Bill Would Add National Security Warnings to Some App Downloads

Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) introduced legislation that would send consumers warnings before they download applications developed in countries considered national security risks. If passed, the bill would mean that users would be alerted about alleged risks of downloading the hugely popular short-form video platform TikTok, which is linked to Chinese company ByteDance.

France Says Apple's Bluetooth, Privacy Policies Hinder Coronavirus App

The widely touted next step in tackling the coronavirus' spread is a series of phone apps, known as contact-tracing apps, that are being developed by many governments around the world. But France, which is hoping to release its app in May, says there's one big obstacle standing in its way: Apple. More specifically, the tech giant's Bluetooth and privacy policies.

  • Read the article: CNET

Facebook Removes Pages Promoting Protests Against Stay-Home Orders

Facebook is taking down some event pages promoting controversial anti-stay-at-home protests that are taking place across the U.S. — but it’s only doing this in areas where the events violate local Covid-19 social distancing rules. Facebook’s selective response mirrors a larger fracture across the country as the Trump administration has given conflicting guidance about how and when restrictions should be lifted and has largely left these decisions up to individual state politicians.

Senate Panel Urges Stricter Oversight of Chinese Telecom Firms

An influential Senate panel is calling for stricter oversight of Chinese telecommunications companies operating in the U.S., after an investigation found years of weak supervision by regulators threatens national security. In a forthcoming report, the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations will level sharp criticism at a group of telecom regulators for failing to scrutinize the Chinese companies and the way they handle data going back nearly two decades.

Dropbox Engineers Say Zoom's Security Problems Started Two Years Ago

Dropbox engineers say Zoom’s current woes can be traced back two years or more, and they argue that the company’s failure to overhaul its security practices back then put its business clients at risk. Dropbox grew so concerned that vulnerabilities in the videoconferencing system might compromise its own corporate security that the file-hosting giant took on the unusual step of policing Zoom’s security practices itself, according to the former engineers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss their work.

EU Scientists, Tech Experts Debate Coronavirus-Tracking Apps

A rift has opened up over the design of smartphone apps to trace people in Europe at risk of coronavirus infection, potentially hindering efforts to curb the pandemic and ease crippling travel restrictions. Scientists and researchers from more than 25 countries published an open letter urging governments not to abuse such technology to spy on their people and warning of risks in an approach championed by Germany.

Companies Using Online Surveillance Tools to Monitor Employees' Work at Home

Now that millions are suddenly doing their jobs at home as a result of the new coronavirus, more companies want to know how employees are spending their time. Some of them are relying on the same surveillance tools that have been used to monitor work in the office, and they don’t always disclose when the software is added to laptops remotely.

Australia Will Require Digital Platforms to Pay for Using News Content

The Federal Government in Australia has ordered the competition watchdog to develop a mandatory code of conduct to govern commercial dealings between tech giants and news media companies. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said a mandatory code would help "level the playing field" by requiring digital platforms such as Google and Facebook to pay news media businesses for the content they produce.

  • Read the article: ABC

Judge Says Twitter Can't Reveal U.S. Government Surveillance Requests

Twitter Inc. will not be able to reveal surveillance requests it received from the U.S. government after a federal judge accepted government arguments that this was likely to harm national security after a near six-year long legal battle. The social media company had sued the U.S. Department of Justice in 2014 to be allowed to reveal, as part of its “Draft Transparency Report”, the surveillance requests it received. It argued its free-speech rights were being violated by not being allowed to reveal the details.

Coronavirus Encourages Opportunists to Exploit Online Scams

The coronavirus pandemic has fueled demand for a wide variety of products, including some that aren’t readily available to the general American public, like at-home testing kits. Other things, like government-approved, proven Covid-19 treatments or cures, don’t yet exist. But online opportunists are working hard to take advantage of the public’s desperation, selling counterfeits on social media platforms, e-commerce marketplaces, and the dark web.

Man Charged with Conspiracy in Plot to Firebomb Online Pharmacy

Hyrum T. Wilson was arrested and charged by federal prosecutors in Virginia with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to use fire and explosives — including Molotov cocktails — and possession of firearms. In an affidavit that detailed the plot, prosecutors said he planned the firebombing with William Anderson Burgamy IV, a drug dealer who had been illegally selling the prescription medication online for Mr. Wilson.

California Attorney General Objects to Sale of .org, Delaying ICANN Decision

ICANN has again delayed a decision on the sale of the .org registry, pushing the issue off for another month, multiple sources with knowledge of the meeting have told The Register. The organization’s board of directors was due to decide whether to approve the $1.13bn sale of the .org domain from the Internet Society to private equity firm Ethos Capital, but a last-minute letter from California’s attorney general Xavier Becerra appears to have upended the plan.

Tech Groups Urge Congress to Modernize Cybersecurity Amid Pandemic

Leading tech industry groups urged Congress to support efforts to modernize information technology and ward off cybersecurity threats during the COVID-19 pandemic, as Americans move online and networks are put under increasing stress. The Internet Association, CompTIA, the Cybersecurity Coalition, the Alliance for Digital Innovation, the Center for Procurement Advocacy and the Information Technology Industry Council sent a letter to congressional leaders strongly urging them to include funding for IT modernization and cybersecurity in the next coronavirus stimulus package.

European Commission Pushes Apps to Track Coronavirus Exposure

European officials have a plan to use smartphone apps to stem the Covid-19 pandemic without trampling on the bloc’s strict privacy rules: track individuals’ exposure to the virus without tracking their locations. The European Commission — the EU’s executive arm — called on member states to build an interoperable system of voluntary apps that use short-range radio waves to measure users’ proximity to one another, rather than tracking their phones’ physical locations, such as with the Global Positioning System (GPS).

Facebook's Libra Cryptocurrency Project Shifts Focus to Payment Network

When Facebook unveiled its Libra cryptocurrency project last June, the social networking company described it as a futuristic global money that could serve as the foundation for a new kind of financial system. But now, Facebook and its partners rolled out a less ambitious design for Libra after the effort encountered numerous hurdles and heavy regulatory scrutiny.

Facebook to Notify Users Who Engage with False Posts About COVID-19

Facebook Inc. said it would start notifying users who had engaged with false posts about COVID-19 which could cause physical harm, such as drinking bleach to cure the virus, and connect them to accurate information. The social media giant, which also owns photo-sharing network Instagram and messaging app WhatsApp, said it has been battling to control large volumes of misinformation such as posts that say physical distancing will not curb the disease.

North Korean Cyber Activities Threaten Finance System, U.S. Warns

The U.S. government warned that North Korea’s digital activities, including cybertheft and extortion, threatens the “integrity and stability of the international finance system.” Amid heavy sanctions, North Korea “has increasingly relied on illicit activities -- including cybercrime -- to generate revenue for its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs,” according to an advisory.

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.