be from toll or government services.
• Curiosity Tactics: Mystery packages with QR codes spark curiosity and lower defenses.
• Encrypted Path Evasion: Some smishing links instruct users to copy-paste URLs, bypassing protections like iMessage's link hiding.

How to Protect Yourself from Smishing and QR Scams

Smishing Texts: Link claiming unpaid toll or delivery alert - Delete suspicious texts immediately. Do not click links. Report to IC3.

QR Box Scams: QR in an unknown or unsolicited package - Never scan unknown QR codes. Use antivirus/mobile security apps and report to authorities if received.

Community Reactions and Real-World Behavior

From Reddit discussions, smartphone users report an increase in volume of scam texts, though not all are highly convincing.

“I’ve been getting tons of scam texts lately. They’re not very convincing but the volume has increased…”Reddit

This highlights the evolving nature of these scams: often low-effort for attackers but still effective due to the sheer volume and automation involved.