European Parliament Preparing to Vote on Draft Copyright Directive

A new European push to rein in tech giants through copyright legislation is sparking fierce debate and questions about whether the proposed law would accomplish its goals. It is coming to a head because the European Parliament plans to vote on a draft copyright directive that supporters say would bolster media producers against internet platforms and hold those platforms more responsible for paying for content, such as copyrighted music playing in the background of an uploaded home video.

New York Approves Digital Currency Exchange Launched by Winklevosses

New York state approved Gemini Trust Company’s and Paxos Trust Company’s dollar-linked digital currencies, the first stablecoins to get the nod from the region’s regulator. The Gemini dollar by Gemini, the digital asset exchange launched by twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, is a stablecoin that will allow users to send and receive U.S. dollars on the Ethereum blockchain.

Democratic Attorneys General Missing Invites to DOJ Review of Tech Firms

Democratic attorneys general from key states said they have not yet been invited by the Justice Department to its upcoming review of tech companies, prompting criticism that the Trump administration's inquiry is a politically charged attack on the tech industry. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions first announced that he was gathering state attorneys general to examine whether companies like Facebook, Google and Twitter are “intentionally stifling the free exchange of ideas” online.

Apple Removes 'Adware Doctor' After Report It Collected Browsing History

Apple has removed a top Mac app called Adware Doctor, designed to "prevent malware and malicious files from infecting your Mac," which, according to security researchers Patrick Wardle and Privacy 1st, was collecting users' browsing history without their consent, violating Apple's policies. Wardle, who shared his findings with TechCrunch, found that Adware Doctor requested access to users' home directory and files — not unusual for an anti-malware or adware app that scans computers for malicious code — and used that access to collect Chrome, Safari, and Firefox browsing history, and recent App Store searches.

Apple Removes Infowars App, Citing Policy Against 'Offensive' Content

Apple removed the Infowars app from its App Store, eliminating one of the final avenues for Alex Jones, the notorious internet conspiracy theorist to reach a mainstream audience. An Apple spokeswoman said it was removed under company policies that prohibit apps from including content that is “offensive, insensitive, upsetting, intended to disgust or in exceptionally poor taste.”

British Airways Says Customers' Financial Data Stolen in Data Breach

Financial data has been stolen from potentially hundreds of thousands of British Airways customers who made online bookings in recent weeks, extending a run of embarrassing technological mishaps suffered by the UK flag carrier. The thefts occurred during a data breach that affected bookings made on the airline’s website between Aug. 21 and Sept. 5, parent International Airlines Group said.

Twitter Permanently Suspends Alex Jones, InfoWars for Abusive Behavior

Twitter said it has "permanently suspended" conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and his InfoWars outlet, citing "new reports of Tweets and videos posted yesterday that violate our abusive behavior policy." Last month, YouTube, Apple, Facebook and Spotify banned Jones' main platforms over concerns about his content. But Twitter only suspended some of his privileges, a move that drew criticism.

  • Read the article: NPR

U.S. Charges North Korean Hacker in Cyberattack on Sony Pictures

The Justice Department announced charges against an alleged hacker for the North Korean government in connection with a series of major cyberattacks including the 2014 assault on Sony Pictures Entertainment, marking the first time the United States has brought such charges against a Pyongyang operative. Park Jin Hyok, officials said, is accused of being part of a conspiracy to hack on behalf of North Korea’s Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB), the military intelligence agency that controls most of the country’s cyber capabilities.

Apple to Create Online Tool for Police to Request Data About Users

Apple Inc. plans to create an online tool for police to formally request data about its users and to assemble a team to train police about what data can and cannot be obtained from the iPhone maker, according to a company letter seen by Reuters. The letter, dated Sept. 4, was from Apple General Counsel Kate Adams to U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat from Rhode Island.

Google Conspicuously Absent as Facebook, Twitter Testify

Google, faced with what may be the most intense political scrutiny in the company’s 20-year history, decided to pass on a chance to defend itself in Congress. A U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee panel was convened, the latest in a series of high-profile hearings on state-sponsored election meddling involving the largest technology platforms. Senior executives from Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc. sat before the senators next to an empty chair marked "Google."

Trump Says Social Media Firms 'Already Have' Interfered in Election

U.S. President Donald Trump accused social media companies of interfering with the upcoming congressional elections, without appearing to offer any evidence, in an interview published ahead of congressional testimonies from top social media executives. Referring to companies such as Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc., Trump, a Republican, told the Daily Caller in an interview, “I think they already have” interfered in the Nov. 6 election.

  • Read the article: Reuters

Sessions, State Attorneys General to Discus 'Stifling' by Tech Companies

Attorney General Jeff Sessions plans to meet with state attorneys general later this month to discuss whether tech companies may be “intentionally stifling the free exchange of ideas,” the Justice Department said in a statement. Agency spokesman Devin O'Malley said the meeting will also consider whether tech platforms “may have harmed competition” with their actions, a hint that the Justice Department may be weighing antitrust action against the firms.

NIST to Create Framework for Protecting Privacy Online

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced that it will begin to create a framework to guide organizations on how they can protect the information of individuals using their products or services. The non-regulatory agency, responsible for setting scientific standards and housed in the Commerce Department, said in a release that the privacy framework would be based off the framework it previously established for cybersecurity issues.

Facebook, Twitter Plan to Admit Flaws in Congressional Testimony

When Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s chief operating officer, and Jack Dorsey, Twitter’s chief executive, appear in Washington to testify about misuse of their services by foreign operatives and the disproportionate influence their platforms have over people’s thinking, they plan to answer lawmakers’ questions using two main tactics: a conciliatory and apologetic approach, as well as a rundown of the growing number of efforts that the companies have taken to deal with manipulation and disinformation problems.

EU Finance Ministers to Discuss Proposals for Taxes on Digital Services

European Union finance ministers will discuss proposals to adopt a tax on companies’ digital turnover by the end of the year, a document prepared by the Austrian presidency of the bloc said. EU governments agree that tax rules should be changed to increase levies on digital services that are currently undertaxed, but are at odds on the process to reach this target.

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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.