FTC Opposes Merger of DraftKings, FanDuel Fantasy Sports Sites

The proposed merger between fantasy sports rivals DraftKings Inc. and FanDuel Inc. is facing a challenge from the Federal Trade Commission and the attorneys general of California and Washington, who say the combined company would control more than 90 percent of the U.S. market for paid daily fantasy sports. “This merger would deprive customers of the substantial benefits of direct competition between DraftKings and FanDuel,” Tad Lipsky, acting director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition, said in a statement.

Video Game Publisher Take-Two Forces Hacking Tools Offline

Just days after shutting down popular Grand Theft Auto V modding tool OpenIV, publisher Take-Two Interactive has forced three major GTA Online hacking tools to go offline. Lexicon, Force Hax, and Menyoo were all subscription-based paid hacking tools that let GTA Online players spawn infinite piles of cash, teleport other players to arbitrary locations, become invulnerable, or walk through walls while playing with other people.

Colorado Ballot Initiative Would Ban Smartphone Sales to Children

In February, Colorado dad and Denver-area anesthesiologist Tim Farnumformed the nonprofit PAUS (Parents Against Underage Smartphones) with a few other medical professionals and began drafting a ballot initiative that, if passed, would make Colorado the first state in the nation to establish legal limits on smartphones sales to children. Farnum’s proposal, ballot initiative no. 29, would make it illegal for cellphone providers to sell smartphones to children under the age of 13.

YouTube Creates New Rules for Deleting Terrorism Videos

Google, YouTube’s parent company, announced a set of policies aimed at curbing extremist videos on the platform. For videos that are clearly in violation of its community guidelines, such as those promoting terrorism, Google said it would quickly identify and remove them. The process for handling videos that do not necessarily violate specific rules of conduct is more complicated.

Canadian Officials Expect Cyber Threats During 2019 Elections

Canada's electronic spy agency said it was "very likely" that hackers will try to influence Canada's 2019 elections and it planned to advise political parties on how to guard against cyber threats. The Communications Security Establishment (CSE) agency said it had not detected any nation-state attempts to interfere in prior Canadian elections but saw risk from hacktivists.

Russia Suspected of Using Cyber Tactics Against U.S. Military

A review of the available evidence and the accounts of Kremlin watchers make clear that the Russian government is using political warfare against the military that includes disinformation, propaganda and compromising leaders with bribes and blackmail. Experts warn that effort, which has received far less attention, has the potential to hobble the ability of the armed forces to clearly assess Putin’s intentions and effectively counter future Russian aggression.

Facebook Using Artificial Intelligence to Remove Terrorism Content

Facebook Inc. offered additional insight on its efforts to remove terrorism content, a response to political pressure in Europe to militant groups using the social network for propaganda and recruiting. Facebook has ramped up use of artificial intelligence such as image matching and language understanding to identify and remove content quickly, Monika Bickert, Facebook's director of global policy management, and Brian Fishman, counter-terrorism policy manager, explained in a blog post.

French President Announces Visas to Attract Tech Talent

France launched a technology visa which aims to attract international talent, with newly-elected President Emmanuel Macron talking about the need to strip out regulation to become a "country of unicorns." Speaking at the Viva Tech conference in Paris, France, Macron outlined how his government would slash complex regulation, make it easier for foreign talent to work, and support start-ups with money, in order to create world-leading companies.

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FTC May Be Investigating Uber's Privacy Practices

One of the U.S. government’s most powerful consumer protection watchdogs appears to be quietly probing Uber and the company’s privacy practices. The inquiry is under way at the Federal Trade Commission, according to four sources familiar with the matter, where the agency’s investigative staff appears to have focused its attention on some of the data-handling mishaps that have plagued the company in recent years — perhaps including employees’ misuse of “god view,” a tool that had previously allowed some at Uber to spy on the whereabouts of politicians, celebrities and others using the ride-hailing app.

Judge Rules Grocery Chain Must Make Website Blind Accessible

A federal judge in Florida ruled  that grocery chain Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. must make its website accessible to the blind, following an unprecedented trial over a gray area of accessibility law. The decision adds momentum to a push by plaintiffs’ lawyers and disability-rights groups to make all consumer websites accessible to the blind and hearing-impaired.

Court Adviser Says Google Taxes Shouldn't Exceed 1B Euros

U.S. internet giant Google should not be held liable for over one billion euros ($1.13 billion) in back taxes in France, an independent court advisor recommended to French judges, a court official said. The court advisor said Google does not have "permanent establishment" or sufficient taxable presence to be left on the hook for 1.115 billion euros in back taxes, the official said.

Researchers Warn Code Could Disrupt U.S. Power Systems

Computer-security researchers said they have discovered the malicious software that knocked out electricity in Ukraine’s capital last year, and warned U.S. companies that the code could be repurposed to disrupt systems in the U.S. The discovery sheds light on an incident that security experts have been watching closely, hoping to understand the risk to the U.S. electrical grid.

Russian Cyberattacks on U.S. Electoral System Larger Than Reported

Russia’s cyberattack on the U.S. electoral system before Donald Trump’s election was far more widespread than has been publicly revealed, including incursions into voter databases and software systems in almost twice as many states as previously reported. The scope and sophistication so concerned Obama administration officials that they took an unprecedented step -- complaining directly to Moscow over a modern-day “red phone.” 

Microsoft Issues Windows XP Patches for NSA Vulnerabilities

Microsoft has confirmed its latest round of security patches has fixed three remaining vulnerabilities built by the National Security Agency, which the company previously said it would not fix.The company confirmed to ZDNet that it had reversed course on releasing patches for the exploits, which Microsoft said earlier this year only affect older operating systems that have since been retired, notably Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.

U.S. Blames North Korea for Cyberattacks, Warns of More

The U.S. government issued a rare alert squarely blaming the North Korean government for a raft of cyber attacks stretching back to 2009 and warning that more were likely. The joint warning from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation said that "cyber actors of the North Korean government," referred to in the report as "Hidden Cobra," had targeted the media, aerospace and financial sectors, as well as critical infrastructure, in the United States and globally.

U.S. to Heighten Scrutiny of Chinese Tech Investments

The United States appears poised to heighten scrutiny of Chinese investment in Silicon Valley to better shield sensitive technologies seen as vital to U.S. national security, current and former U.S. officials tell Reuters.Of particular concern is China's interest in fields such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, which have increasingly attracted Chinese capital in recent years. 

Homeland Security Working on Alternatives to Banning Laptops

Enhancements in the way airports outside the U.S. conduct screening may be enough to head off a ban on large electronic devices slated to cover broad areas of Europe and other regions, an official said. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is still considering expanding a ban on laptops, tablets and other devices that began March 21, but is in talks with airlines, airports and other nations about steps that can be taken to ensure security, spokesman David Lapan said at a press conference.

The GigaLaw Firm helps companies of all sizes protect their brands online, using domain name dispute policies – such as the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) – and other legal tools available to copyright and trademark owners on the Internet.