Websites Allow Transfer of Customer Data if Sold

Provisions in a website's terms and conditions that act as a sort of data fire sale clause are becoming standard among the most popular sites, according to a recent analysis by The New York Times of the top 100 websites in the United States as ranked by Alexa, an Internet analytics firm. Of the 99 sites with English-language terms of service or privacy policies, 85 said they might transfer users’ information if a merger, acquisition, bankruptcy, asset sale or other transaction occurred, The Times’s analysis found.

Police Departments Reconsider Posting Booking Photos Online

Uploading booking photographs to police department websites has become a common practice from New England to California, where Facebook pages and department websites have become a popular spot for posting digital lineups. Police officers often say their aim is transparency, not public shaming, but recent cases highlight a challenge for the digital age: When does public notice become public punishment in a world where digital images can live forever?

Private Investigator Gets 3 Months for E-mail Hacking

A private investigator in New York who illegally rummaged through the emails of dozens of people was sentenced to three months in prison as questions arose about how his case was investigated. Two victims of Eric Saldarriaga’s hacking told Judge Richard J. Sullivan of the Federal District Court in Manhattan that they were annoyed that prosecutors had given them little information about the extent of Mr. Saldarriaga’s activities and the potential invasion of privacy.

Two GOP Candidates Propose Bill Against Online Gambling

Two GOP 2016 presidential candidates introduced legislation that would push the government to crack down on most forms of online gambling. Republican candidate Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) reintroduced his Restoration of America’s Wire Act and attracted a new GOP co-sponsor, Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla), who is also running for president. Five other senators are also supporting the bill.

U.S. Intelligence Chief Suggests China Behind Personnel Hacking

The top U.S. intelligence official signaled that Chinese hackers were behind the theft of millions of personnel records from the federal government, marking the administration’s most pointed assignment of blame since the breach was announced June 4. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, speaking at a Washington intelligence conference, said China was the “leading suspect” in the attacks, while also adding, “You have to kind of salute the Chinese for what they did,” given the difficulty of the intrusion.

Google Gets More Time to Respond to EU Antitrust Charges

Google Inc. hasn’t yet responded to European Union charges that the U.S. company skews search results to favor its own comparison-shopping service, the bloc’s antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager said. EU antitrust cops charged Google with violating the bloc’s laws in mid-April and gave the company ten weeks to respond to the allegations, escalating a five-year-old investigation.

Getty Images Joins EU Antitrust Probe Against Google

Getty Images has become the latest company to take its grievances with Google to EU antitrust regulators as it accused the world's most popular Internet search engine of favoring its own images service at the expense of rivals. The complaint comes as the European Commission waits for Google to respond to charges of abusing its market power in a dozen EU countries since 2007 by distorting search results to favor its shopping service.

Angie's List Sues Amazon Subsidiary for Stealing Info

Angie's List has sued a subsidiary of Internet giant Amazon.com, accusing it of stealing provider lists and other proprietary information. The federal lawsuit, filed in Indianapolis, alleges that Amazon Local executives and other employees got access to information by signing up as members of Angie's and downloading provider profiles, member reviews and other information.

SEC Investigates Hackers in Insider-Trading Probe

U.S. securities regulators are investigating a group of hackers suspected of breaking into corporate email accounts to steal information to trade on, such as confidential details about mergers, according to people familiar with the matter. The Securities and Exchange Commission has asked at least eight listed companies to provide details of their data breaches, one of the people said.

National Archives Identifies Unauthorized Computer Activity

The agency that houses the U.S. Constitution and other important historical documents has found signs of unauthorized computer activity similar to the recently disclosed hack of federal employment records, according to a report on federal technology publication nextgov.com. The National Archives and Records Administration found signs that files were moved around, although there was no evidence that hackers took administrative control of its computer systems, nextgov.com said in its report.

China Ignoring Synthetic Drugs Available Online

In a country that has perfected the art of Internet censorship, the open online drug market is just the most blatant example of what international law enforcement officials say is China’s reluctance to take action as it has emerged as a major player in the global supply chain for synthetic drugs. While China says it has made thousands of arrests and “joined hands” with foreign law enforcement agencies, officials from several countries say Chinese authorities have shown little interest in seriously combating what they see as the drug problems of other countries.

Europol Officers, Internet Firms Cooperate to Track Isis

A special European police unit will work with Internet companies to track down Isis recruiters on social networks in an attempt to prevent more Europeans from joining the jihadists’ ranks in Iraq and Syria. From 1 July, a team of 15 officers based at Europol headquarters in The Hague will monitor suspect accounts on “all major social media companies” to pinpoint content and request accounts to be shut down, Europol’s director Rob Wainwright, said.