Biden Administration Asks Court to Dismiss Appeals in TikTok Cases

The Biden administration asked two federal appeals courts to dismiss the Justice Department's legal challenges to court rulings that barred a Trump-era effort to ban new downloads of Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok. Last month, President Joe Biden withdrew a series of executive orders issued by former President Donald Trump that sought to ban new downloads of WeChat, TikTok and other Chinese apps and ordered a new review.

Biden Warns Putin to Act on Ransomware Groups or Face Retaliation

President Biden warned President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia that time was running out for him to rein in the ransomware groups striking the United States, telegraphing that this could be Mr. Putin’s final chance to take action on Russia’s harboring of cybercriminals before the United States moved to dismantle the threat. In Mr. Biden’s starkest warning yet, he conveyed in a phone call to Mr. Putin that the attacks would no longer be treated only as criminal acts, but as national security threats — and thus may provoke a far more severe response, administration officials said.

TikTok to Start Automatically Removing Content That Violates Some Policies

Short-video sharing app TikTok said it will use more automation to remove videos from its platform that violate its community guidelines. The ByteDance-owned company added that over the next few weeks it will begin automatically removing some types of content that violate policy over minor safety, adult nudity and sexual activities, violent and graphic content and illegal activities and regulated goods.

New York City Opens Center to Protect Against Cybersecurity Threats

New York City has become the first major American metropolitan area to open a real-time operational center to protect against cybersecurity threats, regional officials said. Set in a lower Manhattan skyscraper, the center is staffed by a coalition of government agencies and private businesses, with 282 partners overall sharing intelligence on potential cyber threats.

China Orders Removal of 25 More Apps from Didi, Citing Personal Data Issues

In its latest rebuke to the ride-hailing giant Didi, China ordered 25 more of the company’s apps removed from mobile stores, deepening the regulatory maelstrom that has engulfed the company since it went public on the New York Stock Exchange. The country’s internet regulator said in its announcement that the apps — which include Didi’s car-pooling app, its finance app and its app for corporate customers — showed problems related to the collection and use of personal data.

Swiss Online Consumer Outlet Files Suit Over Ransomware Attack

Swiss online consumer outlet Comparis has filed a criminal complaint over a ransomware attack that blocked some of its information technology systems, it said "As far as we know, most databases do not seem to be affected by the incident. Unfortunately, first detailed analyses suggest that the perpetrators had access to certain customer-relevant data of sister company Credaris, whose systems are partly operated in the same server environment," it said.

Wozniak Says He's 'Totally Supportive' of Right-to-Repair Movement

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak spoke out on the "right to repair" movement during an appearance on Cameo, a website that lets fans pay celebrities for video messages. In a post to Louis Rossmann, a YouTube personality and a right-to-repair advocate, Wozniak said that he was "totally supportive" of the cause — which gives consumers the right and information to fix their own devices — and somewhat "emotionally" affected by it.

  • Read the article: CNN

Biden Executive Order Targets Anti-Competitive Practices in Big Tech

President Joe Biden signed a new executive order aimed at cracking down on anti-competitive practices in Big Tech, labor and numerous other sectors. The sweeping order, which includes 72 actions and recommendations that involve more than a dozen federal agencies, is intended to reshape the thinking around corporate consolidation and antitrust laws, according to a White House fact sheet.

  • Read the article: CNBC

Huawei's Networking Technology Patent Suit Against Verizon Heads to Trial

Huawei Technologies Co. says it was treated unfairly when the U.S. government labeled it a security threat, yet China’s largest technology company is seeking redress from the American jury system in a major patent fight with Verizon Communications Inc. A trial is set tin Marshall, Texas, in Huawei’s case against Verizon over claims it is using Huawei’s patented networking technology without a license.

Cybersecurity Specialists Warn Against Counterattacks from Hacking Victims

Companies shouldn’t be allowed to strike back against hackers, cybersecurity specialists and former government officials warned, after senators introduced legislation floating the idea of such counterattacks. The work of attacking hackers should be left to government authorities that are better equipped to carry it out, the cyber experts said.

