EU's Top Court to Receive Case on Data Transfers to United States

Ireland’s High Court said it would ask the EU’s top court to decide whether to ban the way in which Internet firms such as Facebook transfer users’ data to the United States in a case with major implications for companies. The case is the latest to question whether methods used by large tech firms such as Google and Apple to transfer data outside the 28-nation European Union give EU consumers sufficient protection from U.S. surveillance.

Amazon Facing Bill for Hundreds of Millions of Luxembourg Back Taxes

Brussels will hit Amazon with a bill for Luxembourg back taxes worth several hundred million euros in the latest fallout from the EU crackdown on tax avoidance by big multinationals. The European Commission’s move, confirmed by several people familiar with the case, comes on the heels of Apple’s record €13bn bill for Irish back taxes last year, which prompted a fierce political backlash from Washington.

Facebook Provides 3,000 Russian-Linked Ads to Congressional Committees

Under intensifying pressure from Congress and growing public outcry, Facebook turned over more than 3,000 of the Russia-linked advertisements from its site over to the Senate and House intelligence committees, as well as the Senate Judiciary Committee. The material is part of an attempt to learn the depth of what investigators now believe was a sprawling foreign effort spanning years to interfere with the 2016 United States presidential election.

Ex-CEO of Equifax Blames 'Human Error, Technology Failures' for Breach

Equifax Inc. was alerted in March to the software security vulnerability that led to hackers obtaining personal information of more than 140 million Americans but took months to patch it, its former CEO said in testimony to be delivered to Congress. “It appears that the breach occurred because of both human error and technology failures,” former CEO Richard Smith said in written testimony released by the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Couple Pleads Guilty to Scheme That Stole $1.2 Million in Amazon Goods

An Indiana couple has pled guilty to charges of federal mail fraud and money laundering resulting from an elaborate plot that fleeced Amazon out of over $1.2 million in merchandise, according to The Star Press. Erin Finan, 38, and Leah Finan, 37, enacted their scheme by taking advantage of Amazon’s accommodating returns policy, which does not always require a broken item be sent back before a replacement is issued.

Google Conducts Probe for Russian Ads Used During Election

Google is conducting a broad internal investigation to determine whether Russian-linked entities used its ads or services to try to manipulate voters ahead of the U.S. election, according to a person familiar with the matter, a move that comes after Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc. said Russian actors used their sites. Google, part of Alphabet Inc., is also talking with congressional officials who are investigating Russian efforts to influence the election and plans to share its findings with them once completed, the person said.

Study Says Some Macs Vulnerable to Exploits Even After Updates

An alarming number of Macs remain vulnerable to known exploits that completely undermine their security and are almost impossible to detect or fix even after receiving all security updates available from Apple, a comprehensive study has concluded. The exposure results from known vulnerabilities that remain in the Extensible Firmware Interface, or EFI, which is the software located on a computer motherboard that runs first when a Mac is turned on.

Judge Says FBI Not Required to Disclose Price of iPhone Unlocking

A federal judge has ruled that the FBI does not have to make public how much it paid last year to unlock an iPhone used by one of the apparent perpetrators of a terrorist attack in California that killed 14 people. Three news organizations -- USA Today, The Associated Press and Vice Media -- sued under the Freedom of Information Act to try to force the FBI to reveal the amount of the payment and the identity of the company that received it, but U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled that information is exempt from mandatory disclosure under the landmark transparency statute.

U.S. Cyber Command Targets Hackers in North Korea's Military Spy Agency

Early in his administration, President Trump signed a directive outlining a strategy of pressure against North Korea that involved actions across a broad spectrum of government agencies and led to the use of military cyber-capabilities, according to U.S. officials.As part of the campaign, U.S. Cyber Command targeted hackers in North Korea’s military spy agency, the Reconnaissance General Bureau, by barraging their computer servers with traffic that choked off Internet access.

Trump Lawyers Want Facebook to Disclose Info on Activists

Trump administration lawyers are demanding the private account information of potentially thousands of Facebook users in three separate search warrants served on the social media giant, according to court documents obtained by CNN. The warrants specifically target the accounts of three Facebook users who are described by their attorneys as "anti-administration activists who have spoken out at organized events, and who are generally very critical of this administration's policies."

  • Read the article: CNN

Apple Publishes New Privacy Site to Address Face ID Concerns

Apple released more details about the iPhone X's Face ID feature when it published a new privacy site, addressing some of the concerns that people have had since the face-scanning feature was announced. When Apple unveiled the feature, which can unlock phones and be used for payments, it spurred not only a thousand alarming think pieces, but also a letter from Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) asking how the company will protect the data.

Two States Dispute DHS Notice That Russians Targeted Election Systems

California and Wisconsin said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security was incorrect when it notified them they were among 21 states whose election systems were targeted by Russian hackers during the 2016 election. DHS spokesman Scott McConnell said notifications to 21 states were “based on a variety of sources, including scanning detected from malicious IP addresses and intelligence information that cannot be publicly disclosed.”

Twitter Tells Congress It Took Action on 200 Russian-Linked Account

Twitter has informed Congress that it found and took action on roughly 200 accounts on its service after determining they were linked to Russia and sought to interfere in American politics. "Of the roughly 450 accounts that Facebook recently shared as a part of their review, we concluded that 22 had corresponding accounts on Twitter. All of those identified accounts had already been or immediately were suspended from Twitter for breaking our rules," Twitter announced in a blog post.

  • Read the article: CNN

Facebook Removed Fake Profiles During Germany's Elections

Facebook said its efforts to fight fake news during Germany’s national elections included taking down tens of thousands of fake profiles in the final month of the campaign. Richard Allan, Facebook’s vice president of public policy for Europe, Middle East Africa, said the Silicon Valley-based company mounted an array of efforts to ensure the social media network was not used as a platform to manipulate public opinion.

Senate Committee Wants Google Executives to Testify About Election

The Senate Intelligence Committee intends to call Google executives to Capitol Hill as part of the panel’s investigation into Russian election meddling, according to three people familiar with the discussions. The panel is seeking Google’s cooperation as it studies how Russia’s government might have exploited American social media and Internet companies during the 2016 campaign.

Homeland Security to Collect Social Media Info from All Immigrants

The Department of Homeland Security has moved to collect social media information on all immigrants, including permanent residents and naturalized citizens. A new rule published in the Federal Register last week calls to include "social media handles and aliases, associated identifiable information and search results" in the department's immigrant files.