U.S. State Department's Legal Adviser Becomes Facebook's General Counsel

Facebook Inc. named the legal adviser to the U.S. State Department as its general counsel, as the social media giant faces growing regulatory hurdles and privacy concerns. Jennifer Newstead, who brings government and private sector experience to the role, will succeed Colin Stretch, who decided to quit the company in July 2018, Facebook said in a blog post.

Terrorist Groups Find Ways to Circumvent Social Media Bans

Hezbollah is among dozens of groups classified by the United States as terrorist entities that have learned how to stay a step ahead of the social media giants. Although Facebook, YouTube and Twitter have taken down the official pages of these militant groups dozens of times and banned their accounts., Hamas and Hezbollah, in particular, have evolved by getting their supporters to publish images and videos that deliver their message — but that do not set off the alarm bells of the social media platforms.

British Cyber Security Researcher Pleads Guilty to Writing Malware

A British cyber security researcher hailed as a hero for neutralizing the global “WannaCry” ransomware attack in 2017 has pleaded guilty to U.S. charges of writing malware. Marcus Hutchins, who was charged on 10 counts in the United States, pleaded guilty to two of them, with the U.S. government agreeing to move toward dismissing the remaining counts at the time of the sentencing, according to a filing at the U.S. District Court in the eastern district Wisconsin.

FTC, Facebook Discuss Zuckerberg's Accountability for Privacy Statements

Federal regulators investigating Facebook for mishandling its users’ personal information have set their sights on the company’s chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, exploring his past statements on privacy and weighing whether to seek new, heightened oversight of his leadership. The discussions about how to hold Zuckerberg accountable for Facebook’s data lapses have come in the context of wide-ranging talks between the Federal Trade Commission and Facebook that could settle the government’s more than year-old probe, according to two people familiar with the discussions.

Facebook Updates Post, Now Says Millions of Instagram Passwords Exposed

Facebook has confirmed its password-related security incident last month now affects “millions” of Instagram users, not “tens of thousands” as first thought. “Our investigation has determined that these stored passwords were not internally abused or improperly accessed,” the company said in an updated post said, but the company still has not said how it made that determination.

Google to Let Android Users Choose from Rival Browsers in Europe

Users of Android devices in Europe will be able to choose rival browsers and search engines from five options, a senior Google executive said, as the company tries to quell EU antitrust concerns and stave off fresh penalties. Hit with a record 4.34 billion euro fine last year for using the market power of its mobile software to block rivals in areas such as internet browsing, Alphabet unit Google was also ordered to come up with a proposal to give its rivals a fair chance.

Facebook Says Contact Data from 1.5 Million Users 'Unintentionally Uploaded'

Facebook harvested the email contacts of 1.5 million users without their knowledge or consent when they opened their accounts. Since May 2016, the social-networking company has collected the contact lists of 1.5 million users new to the social network, Business Insider can reveal. The Silicon Valley company said the contact data was "unintentionally uploaded to Facebook," and it is now deleting them.

European Parliament Votes to Fine Internet Firms for Not Removing Extremist Content

The European parliament voted to fine firms like Facebook, Google and Twitter up to 4 percent of their turnover if they persistently fail to remove extremist content within one hour of being asked to do so by authorities. The measures have been brought into sharper focus since the live streaming on one of Facebook’s platforms of a lone gunman killing 50 people at two New Zealand mosques in March.

Report Links Chinese Android Apps to Large-Scale Ad Fraud

A host of popular Android apps from a major Chinese developer, including a selfie app with more than 50 million downloads, have been committing large-scale ad fraud and abusing user permissions, a BuzzFeed News investigation of popular Android apps has found. In several cases, the apps took steps that concealed their connections to the developer, DU Group, to users and failed to clearly disclose they were collecting and sending data to China.

Securities Fraud Lawsuit Accuses Apple of Not Disclosing iPhone Slump

Apple Inc. was accused in a new lawsuit of securities fraud for concealing a slump in demand for iPhones, particularly in China, leading to a $74 billion one-day slide in its market value once the truth became known. The complaint seeks damages for investors who bought Apple stock in the two months before Chief Executive Tim Cook on Jan. 2 unexpectedly reduced Apple’s quarterly revenue forecast as much as $9 billion, in part because of the intensifying U.S. trade war with China.

Sony Limits Sexually Explicit Content in PlayStation 4 Video Games

Sony Corp. is cracking down on sexual content in PlayStation 4 video games globally, reflecting concerns in the U.S. about the depiction of women in games but also irritating some software developers. New in-house standards that limit sexually explicit content distinguish Sony from other game-hardware makers that allow more leeway as long as the software carries a rating from a national industry body.

Google Blocks TikTok in India After Court Links App to Sexual Predators

Google has blocked access to the hugely popular video app TikTok in India to comply with a state court’s directive to prohibit its downloads, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said. The move comes hours after a court in southern Tamil Nadu state refused a request by China’s Bytedance Technology to suspend a ban on its TikTok app, putting its future in one of its key markets in doubt.

Apple, Qualcomm Launch Jury Trial Over Patent Licensing Practices

Apple Inc. and its allies kicked off a jury trial against chip supplier Qualcomm Inc. in San Diego, alleging that Qualcomm engaged in illegal patent licensing practices and seeking up to $27 billion in damages. Qualcomm, for its part, alleges that Apple forced its longtime business partners to quit paying some royalties and is seeking up to $15 billion.

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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.