More Americans Concerned About Privacy Online, Eavesdropping

Anxiety levels over privacy and security are peaking as the relentless collection of online data and the steady drumbeat of data incursions and breaches take a toll. People are worried like never before about eavesdropping by smart home devices such as Google Home and the Amazon Echo or having their microphone tapped to target them with personalized ads and increasingly they want a say over how their personal information gets used, according to a survey released to observe Data Privacy Day.

Social Media Companies Trying to Combat Fake Info About Coronavirus

The rapid spread of the coronavirus in China and around the world has sent Facebook, Google and Twitter scrambling to prevent a different sort of malady — a surge of half-truths and outright falsehoods about the deadly outbreak. The three Silicon Valley tech giants long have struggled to curtail dangerous health disinformation, including posts, photos and videos that seek to scare people away from much-needed vaccines.

Facebook, DOJ Urge Judge to Approve $5 Billion Privacy Settlement

Facebook and the Justice Department are urging a federal judge to approve the $5 billion deal the Federal Trade Commission reached with Facebook to settle Cambridge Analytica privacy complaints. The landmark settlement was challenged in July by the Electronic Privacy Information Center, known as EPIC, and is under review by Judge Timothy Kelly of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Tech Giants Push for Regulation at Davos, Hoping to Steer Outcome

Facing antitrust investigations and a growing backlash over privacy, encryption, artificial intelligence and content monitoring, leaders at tech giants including Alphabet Inc., Microsoft Corp., Facebook Inc. and Apple Inc. are now calling for new laws on a range of issues — even though some have worked to torpedo others designed to restrict their activities. Their push to join in the policy debate, which was on display at the World Economic Forum in Davos, is motivated in part by a sense that a wave of new regulation is inevitable.

Bank of France Governor Says Central Banks Should Issue Cryptocurrency

Digital currency could be useful as cash transactions dwindle in some countries but central banks should be in charge of issuing it, not private companies, Bank of France Governor Francois Villeroy de Galhau said. Spurred by the rise of cryptocurrencies and Facebook’s plans to launch its Libra currency, central banks worldwide are looking into the possibility of issuing digital money to prevent the loss of state control over money.

Google Starts Charging for Responses to Law Enforcement Demands

Facing an increasing number of requests for its users’ information, Google began charging law enforcement and other government agencies this month for legal demands seeking data such as emails, location tracking information and search queries. Google’s fees range from $45 for a subpoena and $60 for a wiretap to $245 for a search warrant, according to a notice sent to law enforcement officials.

State Attorneys General, DOJ to Share Information on Google Probes

State attorneys general will meet with U.S. Justice Department attorneys to share information on their respective probes of Alphabet Inc.’s Google unit, a step that could eventually lead to both groups joining forces, according to people familiar with the matter. The meeting is seen as the start of a periodic dialogue that could expand into more formal cooperation as the probes continue, the people said.

Here's Where Trump, Democratic Candidates Stand on High-Tech Issues

In the run-up to the U.S. 2020 presidential election, many Democratic White House contenders have argued in favor of either breaking up or tightening regulation of companies such as Facebook Inc., Alphabet Inc’s Google and Amazon.com Inc. Republican President Donald Trump’s administration has also stepped up its scrutiny of Big Tech, conducting a wide-ranging probe into whether major digital tech companies engaged in anticompetitive practices. Here are the leading presidential candidates’ positions on Big Tech.

Cybersecurity Experts Confused by Reports of Bezos's Phone Hacking

A report concluding that Saudi Arabia likely hacked into Jeff Bezos ’ smartphone has spurred questions and confusion among cybersecurity experts, even as it has prompted renewed scrutiny of the kingdom and its crown prince. Cyberforensics specialists said the report, which is dated November 2019 but didn’t surface publicly until now, relied heavily on circumstantial evidence to make the case that a WhatsApp account associated with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was probably used to hack into the iPhone of Mr. Bezos, the founder of Amazon.com Inc. and owner of the Washington Post.

Homeland Security Pushing Against Sale of Counterfeit Goods Online

The Trump administration is moving to curb the sale of imported counterfeit goods over the Internet, warning electronic commerce platforms and warehouse operators of greater scrutiny and penalties if they don’t help ferret out fakes. The Department of Homeland Security is set to outline its immediate actions and longer-term goals for enlisting e-commerce players to combat counterfeit products that officials say undermine U.S. technology and manufacturing, harm bricks-and-mortar retailers and endanger consumers.

UN Calls for Probe After Reports Bezos's Phone Hacked by Saudi Crown Prince

The United Nations is calling for an investigation after receiving information suggesting that Saudi Arabia's crown prince was potentially involved in hacking the phone of Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon and owner of The Washington Post. The statement alleges that the hack was an attempt by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to "influence, if not silence, The Washington Post's reporting on Saudi Arabia."

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Apple Says EU's Push for Common Phone Charger Could Hamper Innovation

iPhone maker Apple pushed back against EU lawmakers’ call for a common charger, warning the move could hamper innovation, create a mountain of electronic waste and irk consumers. Apple’s comments came a week after lawmakers at the European Parliament called for a common charger for all mobile phones and amended a draft law to say the ability to work with common chargers would be an essential requirement for radio equipment in the bloc.

FedEx Warns Customers About Text Scam Sending Fake Links

FedEx is warning its customers about a new text-based scam that has been using the company’s name to obtain personal information from phone users. In the past week, a number of people have taken to Twitter with screenshots of messages sent to their phones disguised as package notifications from FedEx. The messages, which sometimes address users by their names, ask them to set their delivery preferences and include a tracking code.

Twitter Tells Facial Recognition Company to Stop Using Photos, Data

A mysterious company that has licensed its powerful facial recognition technology to hundreds of law enforcement agencies is facing attacks from Capitol Hill and from at least one Silicon Valley giant. Twitter sent a letter to the small start-up company, Clearview AI, demanding that it stop taking photos and any other data from the social media website “for any reason” and delete any data that it previously collected, a Twitter spokeswoman said.

Study Finds Self-Contradictory Language in Android Apps' Privacy Policies

A large number of Android mobile apps listed on the official Google Play Store contain self-contradictory language in their privacy policies in regards to data collection practices, according to an academic study. Examples include privacy policies that stated in one section that they do not collect personal data, only to contradict themselves in subsequent sections, where they state they collect emails or customer names -- which are clearly personally-idenfiable information.

Google Engineers Reportedly Find Security Flaws in Apple's Safari Browser

According to a new report from the Financial Times, Google engineers found multiple security flaws in Apple’s Safari browser that could have potentially allowed hackers to track users. Due to flaws in Safari’s Intelligent Tracking Prevention feature (which is ironically designed to prevent users from getting tracked on the web), it actually left users’ data exposed to hackers, allowing them to track the user around the web.

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.