FTC Considers Depositions for Zuckerberg, Sandberg in Antitrust Probe

The Federal Trade Commission is considering taking sworn testimony from Facebook Inc. Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg and Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg as part of its investigation into whether the social-media giant has violated U.S. antitrust laws, according to people familiar with the matter. Top Facebook officials are preparing for potential depositions and some are worried about the possibility, a person familiar with the matter said.

Russian Hackers Accused of Trying to Steal Coronavirus Vaccine Research

Russian hackers are attempting to steal coronavirus vaccine research, the American, British and Canadian governments said, accusing the Kremlin of opening a new front in its spy battles with the West amid the worldwide competition to contain the pandemic. The National Security Agency said that a hacking group implicated in the 2016 break-ins into Democratic Party servers has been trying to steal intelligence on vaccines from universities, companies and other health care organizations.

FBI to Lead Probe of Hacker Attacks on High-Profile Twitter Accounts

Fallout from Twitter’s massive security breach intensified, as authorities launched investigations and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle called for more information on a widespread hack of high-profile accounts. The FBI will lead a federal inquiry into the hack, it said in a statement, and. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D) directed New York state to start a probe of the incident, saying the hack is “deeply troubling” particularly in light of the approaching elections.

European Court Strikes Down Data-Transfer Privacy Agreement with U.S.

Europe’s top court struck down a trans-Atlantic agreement that allows scores of companies to move data between the European Union and the United States, causing uncertainty for businesses that rely on moving digital information seamlessly around the world. The European Court of Justice in Luxembourg ruled that the agreement, known as Privacy Shield, did not comply with European privacy rights.

High-Profile Twitter Accounts Hacked in Bitcoin Solicitation Scheme

A wave of tweets in apparent hacking swept through Twitter, with more than half a dozen high-profile accounts — belonging to U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden, billionaire Bill Gates, and rapper Kanye West, among others — used to solicit bitcoin donations. The cause of the breach was not immediately clear, but the scale and the scope of the problem suggested that it was not limited to a single account or service.

European Court Overrules $14.9 Billion Tax Decision Against Apple

Apple won a major legal victory against European antitrust regulators as a European court overruled a 2016 decision that ordered the company to pay $14.9 billion in unpaid taxes to Ireland. The decision, which can be appealed to the European Union’s top court, is a setback for the region’s efforts to clamp down on what the authorities there believe is anticompetitive behavior by the world’s largest technology companies.

Trump Secretly Authorized CIA to Conduct Cyber Attacks Against Iran

The Central Intelligence Agency has conducted a series of covert cyber operations against Iran and other targets since winning a secret victory in 2018 when President Trump signed what amounts to a sweeping authorization for such activities, according to former U.S. officials with direct knowledge of the matter. The secret authorization, known as a presidential finding, gives the spy agency more freedom in both the kinds of operations it conducts and who it targets, undoing many restrictions that had been in place under prior administrations.

Belgium Fines Google $684,000 Over 'Right to be Forgotten' Request

Google was fined 600,000 euros ($684,000) by the Belgian data protection authority after failing to comply with a "right to be forgotten" request from a reportedly high-profile, but anonymous Belgian citizen. The citizen had asked Google to remove links to a number of news articles about him, which contained unproven harassment claims and political labels that he claimed were not representative of his beliefs.

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U.K. Bans Huawei from 5G Network, Reversing Decision Amid Pressure

The United Kingdom announced that it will ban Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei from its 5G network, a reversal on a decision from earlier this year. The U.K. had said in January that Huawei technology could be used outside of "core" 5G networks, but changed direction after intense domestic and international pressure, especially from the United States.

TikTok Tells Australian Politicians It's 'Not Aligned with Any Government'

TikTok, the embattled short-video app run by Chinese technology giant Bytedance Ltd., has written to Australian politicians to reassure them about the safety of user data and its independence, as concerns about the app’s Chinese ties grow. Seeking to allay worries about state interference on the app, Lee Hunter, TikTok’s general manager for Australia, wrote in the two-page letter emailed to lawmakers that he was seeking to correct the record on a “number of false claims” made about the app and that TikTok is “not aligned with any Government, political party or ideology.”

Lawsuit Alleges Google Records Data in Mobile Apps Even with Tracking Off

Alphabet Inc.’s. Google records what people are doing on hundreds of thousands of mobile apps even when they follow the company’s recommended settings for stopping such monitoring, a lawsuit seeking class action status alleged. The data privacy lawsuit is the second filed in as many months against Google by the law firm Boies Schiller Flexner on behalf a handful of individual consumers.

Big Tech Companies Join Lawsuit Against New Student Visa Rule

Facebook, Google, Microsoft along with several other tech companies have joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in adding on to a lawsuit against the Trump administration, pushing back on a new rule that would force foreign students to leave the country if their colleges implemented online-only classes this fall. A lot of U.S. colleges are moving to online-only classes due to the pandemic, but the latest ruling from ICE states that the only way for foreign students to stay is to take in-person classes.

European Court to Rule on Privacy Issues for Data-Transfer Tools

Europe’s top court will rule on the legality of tools companies use to transfer Europeans’ data around the world, in the latest clash between Facebook and Austrian privacy activist Max Schrems. If the court finds the mechanisms are illegal, companies, ranging from small businesses to industrial giants, such as Facebook, could have to suspend the data transfers that underpin standard contractual clauses or face hefty fines for breach of EU privacy laws.

California Attorney General Opens Antitrust Investigation of Google

California has opened its own antitrust probe into Google, intensifying the pressure on the search giant already in the middle of investigations by the Justice Department and a host of other states, according to three people with knowledge of the inquiry. The move by California's attorney general comes as Google has come under increasing scrutiny from both Congress and foreign regulators for its market conduct and acquisitions that have turned it into the world's top search engine and the most profitable online advertising company.

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