Zuckerberg Plans Brussels Visit to Meet with EU Officials Amid Probes

Facebook Inc. Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg is slated to visit Brussels in mid-February, meeting with European Union officials as the social media giant fends off antitrust and privacy scrutiny over how it handles user data. Zuckerberg’s trip to the EU capital follows a recent visit by Alphabet Inc.’s chief Sundar Pichai and comes as the EU is due to unveil its plans to regulate artificial intelligence several days later.

Canadian Panel Pushes for Tax Collections on U.S. Tech Companies

Ottawa should require U.S. tech companies such as Netflix, Amazon and Facebook to collect the same taxes as Canadian companies and also be subject to the same requirements for supporting domestically produced content, a Canadian government-mandated panel recommended. “Our recommendations for reform are practical and actionable providing the legislative powers and regulatory tools necessary to seize the opportunities and address the risks of the digital age,” the panel’s chairwoman Janet Yale, a veteran Canadian telecoms executive, said in a press release accompanying the report.

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Zuckerberg Says New 'Off-Facebook Activity' Tool Gives Users More Control

Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg used Data Privacy Day to give details about a new feature designed to give people more control over how they are tracked by the social network across the Internet. Zuckerberg used a Facebook blog post to say the Off-Facebook Activity tool is now available to all of the company’s approximately 2.4 billion users worldwide.

Lawmakers Report Progress on First Comprehensive Online Privacy Bill

Key lawmakers maintained that they are making progress in their efforts to put together the country's first comprehensive online privacy bill after hitting several bumps in Congress late last year. At the tech-funded State of the Net conference in Washington, D.C., lawmakers on the relevant House and Senate committees signaled they are grappling with the same obstacles that resulted in Democrats and Republicans putting out separate versions of a privacy bill last year — but insisted they're still dedicated to bipartisan negotiations.

European Alliance Seeks More Regulation on Online Privacy, Counterfeiting

Europe’s luxury brands want EU regulators to take a tougher line against online retailing giants like Amazon and Alibaba on issues like data protection and counterfeiting, the head of a leading industry group said. The call by Andreas Kaufmann, president of the European Cultural and Creative Industries Alliance (ECCIA) and chairman of Germany’s Leica Camera AG, comes as the European Commission overhauls its regulatory and policy approach to tech companies.

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.

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