Twitter Removes Trump's Tweet After Musician Sues for Copyright Infringement

Twitter removed a video from a mid-August tweet by President Trump that featured Eddy Grant's hit song "Electric Avenue" after the musician sued the president's reelection campaign, claiming copyright infringement. The tweet from Aug. 12 depicted Democratic candidate Joe Biden pushing a hand-powered cart down a railway while a train featuring the Trump campaign's logo speeds away into the distance.

India Bans Chinese Phone Apps, Citing 'Sovereignty of Cyberspace'

India banned more Chinese phone apps as tensions continue to escalate along its disputed border with China, with one Indian soldier reportedly killed earlier this week by a Chinese land mine. The Indian government has blocked Chinese apps from its huge domestic market as a way to strike back against China, and the new measures will prevent Indians from gaining easy access to 118 Chinese apps, including the popular video game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, which has over 50 million players in India.

Internet Association Urges FCC to Reject Trump's Attempts to Limit Social Media

A group representing major internet companies including Facebook Inc, Amazon.com Inc and Alphabet Inc’s Google urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reject a Trump administration bid to narrow the ability of social media companies to remove objectionable content. The Internet Association said in a filing that the Trump administration petition filed in August seeking new rules “is misguided, lacks grounding in law, and poses serious public policy concerns.”

Twitter Removes Post, Shared by Trump, Discounting Coronavirus Death Toll

After President Trump retweeted a claim that discounted the coronavirus death toll in the United States over the weekend, Twitter took down the post that spread false information. The tweet was originally posted by “Mel Q,” a follower of the baseless conspiracy theory QAnon, which posits that the president is battling a cabal of Satan-worshiping child sex traffickers.

Pakistan Blocks Dating Apps for Not Adhering to Laws Against 'Immoral Conduct'

Pakistan said it has blocked Tinder, Grindr and three other dating apps for not adhering to local laws, its latest move to curb online platforms deemed to be disseminating “immoral content”. Pakistan, the second largest Muslim-majority country in the world after Indonesia, is an Islamic nation where extra-marital relationships and homosexuality are illegal.

Russian Lawmaker Drafts Legislation Limiting App Fees for Apple, Google

A Russian lawmaker submitted draft legislation that would cut and cap the commission on the sale of mobile applications by tech giants Apple and Google. The bill, submitted to Russia’s lower house of parliament by lawmaker Fedot Tumusov, stipulates that commissions on the sale of applications be capped at 20%. Apple currently collects a 30% commission on sales in its App Store.

Authorities Identify Another Suspect in Attack on High-Profile Twitter Accounts

When authorities arrested Graham Ivan Clark, who they said was the “mastermind” of the recent Twitter hack that ensnared Kanye West, Bill Gates and others, one detail that stood out was his age: He was only 17. Now authorities have homed in on another person who appears to have played an equal, if not more significant role, in the July 15 attack, according to four people involved in the investigation who declined to be identified because the inquiry was ongoing.

Facebook Takes Down Fake Accounts Linked to Russian Operatives

Facebook took down a small network of fake accounts and pages associated with Russian operatives that had recruited U.S. journalists to write articles targeting left-leaning readers on topics such as racial justice, the Biden-Harris campaign and President Trump’s policies, the company said. The network of 13 fake accounts and two pages was in its early stages of attempting to build an audience, Facebook said, which the company argued was evidence of its growing effectiveness at targeting foreign disinformation operations ahead of the 2020 election.

Fraudulent Scheme Uses PayPal to Solicit Money for Wildfire Relief

At first glance, the email looks like a textbook phishing attempt. Subject line: “Invoice from Help those affected by the California Wildfires. Body text: “‘Help those affected by the California Wildfires’ sent you an invoice for $35.00 USD.” A button in the email reads “View and Pay Invoice.” Who in their right mind would click that? In fact, the email really is from PayPal (service@paypal.com) and there really is an invoice waiting for you in your PayPal dashboard.

China's New Rules Complicating Sale of TikTok to a U.S. Company

A blockbuster deal for the sale of the U.S. operations of TikTok that had been set to be completed soon has become far more complicated, according to three people close to the talks. The two groups vying to buy TikTok’s U.S. business — one is an alliance between Microsoft and Walmart, and the other is an offer led by Oracle — are discussing how to interpret China’s new rules and how to move forward, said the people, who were not authorized to speak publicly.

White House Wants to Replace FTC Chair for Resisting Social Media Rules

The White House is searching for a replacement for Federal Trade Commission Chair Joe Simons, a Republican who has publicly resisted President Donald Trump’s efforts to crack down on social media companies, four people with knowledge of the discussions said. Simons, a veteran antitrust lawyer, is serving a term that doesn’t end until September 2024, and he cannot legally be removed by the president except in cases of gross negligence.

Zuckerberg Admits Mistake in Not Removing Kenosha Militia Page Sooner

Facebook Inc. made an “operational mistake” in not acting sooner to remove a page for a militia group that posted a call to arms in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the company’s Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said. The social media company said on Wednesday it had removed the page for the Kenosha Guard, and an event listing there for Armed Citizens to Protect Our Lives and Property as it violated the company’s policy against “militia organizations”.

Facebook Appeals to U.K. Antitrust Tribunal on Giphy Acquisition

Facebook Inc. became the latest tech giant to complain about the overreach of the U.K.’s merger watchdog, warning that its demands were unreasonable and disproportionate. The social network has appealed to the U.K.’s antitrust tribunal, saying that the Competition and Markets Authority, which is considering investigating Facebook’s purchase of Giphy, has so far refused to ease up on requirements ensuring that the two companies remain separate during the merger probe.

Three Men Charged with Copyright Conspiracy for Distributing Movies Online

Three men are facing federal charges of participating in an international piracy ring that distributed popular movies and television shows online before their release dates, prosecutors announced. The men, who have been charged with copyright infringement conspiracy, were accused of being members of the Sparks Group, a sophisticated piracy outfit spanning several continents.

Facebook Sues MobiBurn for Using User Data Without Permission

Facebook filed a lawsuit against MobiBurn, alleging that apps using code written by the data monetization company harvested information about the social network's users without permission. Last November, Facebook and Twitter launched investigations into two third-party software development kits (SDKs) that security researchers found were collecting data without consent.

  • Read the article: CNET

D.C. Attorney General Sues Instacart Over Deceptive Fees

Washington, D.C., sued Instacart, alleging that the grocery delivery company charged District residents millions in deceptive fees and avoided local sales taxes. The lawsuit, filed by D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine (D) in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, alleges that Instacart tricked users into thinking they were tipping shoppers while they were actually paying hidden fees.

Online Sellers File Antitrust Complaint Against Amazon in India

A group of more than 2,000 online sellers has filed an antitrust case against Amazon in India, alleging the U.S. company favors some retailers whose online discounts drive independent vendors out of business, a legal filing seen by Reuters showed. The case presents a new regulatory challenge for Amazon in India, where it has committed $6.5 billion in investment but is battling a complex regulatory environment.

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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.