Supreme Court Hears Arguments on Privacy of Cell-Tower Records

A majority of Supreme Court justices seemed to agree that the abundance of private information available about Americans in the digital age might require new restraints on government’s ability to access it. In the specific case before the court, these new limits could require law enforcement officials to prove more to a judge about suspected criminal wrongdoing before they are able to collect cell-tower records, which can provide a detailed record of a person’s whereabouts.

Apple Files Countersuit Against Qualcomm in Phone Chip Patent Case

Apple Inc. filed a countersuit against Qualcomm Inc, alleging that Qualcomm’s Snapdragon mobile phone chips that power a wide variety of Android-based devices infringe on Apple’s patents, the latest development in a long-running dispute. Qualcomm in July accused Apple of infringing several patents related to helping mobile phones get better battery life.

Homeland Security Employees Allegedly Stole Computer System

Three employees in the inspector general’s office for the Department of Homeland Security stole a computer system that contained sensitive personal information of about 246,000 agency employees, according to three United States officials and a report sent to Congress last week. They planned to modify the office’s proprietary software for managing investigative and disciplinary cases so that they could market and sell it to other inspector general offices across the federal government.

Canadian Pleads Guilty to Helping Russians Hack Yahoo

A Canadian accused by the United States of helping Russian intelligence agents break into email accounts as part of a massive 2014 breach of Yahoo accounts pleaded guilty, the U.S. Justice Department said. Karim Baratov pleaded guilty to charges returned by a grand jury in the Northern District of California in February for hacking email accounts and selling the passwords to an agent of Russia’s intelligence agency, the department said in a statement.

Facebook Says It Can Remove 99% of Terrorist Content Before Reports

Facebook says it's able to remove 99% of Islamic State and Al Qaeda terrorist content before it's flagged by users thanks to advances in artificial intelligence that are helping stop the spread of terrorist content. Once Facebook is aware of the terrorist content, it removes 83% of it within an hour of it being uploaded, the company said.

YouTube Removes Videos, Disables Comments Linked to Pedophiles

YouTube, scrambling to respond to its latest brand-safety crisis involving videos with children that drew sexually inappropriate comments, says it has taken focused action to address the problem. In the past week, YouTube said, it has removed more than 150,000 videos featuring children that had been targeted by pedophiles in the comments section, and also disabled comments for over 625,000 videos.

EU to Publish Guidelines on Resolving High-Tech Patent Disputes

The European Union is seeking to play peacemaker in the patent-licensing wars that have embroiled technology giants such as Qualcomm Inc. and Apple Inc., according people familiar with the matter. The European Commission will publish guidelines to help navigate disputes between the makers and users of key technology as more gadgets get connected to the Internet.

Illegal Drug Sales Growing on Dark Web, Two EU Agencies Warn

The illegal drug trade on the dark web is growing rapidly, despite authorities shutting down major market sites like AlphaBay, as crime gangs diversify and seek new clients online, a report by two European Union agencies warned. The report, which is the first of its kind to analyze the drug trade in Europe on the dark web, showed that online markets are becoming increasingly sophisticated and offering growing numbers of illegal products to buyers.

German Official Says Constitution Limits Response Against Hackers

Germany may need to change its constitution to allow it to strike back at hackers who target private computer networks and it hopes to complete any legal reforms next year, a top Interior Ministry official said. The plan could include disarming servers used in attacks and reflects growing concern about the frequency and intensity of such attacks.

Lawmakers Ask Uber Why It Didn't Quickly Disclose Data Breach

Uber is facing fresh questions from the U.S. Congress after it initially suppressed details about a data breach that affected more than 57 million of its drivers and riders in 2016. In a series of letters sent to the ride-hailing company, Democrats and Republicans alike pressed Uber to detail why it hadn’t informed customers sooner, whether it has spoken with law enforcement agencies about the matter and what exactly it’s doing to help drivers whose sensitive data was stolen.

Three Linked to Chinese Cyber Security Firm Indicted for Hacking

A U.S. jury has indicted three people affiliated with a Chinese cyber security firm on computer fraud charges, saying they hacked into the networks of Siemens AG, Trimble Inc and Moodys Analytics. The indictment charged that three defendants and others participated in “coordinated and unauthorized” cyber attacks in order to steal confidential business information and intentionally cause damage to those computer systems.

FBI Failed to Warn U.S. Officials of Russian Hacking Attempts

The FBI failed to notify scores of U.S. officials that Russian hackers were trying to break into their personal Gmail accounts despite having evidence for at least a year that the targets were in the Kremlin’s crosshairs, The Associated Press has found. Nearly 80 interviews with Americans targeted by Fancy Bear, a Russian government-aligned cyberespionage group, turned up only two cases in which the FBI had provided a heads-up. 

N.Y. Attorney General Criticizes FCC Over Fake Net Neutrality Comments

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and the Federal Communications Commission traded barbs over an investigation into a suspected scheme to manipulate the process through which Americans can weigh in on the FCC's move to repeal net neutrality rules. Schneiderman, in an open letter, said an enormous number of fake comments were sent to the FCC about its move to repeal net neutrality rules. 

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EU Agrees to End 'Geoblocking' to Encourage Digital Transactions

The European Union has agreed a plan obliging online retailers operating in the bloc to make electrical goods, concert tickets or car rental available to all EU consumers regardless of where they live. Putting an end to “geoblocking”, whereby consumers in one EU country cannot buy a good or service sold online in another, has been a priority for the EU as it tries to create a digital single market with 24 legislative proposals.

Iraqi Hackers Put Pornography on ISIS Websites

A group of young Iraqi hackers launched an online operation against the Islamic State by sticking pornography into the terrorist group’s propaganda.   The group called Daeshgram, a play on the word Instagram and the acronym many use for ISIS, is making ISIS supporters doubt whether they can trust the group's information channels by infiltrating messaging and media sites and spreading fake information.

FCC Announcement on Net Neutrality Reignites Debate

The Federal Communications Commission announced that it planned to dismantle landmark regulations that ensure equal access to the internet, clearing the way for companies to charge more and block access to some websites. The action immediately reignited a loud and furious fight over free speech and the control of the internet, pitting telecom giants like AT&T against Internet giants like Google and Amazon, who warn against powerful telecom gatekeepers. 

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.