Lawmakers Criticize Facebook's Libra, Privacy, Diversity as Zuckerberg Testifies

Congressional lawmakers delivered a broad lashing of Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg, sniping at his company’s plans to launch a digital currency, its pockmarked track record on privacy and diversity, and its struggles to prevent the spread of misinformation. The wide-ranging criticisms came largely from Democrats during a hearing of the House Financial Services Committee, which convened the session to probe Facebook’s plan to launch a cryptocurrency, called Libra.

House Committee Advances National Commission on Online Platforms Act

A House panel voted to advance a bill aimed at combating the scourge of extremist content online despite ongoing pushback from civil liberties groups and Republicans on the committee. The House Homeland Security Committee unanimously voted to advance the National Commission on Online Platforms and Homeland Security Act, greenlighting one of the first legislative efforts to address internet extremism and bigotry after a string of mass shooters were tied to white supremacist online footprints this year.

Senate Bill Would Create 'Cyber Benchmarks' for Internet-Connected Devices

Democratic lawmakers in the House and Senate introduced legislation to increase the security of internet-connected devices. The Cyber Shield Act, sponsored by Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), would establish an “advisory committee” comprised of cyber experts from government, industry and academia to create “cyber benchmarks” for internet-connected devices, also known as Internet of Things (IOT) devices.

Intel Suit Alleges Softbank Investment Company Stockpiles Patents

Chipmaker Intel Corp has filed an antitrust lawsuit against a SoftBank Group Corp-owned investment company alleging the firm stockpiled patents to hold up technology companies with numerous lawsuits. The complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in San Jose alleged that Fortress Investment Group, which SoftBank bought in 2017 for $3.3 billion, acquired control of more than 1,000 U.S. technology patents.

Almost All States Join New York's Antitrust Investigation of Facebook

Most U.S. states have joined the antitrust investigation into Facebook, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced. “Our investigation now has the support of 47 attorneys general from around the nation, who are all concerned that Facebook may have put consumer data at risk, reduced the quality of consumers’ choices, and increased the price of advertising,” James said in a statement.

Amazon May Spend Billions to 'Protect' Customers, Consumer Chief Says

Amazon.com Inc. might need to spend billions of dollars in the future to prevent the sale of counterfeit goods, expired food or dangerous products on its platforms to preserve the customer trust that is critical to the company’s future, Amazon consumer chief Jeff Wilke said. The e-commerce giant has been buffeted by a wave of reports in recent months about its sale of unsafe or expired goods, including an article in The Wall Street Journal detailing the availability of more than 4,000 items that had been declared unsafe by federal agencies.

FTC Stops Misleading Social Media Marketing Tactics at Two Firms

The Federal Trade Commission uncovered and stopped the misleading online marketing tactics of two different companies, it announced. The FTC found that social media marketing service company Devumni allegedly sold false likes, retweets, and followers on social media, and Sunday Riley Modern Skincare, a cosmetics firm, allegedly posted fake product reviews that were written by its employees on beauty store chain Sephora's website.

  • Read the article: CNET

Islamic State Militants Post Short Propaganda Videos to TikTok

Islamic State militants have been posting short propaganda videos to TikTok, the social network known for lighthearted content popular with teenagers. The videos — since removed, in line with the app’s policy — featured corpses paraded through streets, Islamic State fighters with guns, and women who call themselves “jihadist and proud.”

European Data Watchdog Criticizes Microsoft's Data Protection

Microsoft’s contracts with European Union institutions do not fully protect data in line with EU law, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) said in initial findings. The EDPS, the EU’s data watchdog, opened an investigation in April to assess whether contracts between Microsoft and EU institutions such as the European Commission fully complied with the bloc’s data protection rules.

Bipartisan Lawmakers Criticize Apple for Censoring Apps in China

U.S. lawmakers from both parties slammed Apple Inc. and Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook for “censorship of apps” at the “behest of the Chinese government.” Senators Ted Cruz, Ron Wyden, Tom Cotton, Marco Rubio and Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Mike Gallagher and Tom Malinowski expressed concern about the removal of an app that let Hong Kong protesters track police movement in the city.

Zuckerberg's Defense of Free Speech Criticized by Politicians, Advocates

Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg drew fresh ire from Democratic presidential candidates, free speech experts and civil rights advocates, who argued his speech in Washington failed to acknowledge the problems the tech giant’s practices create. The swift, broad nature of the criticism — including from the daughter of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. — largely centered on Zuckerberg’s acknowledgment of the dangers of disinformation and the potential for an “erosion of truth” online, even as he defended Facebook’s rules that allow politicians, including President Trump, to lie in their election ads.

House Judiciary Committee Hears About Privacy from Tech Leaders

House lawmakers pressed experts on how the market power of major tech platforms could hurt consumer privacy, showing that an antitrust investigation into Facebook, Google, Apple and Amazon is growing to include deeper questions about their business models. Lawmakers from the Judiciary Committee heard testimony that the tech giants have amassed vast quantities of data that give them an advantage over rivals, and that their dominance allows them to get away with more aggressive data collection.

German Finance Minister 'Highly Skeptical' of Facebook's Libra Plans

German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz redoubled his criticism of Facebook’s plans to launch its Libra cryptocurrency, and said creation of a new world currency should be prevented. Scholz, speaking with reporters at the IMF and World Bank fall meetings in Washington, cited growing concern about such “stablecoins” and the potential international risks they posed.

House Committee Invites Tech Firms to Testify About Impact on Small Businesses

The House Small Business Committee Chairwoman Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.) formally invited some of the largest tech companies in the country to testify at an upcoming hearing about whether their practices harm small businesses. Velázquez invited Facebook, Google, Amazon and Apple to testify at a hearing in November, underlining that the committee is looking for a response by Oct. 31.

Zuckerberg Defends Facebook But Says He Worries 'About Erosion of Truth'

Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said in an interview he worries “about an erosion of truth” online but defended the policy that allows politicians to peddle ads containing misrepresentations and lies on his social network, a stance that has sparked an outcry during the 2020 presidential campaign. “People worry, and I worry deeply, too, about an erosion of truth,” Zuckerberg told The Washington Post ahead of a speech at Georgetown University.

Subscribe

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.