Lawmakers Want Google CEO to Answer Questions About 'Sensorvault'

The top Democrats and Republicans on the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee wrote Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai raising concerns about reports of a massive database of precise consumer location information on hundreds of millions of consumers known as “Sensorvault.” The letter seeks a briefing and answers on how this information is used and shared, citing a New York Times report that the database includes nearly every consumer with an Android mobile device, in some cases storing information dating back to 2009.

Man Accused of Stealing Cryptocurrency Gets 10 Years in 'SIM Swapping' Case

A Boston-area resident has been sentenced to a decade in a California prison in what is believed to be the country’s first-ever arrest and conviction for “SIM swapping,” commandeering victims’ smartphones to steal millions of dollars’ worth of bitcoin and other cryptocurrency. Joel Ortiz, 21, was sentenced after pleading no contest in January to eight counts of identity theft and computer crimes.

Sri Lankan Government Shuts Down Social Media Sites After Bombings

The Sri Lankan government’s decision to shutter access to social media sites after the deadly bombings may mark a turning point in how countries around the world perceive Silicon Valley — and their willingness to act to stop the spread of falsehoods online. A decade ago, Facebook, Twitter and their social media peers helped spearhead pro-democracy uprisings that toppled dictators throughout the Middle East, and their services were seen as a way to help in catastrophes, allowing authorities a vehicle to convey crucial information and organize assistance.

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.

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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.