Zuckerberg Praises France's Efforts to Regulate Hateful Content Online

Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg hailed France’s efforts to regulate hateful content online as a model for the European Union after meeting President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. His comments come after the U.S. social media giant was heavily criticized by politicians and the public for its failure to more rapidly remove footage of the March shooting attack in Christchurch, New Zealand, from its network.

Accounts Linked to Russia Spreading Disinformation Online Before EU Elections

Less than two weeks before pivotal elections for the European Parliament, a constellation of websites and social media accounts linked to Russia or far-right groups is spreading disinformation, encouraging discord and amplifying distrust in the centrist parties that have governed for decades. European Union investigators, academics and advocacy groups say the new disinformation efforts share many of the same digital fingerprints or tactics used in previous Russian attacks, including the Kremlin’s interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign.

India Investigating Google for Using Android to Block Competitors

India’s antitrust watchdog is investigating whether Alphabet Inc.’s Google used its Android platform to block rivals, New Delhi’s latest move to try to tamp down American tech behemoths. The investigation launched by the Competition Commission of India resembles a case last year in which the European Union fined Google $4.87 billion for what it said was abuse of its dominant Android mobile operating system to boost its own business, according to an Indian government official with knowledge of the matter.

Hospitals Push Medical-Device Makers for Better Protections Against Cyberattacks

Hospitals are pushing medical-device makers to improve cyber defenses of their Internet-connected infusion pumps, biopsy imaging tables and other health-care products as reports of attacks rise. Rattled by recent global cyberattacks, U.S. hospitals are conducting tests to detect weaknesses in specific devices, and asking manufacturers to reveal the proprietary software running the products in order to identify vulnerabilities.

Facebook Sues South Korean Analytics Firm for Mishandling User Data

Facebook said it had filed a lawsuit against a South Korean analytics company that may have mishandled users’ personal information, a legal salvo that the social media giant described as a “message” meant to demonstrate its heightened vigilance over privacy. The lawsuit filed in a San Mateo, Calif., court targets Rankwave, a South Korean firm that had offered at least 30 apps to consumers and business.

Grand Jury Charges Chinese National in 2015 Attack on Anthem, Others

A federal grand jury charged a Chinese national in a 2015 hacking campaign that affected large U.S. businesses including insurer Anthem Inc, where the breach affected a computer system containing data on nearly 80 million people, according to an indictment. Fujie Wang, 32, and others including one individual charged as John Doe, conducted intrusions into Anthem and three other American businesses, according to the four-count indictment in federal court in Indianapolis, where Anthem is based.

Facebook Rejects Co-Founder's Op-Ed Urging Three-Way Company Split

Facebook quickly rejected a call from co-founder Chris Hughes to split the world’s largest social media company in three, while lawmakers urged the U.S. Justice Department to launch an antitrust investigation. “We are a nation with a tradition of reining in monopolies, no matter how well intentioned the leaders of these companies may be. Mark’s power is unprecedented and un-American,” Hughes, a former college roommate of Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg, wrote in a lengthy New York Times opinion piece.

Groups File Complaint with FTC Alleging Echo Dot Kids Edition Violates Privacy

Two groups — the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and the Center for Digital Democracy — joined more than a dozen others in lodging a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. The groups say that Amazon’s practices with the Echo Dot Kids Edition violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, a federal law protecting the personal information of people under 13.

Pompeo Warns Britain of Security Risks in Doing Business with Huawei

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a blistering attack against China as he stepped up pressure on Britain, warning that American intelligence sharing could be risked by the involvement of a Chinese company in a new British telecommunications network. Speaking in London, Mr. Pompeo argued that China posed such a range of economic and security threats that the world now faced “a new kind of challenge, an authoritarian regime that’s integrated economically into the West.”

After Year-Long Ban, Facebook Allowing Some Ads for Cryptocurrency

A year after banning all blockchain-related ads, Facebook is reopening to ones for “blockchain technology, industry news, education or events related to cryptocurrency” without the need for pre-approval. The change could be a boon to an industry struggling for mainstream attention in the wake of the 2018 cryptocurrency price collapse that soured much of the public on the financial technology.

Lawmaker to Introduce 'Protecting Children From Abusive Games Act'

Video games popular among kids would be prohibited from offering “loot boxes” or randomized assortments of digital weapons, clothing and other items that can be purchased for a fee, under federal legislation to be introduced by Republican Sen. Josh Hawley (Mo.). Hawley’s Protecting Children From Abusive Games Act takes aim at a growing industry revenue stream that analysts say could be worth more than $50 billion — but one that increasingly has triggered worldwide scrutiny out of fear it fosters addictive behaviors and entices kids to gamble.

Binance Says Hackers Withdrew $40 Million of Bitcoin in One Transaction

Binance, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, said hackers withdrew 7,000 Bitcoins worth about $40 million via a single transaction in a “large scale security breach,” the latest in a long line of thefts in the digital currency space. The hackers used a “variety of techniques” including phishing and viruses to obtain a large amount of user data, Binance said in a post on its website.

FBI Counterterrorism Official Sees More Cooperation from Social Media

A top FBI counterterrorism official said that he has seen a major change in social media companies' willingness to address extremist content on their platforms. "We are seeing a tide change in social media companies being more proactive, policing their own," Michael McGarrity, the FBI's assistant director for counterterrorism, said at a House Homeland Security Committee hearing.

Amazon Hit by 'Extensive' Fraud That Took Funds from Merchant Accounts

Amazon.com was hit by an “extensive” fraud, revealing that unidentified hackers were able to siphon funds from merchant accounts over six months last year. Amazon believes it was the victim of a “serious” online attack by hackers who broke into about 100 seller accounts and funneled cash from loans or sales into their own bank accounts, according to a U.K. legal document.

Zuckerberg Gets Subpoena from Canadian Parliament Privacy Committee

A committee in Canada's Parliament voted unanimously to take the rare step of issuing a subpoena demanding appearances from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg. Bob Zimmer, chair of Canada's Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics, said in a phone call with CBS News that the subpoena can only be enforced if the Facebook executives step foot on Canadian soil.

Google Introduces Tools Giving Users More Control Over Privacy

Speaking at an annual conference for developers, Sundar Pichai, Google’s chief executive, delivered a message that seemed cognizant of today’s consumer privacy concerns but out of step with the company’s history of intensive online data collection. Google introduced a set of tools spanning a range of its products to provide users with more control over their data and make it more difficult to track their online activities.

Facebook’s Sandberg Meets with Lawmakers to Discuss Privacy Protections

With a multibillion-dollar settlement looming for Facebook over user privacy violations, Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg met with U.S. lawmakers on Capitol Hill to discuss legislation to protect users of the social network, officials said. The meetings had been long planned and were not to discuss reports that Facebook will soon settle a probe by the Federal Trade Commission into privacy lapses, according to a Facebook spokeswoman.

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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.