FTC Nominee Says She'll Take Aggressive Approach to Regulating Tech Giants

Lina Kahn’s unconventional ideas to take on tech companies’ power were decried as “hipster antitrust” by conservatives when her academic paper about Amazon went practically viral just a few years ago. But with anti-Silicon Valley sentiment mounting on both sides of the aisle in Congress, President Biden’s nominee to serve on the Federal Trade Commission received a relatively warm reception from senators as they weighed her nomination to become the youngest-ever commissioner of that body.

Justice Department Forms Task Force to Fight Ransomware Attacks

The Justice Department has formed a task force to curtail the proliferation of ransomware cyberattacks, in a bid to make the popular extortion schemes less lucrative by targeting the entire digital ecosystem that supports them. In an internal memorandum, Acting Deputy Attorney General John Carlin said ransomware poses not just an economic threat to businesses but “jeopardizes the safety and health of Americans.”

Seven House Republicans to Refuse Donations from Major Tech Companies

A group of seven House Republicans said that they would no longer take donations from major tech companies or their top executives, a sign of the growing distance between some conservatives and big business. The lawmakers said in a letter that the companies had limited the reach of conservative voices, citing bans on the chat app Parler after it was used by participants in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, and had abused their market power.

Senators Question Apple, Google About Dominance of Mobile App Stores

A panel of U.S. Senators questioned officials from Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc’s Google about the dominance of their mobile app stores and whether the companies abuse their power at the expense of smaller competitors. Amy Klobuchar, the top Senate Democrat on antitrust issues, said Apple and Google can use their power to "exclude or suppress apps that compete with their own products" and "charge excessive fees that affect competition."

Owner of Daily Mail Files Antitrust Suit Against Google Over Search Rankings

The Daily Mail’s owner filed an antitrust suit against Alphabet Inc.’s Google, alleging the tech giant manipulates search results and advertising auctions in ways that harm online publishers. The suit, filed in Manhattan federal court, alleges that Google punishes publishers in search rankings if they don’t sell enough advertising space through Google’s marketplace.

Competitors Cite Competition Concerns Over Apple's AirTags Tracking Device

Apple launched its long-anticipated AirTags, a quarter-sized tracking device that is a lightning rod for Apple’s critics and competitors who say the tech giant is abusing its power in the smartphone market. The $29 gadget is the type of device that smaller device-makers have been selling for years — and critics say Apple’s entry into the market will make it harder for competitors to operate.

Lawmakers Discuss Changes to Section 230 at Committee Hearing

U.S. Senate Republicans and Democrats criticized social media giants like Facebook for the scam artists on their sites, with one prominent Democrat suggesting a legal change to make them more accountable. Senator Richard Blumenthal, in noting the sale of fake COVID vaccine cards online, said he was willing to discuss amending Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which gives platforms immunity for what users put on their site.

Geico Says Security Bug Allowed Access to Driver's License Information

Geico, the second-largest auto insurer in the U.S., has fixed a security bug that let fraudsters steal customers’ driver’s license numbers from its website. In a data breach notice filed with the California attorney general’s office, Geico said information gathered from other sources was used to “obtain unauthorized access to your driver’s license number through the online sales system on our website.”

Facebook Plans to Limit Posts with Misinformation About Chauvin Trial

Facebook said it planned to limit posts that contain misinformation and hate speech related to the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer charged with the murder of George Floyd, to keep them from spilling over into real-world harm. As closing arguments began in the trial and Minneapolis braced for a verdict, Facebook said it would identify and remove posts on the social network that urged people to bring arms to the city.

Apple Tells Lawmakers It Will Allow Parler to Return to App Store

Apple Inc. will bring social media app Parler, favored by U.S conservatives, back to its App Store after the iPhone maker pulled it following the deadly Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot, according to a letter sent to two Republican lawmakers. The letter, obtained by Reuters, said that after substantial conversations with Parler, the app had proposed updates to its app and content moderation policy that would lead to it being reinstated.

Founder of Project Veritas Sues Twitter After Being Permanently Banned

James O’Keefe, the right-wing founder of Project Veritas, filed a defamation lawsuit against Twitter, claiming the social media giant falsely accused him of operating fake accounts when it permanently banned him from the platform last week. O’Keefe’s lawsuit comes just four days after Twitter suspended O’Keefe’s account and claimed he violated its platform manipulation rules, which bar users from setting up false accounts or using multiple accounts to “artificially amplify or disrupt conversations.”

On TheDonald.win, Trump Supporters Debated Violence at Capitol

In the weeks before supporters of then-President Donald Trump assaulted the U.S. Capitol, TheDonald.win forum commenters debated how best to build a gallows for hanging — or simply terrifying — members of Congress deemed disloyal. Such conversations flowed freely and visibly on TheDonald.win for weeks, underscoring the openly violent intent of some of the thousands of Trump enthusiasts who thronged the Capitol on Jan. 6, as well as the intelligence failures of the authorities charged with preparing for that day.

U.S. Federal Investigators Probe Intrusion at Software Auditing Company

U.S. federal investigators are probing an intrusion at San Francisco-based software auditing company Codecov that affected an unknown number of its 29,000 customers, the firm said, raising the specter of knock-on breaches at companies elsewhere. Codecov said in a statement hackers began tampering with its software — which is used across the tech industry to help test code for mistakes and vulnerabilities — on Jan. 31.

U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Russia for Cyberespionage Campaign

The Biden administration imposed the first significant sanctions targeting the Russian economy in several years to punish the Kremlin for a cyberespionage campaign against the United States and efforts to influence the presidential election, according to senior U.S. officials. The administration also sanctioned six Russian companies that support Russian spy services’ cyberhacking operations and will expel 10 officials at the Russian Embassy in Washington, most of them identified as intelligence officers working under diplomatic cover, U.S. officials said.

House Judiciary Committee Approves Report Against Big Tech Companies

The U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee formally approved a report accusing Big Tech companies of buying or crushing smaller firms, Representative David Cicilline’s office said in a statement. With the approval during a marathon, partisan hearing, the more than 400-page staff report will become an official committee report, and the blueprint for legislation to rein in the market power of the likes of Alphabet Inc's Google, Apple Inc, Amazon.com Inc and Facebook Inc.

Twitter Suspends Project Veritas's O'Keefe for 'Manipulation and Spam'

Twitter suspended Project Veritas’s James O’Keefe’s account for violations of "manipulation and spam," according to the social media platform. “The account you referenced (@JamesOKeefeIII) was permanently suspended for violating the Twitter Rules on platform manipulation and spam,” a Twitter spokesperson said in a email to The Hill.

Children's, Consumer Groups Urge Instagram to Drop Plans for Young Users

An international coalition of 35 children’s and consumer groups called on Instagram to scrap its plans to develop a version of the popular photo-sharing app for users under age 13. Instagram is pushing for a separate children’s app after years of complaints from legislators and parents that the platform has been slow to identify underage users and protect them from sexual predators and bullying.

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