U.S. Trade Regulators Approve 10 of Apple's Tariff Exemption Requests

U.S. trade regulators approved 10 out of 15 requests for tariff exemptions filed by Apple Inc. amid a broader reprieve on levies on computer parts, according to a public docket published by the U.S. Trade Representative and a Federal Register notice. The move by U.S. officials could make it easier for both Apple and small makers of gaming computers to assemble devices in the United States by lowering the costs of importing parts.

IBM Files Patent Suit Against Zillow Over Home Value Estimation Tool

IBM filed a lawsuit against Zillow, accusing the real estate giant of piggybacking off its patented technology to build key parts of its home value estimation and search features. The seven patents at the center of the suit cover a variety of different technologies, but the ones that stand out most deal with using computing power to analyze the quality and desirability of a geographic area and list-based searches that let users see the results on a map that fits within their screen.

Facebook Suspends Tens of Thousands of Apps for Using Personal Info

Facebook said that it had suspended tens of thousands of apps for improperly sucking up users’ personal information and other transgressions, a tacit admission that the scale of its data privacy issues was far larger than it had previously acknowledged. The social network said in a blog post that an investigation it began in March 2018 — following revelations that Cambridge Analytica, a British consultancy, had retrieved and used people’s Facebook information without their permission — had resulted in the suspension of “tens of thousands” of apps that were associated with about 400 developers.

Apple's New iPhone Operating System Warns Users About Tracking

Apple’s new iOS 13, the thirteenth major iteration of its popular iPhone software, has new security and privacy features. The new operating system periodically reminds you about apps that are tracking your location in the background and every so often will tell you how many times an app has tracked where you’ve been in a recent period of time, along with a small map of the location points.

French Court Says Steam Must Let Consumers Resell Their Games

In a court decision that could fundamentally change how Steam operates, European Union consumers have won the right to resell their Steam titles through Valve's digital marketplace. French website Next Inpact reports the Paris Court of First Instance ruled that European Union law allows Steam users to resell their digital games, just like they can any physical product.

California Governor Signs Bill Changing Classification of Independent Contractors

California businesses will soon face new limits in their use of independent contractors under a closely watched proposal signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom, a decision praised by organized labor but unlikely to quell a growing debate over the rules and nature of work in the 21st century economy. Newsom, who signed Assembly Bill 5 in a private ceremony in his state Capitol office, had already committed to embracing the new law.

Lawmakers Drafting DHS Commission to Study Social Media Abuses

Congressional lawmakers are drafting a bill to create a “national commission” at the Department of Homeland Security to study the ways that social media can be weaponized — and the effectiveness of tech giants’ efforts to protect users from harmful content online. The draft House bill obtained by The Washington Post is slated to be introduced and considered next week.

Global Trade Group on Cybersecurity Suspends Huawei's Membership

Huawei Technologies Co. has been suspended from membership in a global trade group of companies, governments and experts set up to tackle computer security breaches and share information about vulnerabilities. The Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams, called “First,” was set up in the 1990s to encourage international cooperation in addressing and preventing hacking incidents.

Facebook Unveils Plan for Independent Oversight Board to Review Content

Facebook unveiled its blueprint for an independent oversight board to review the company’s decisions about the posts, photos and videos it takes down or leaves online, responding to a wave of criticism that inconsistent policies have undermined the platform. The roughly 40-person panel is supposed to function as the social media giant’s version of a “Supreme Court,” serving as the final word for Facebook users who want to appeal the company’s moderation decisions.

London Police, Facebook to Share Resources to Prevent Live Terrorism Streaming

London police and Facebook said they plan to share resources to stop the live streaming of terrorist attacks like that in Christchurch, New Zealand, earlier this year. The Metropolitan Police will share video of its firearms officers training with Facebook to help the company develop technology to identify the live streaming of an attack on its platform.

European Central Bank Board Member Calls Digital Currencies Disruptive

Digital currencies such as Facebook’s Libra will disrupt the financial system, either by forcing central banks to innovate or by grabbing a global role that could challenge the dominance of the dollar, ECB board member Benoit Coeure said. Looking to set up a cheap global payment network, Facebook announced plans earlier this year to create the Libra “stablecoin” by next year, spooking global regulators who are now scrambling to come up with the needed regulation.

FTC, DOJ Admit to Turf War in How to Investigate Big Tech Companies

The two federal agencies charged with investigating Big Tech are jockeying over how to divide up their responsibilities, setting up a messy showdown that could undermine the government’s efforts to take on the Silicon Valley giants. At a Senate hearing, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Joe Simons and the Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim offered blunt assessments of the recent turf war between the FTC and the Department of Justice (DOJ)’s Antitrust Division over how to investigate the tech sector.

Drug Dealers Selling Illegal Steroids on Social Media, Group Says

Drug dealers are turning to Facebook and other popular social media sites to peddle steroids, which are illegal without a prescription, raising more questions about whether the companies are properly policing their platforms. Those substances are being aggressively sold or marketed through posts and videos on sites including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter, according to new research by Internet safety nonprofit group Digital Citizens Alliance and cyberintelligence firm GiPEC.

Law Enforcement Investigating Human Trafficking, Prostitution Websites

A year after U.S. authorities closed Backpage.com, the biggest player in the online sex-for-sale industry, investigators are focused on three websites now dominant in the American market and the Swiss businessman who they believe may control them. U.S. authorities, including the Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department, are investigating whether the sites have engaged in or knowingly enabled human trafficking, prostitution and money-laundering, and what ties they may have with David Azzato, according to people familiar with the matter.

Russian Hacker to Plead Guilty to Stealing Data from JP Morgan Chase Accounts

A Russian hacker at the center of an alleged scheme to steal financial data on more than 80 million JP Morgan Chase & Co. clients will plead guilty later this month, according to a U.S. court filing. Andrei Tyurin, who was extradited last year from the Republic of Georgia, is accused of performing key tasks that netted hundreds of millions of dollars in illicit proceeds from the hack of JPMorgan and other companies. Tyurin has struck a plea agreement with federal prosecutors in New York to resolve the charges and is set to appear for a plea hearing.

Australian Intelligence Blames China for Cyberattack on Parliament

Australian intelligence determined China was responsible for a cyber-attack on its national parliament and three largest political parties before the general election in May, five people with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. Australia’s cyber intelligence agency — the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) — concluded in March that China’s Ministry of State Security was responsible for the attack, the five people with direct knowledge of the findings of the investigation told Reuters.

Music Publishers Seek to Double Claims, to $300M, Against Peloton

The National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) has asked the courts to allow it to double its claims against exercise bike and treadmill startup Peloton, after discovering more unlicensed music — including songs by Taylor Swift and Kesha — being used in workout videos that play on the bikes’ built-in screens. It’s now seeking $300 million in damages, as reported by Forbes. The original complaint, filed in March, accused Peloton of using over 1,000 songs without getting the proper license.

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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.