Bill Would Require Tech Firms to Detect, Remove Discriminatory Models

U.S. lawmakers proposed a bill that would require major tech companies to detect and remove any discriminatory biases embedded in their computer models, underscoring Washington’s growing interest in regulating Silicon Valley. The bill, entitled the Algorithmic Accountability Act of 2019, would grant new power to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and force companies to study if race, gender or other biases underpin their technology.

Court Enters Permanent Injunction Against 'Grand Theft Auto' Cheat Coder

A U.S. district court has granted video game developer Take-Two Interactive's request for a permanent injunction against a coder who profited by creating cheats for the “Grand Theft Auto” series (“GTA”). In a consent judgment and stipulation, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York said that David Zipperer developed computer programs that allowed users to create unauthorized derivatives of the game.

  • Read the article: TBO

Bipartisan Bill Would Outlaw Misleading Internet Information Collection Tactics

Two U.S. senators introduced a bill to ban online social media companies like Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc. from tricking consumers into giving up their personal data. The bill from Mark Warner, a Democrat, and Deb Fischer, a Republican, would also ban online platforms with more than 100 million monthly active users from designing addicting games or other websites for children under age 13.

Man Gets Six Years for Installing Malware on Computers of Porn Site Visitors

A 24-year-old cyber criminal, who blackmailed computer users worldwide has been jailed for six years for his role with what U.K. investigators described as one of most sophisticated cyber crime groups they have ever investigated. An investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA), the UK’s agency to stop serious organized crime, found that Zain Qaiser, was member of an international, Russian-speaking crime group that made huge profits from victims in more than 20 countries.

  • Read the article: Time

China's Economic Planning Body to Ban Cryptocurrency Mining

China is planning new steps that could put a stop to making Bitcoin there, a move that could cut off one of the world’s largest sources of the popular but unstable cryptocurrency. The National Development and Reform Commission, China’s top economic planning body, added cryptocurrency mining to a list of about 450 industries that it proposes to eliminate.

Facebook Agrees to Address EU's Concerns About Its Terms of Service

Facebook Inc. has bowed to demands from European Union regulators to change what the bloc had called misleading terms of service, the latest example of efforts by governments globally to exercise more control over tech firms. The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, said that the company has agreed to address a list of outstanding concerns that the commission and a group of national consumer-protection authorities had articulated about the terms of service for Facebook users.

As Google Testifies, White Nationalism Comments Appear on YouTube

A tense congressional hearing to explore the spread of white nationalism on social media quickly served to illustrate the problem Silicon Valley faces after anonymous users on YouTube began posting vitriolic attacks that targeted others on the basis of race and religion. The hearing — held by the House Judiciary Committee — was streamed live on the video site owned by Google, which testified. Alongside the stream, a live chat featured posts from users, some of whom published anti-Semitic screeds and argued that white nationalism is not a form of racism.

Yahoo Reaches $117.5 Million Settlement for Largest Data Breach

Yahoo has struck a revised $117.5 million settlement with millions of people whose email addresses and other personal information were stolen in the largest data breach in history. The proposed class-action settlement was designed to address criticisms of U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, who said the original settlement was not “fundamentally fair, adequate and reasonable” because it had no overall dollar value and did not say how much victims might expect to recover.

EU Probing Data Privacy Compliance in Agreements with Microsoft

EU data protection authorities are investigating whether the European Commission and other EU institutions comply with the bloc’s strict data privacy rules in their software deals with Microsoft. The 28-country European Union adopted the landmark General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) about a year ago, giving Europeans more control over their online information and privacy enforcers the power to impose hefty fines.

White House Says Trump Would Likely Veto Net Neutrality Bill

If the Democrats’ net neutrality bill were to pass through Congress, it’s likely that President Donald Trump would veto it, according to a new statement from the White House. It’s not surprising that Trump is expected to veto the Democrat-led net neutrality initiative, but the statement is one of the first direct comments from the White House on the legislation that is expected to easily pass through the House of Representatives.

Facing Criticism, Facebook Bans Canadian White Nationalist Groups

Facebook banned a batch of Canadian white nationalist groups from its platform after facing criticism for declining to remove a post by white nationalist commentator Faith Goldy. HuffPost reported that Facebook declined to take down a video in which Goldy accused people of color and Jews of "replacing" white populations in Europe, the United States and Canada.

Hackers Get $498,000 from City of Tallahassee’s Employee Payroll

Nearly half a million dollars was diverted out of the city of Tallahassee’s employee payroll after a suspected foreign cyberattack of the city's human resources management application. The out-of-state, third-party vendor that hosts the city's payroll services was hacked and as a result the direct deposit paychecks were redirected. Employees throughout the city’s workforce were affected.

ITU Secretary General Says U.S. Concerns About Huawei Driven by Politics

U.S. security concerns about 5G mobile networks built by Chinese telecoms giant Huawei appear to be driven by politics and trade rather than any evidence, the head of the U.N. internet and telecoms agency said. Houlin Zhao, secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), told reporters in Geneva that security of 5G networks was in everybody’s interest but so far he had not seen anything to substantiate claims about Huawei.

British Authority Investigating Online Game Services' Subscription Practices

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched an investigation into Nintendo Switch, Sony PlayStation and Microsoft Xbox amid fears that the way subscriptions to their online games services are renewed is unfair. The competition watchdog said that its consumer law investigation will seek to determine if the companies’ business practices are legal.

Australia Passes Law Criminalizing 'Abhorrent Violent Material' Online

Australia passed sweeping legislation that threatens huge fines for social media companies and jail for their executives if they fail to rapidly remove “abhorrent violent material” from their platforms. The law — strongly opposed by the tech industry — puts Australia at the forefront of a global movement to hold companies like Facebook and YouTube accountable for the content they host.

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