Cyberspace Administration of China to Regulate U.S.-Listed Chinese Companies

A powerful agency that China’s President Xi Jinping set up during his first term to police the internet is taking on a new role: regulating U.S.-listed Chinese companies. The Cyberspace Administration of China, which reports to a central leadership group chaired by Mr. Xi, is taking a lead role in Beijing’s just-announced push to strengthen interagency oversight of companies listed overseas, especially those traded in the U.S., and to tighten rules for future foreign listings, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Australian Court Allows Fortnite Maker to Sue Apple Over App Store Demands

The maker of the smash hit game Fortnite can sue Apple in Australia for illegally wielding control over its iPhones and iPads, the Federal Court has found. Epic Games originally sued Apple in November 2020, alleging Apple’s tight control of its App Store amounted to breaches of Australian Consumer Law and the Competition and Consumer Act because Apple illegally “forces Epic (and other app developers) to only use Apple’s App Store to distribute its software applications… and to only use Apple’s payment platform for purchases of their in-app content by iOS device users”.

Facebook 'Misplaced' Guidance on Exemption for Dangerous People, Board Says

Facebook "misplaced" guidance on an important exemption to its rules on dangerous individuals and organizations for three years, the company's independent oversight board said. The board, which was created by the company to rule on a small slice of contentious content decisions, said it had overturned Facebook's original removal of an Instagram post encouraging people to talk about the solitary confinement of Abdullah Ocalan, a founding member of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

China Fines 22 Internet Companies for Violating Anti-Monopoly Rules

China’s State Administration for Market Regulation announced that they have fined 22 Internet companies for their roles in anti-monopoly cases, the Associated Press reported. Twenty-two companies including six owned the Alibaba Group, five by Tencent Holding Ltd. and two by retailer Suning.com, Ltd. were fined 500,000 yuan ($75,000) for acquiring stakes in other companies that could increase their market value.

Trump Sues Facebook, Twitter, Google and Their CEOs for Banning Him

Former President Donald J. Trump sued three tech giants — Facebook, Twitter and Google — and the firms’ chief executives after the platforms took various steps to ban him or block him from posting. Mr. Trump, speaking from his Bedminster, N.J., golf club, announced that he would serve as the lead plaintiff in the class-action lawsuit, arguing that he has been censored wrongfully by the tech companies.

37 States File Antitrust Lawsuit Against Google Over Android App Store

Thirty-seven U.S. state and district attorneys general sued Alphabet Inc's Google, alleging that the search and advertising giant violates antitrust law in running its app store for Android phones. The lawsuit, one of a series that has been filed against Google in the United States, follows complaints from app developers about the management of its Play Store.

Biden to Direct FTC to Draft New Rules Allowing 'Right-to-Repair'

President Joe Biden will direct the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to draft new rules aimed at stopping manufacturers from limiting consumers’ ability to repair products at independent shops or on their own, a person familiar with the plan said. While the agency will ultimately decide the size and scope of the order, the presidential right-to-repair directive is expected to mention mobile phone manufacturers and Department of Defense contractors as possible areas for regulation. Tech companies including Apple Inc. and Microsoft Corp. have imposed limits on who can repair broken consumer electronics like game consoles and mobile phones, which consumer advocates say increases repair costs.

RNC Accuses Russian Hackers of Breaching One of Its Technology Providers

Russian hackers are accused of breaching a contractor for the Republican National Committee, around the same time that Russian cybercriminals launched the single largest global ransomware attack on record, incidents that are testing the red lines set by President Biden during his high-stakes summit with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia last month. The RNC said in a statement that one of its technology providers, Synnex, had been hacked. While the extent of the attempted breach remained unclear, the committee said none of its data had been accessed.

Twitter Loses Protection Against User-Generated Content in India

Twitter Inc. no more enjoys liability protection against user-generated content in India as the U.S. microblogging giant has failed to comply with new IT rules, the Indian government said in a court filing. The statement is the first time Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration has officially said Twitter has lost its immunity after repeatedly criticising the company for non-compliance.

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.