German Court Rules Against Facebook for Removing Racist Posts

A top German court has ruled that Facebook acted illegally in taking down racist posts and blocking the account of their author because the social network failed to inform the user or give a reason for shutting them down. The judgment by the Federal Court of Justice further complicates a fraught debate over toxic discourse on social networks as Germany girds for a general election in September that polls show may not deliver a stable government.

White House Discusses Surveillance Giant NSO Group with Israeli Officials

The White House has raised concerns about the Israeli surveillance giant NSO Group in meetings with senior Israeli officials, according to three people familiar with the matter, in a reflection of diplomatic tensions between the allies following revelations by The Washington Post and other news organizations that NSO spyware has been used to target journalists, human rights activists and private citizens. Members of Congress also have called on the Biden administration to push forward on new regulations, sanctions and federal investigations into potential spyware abuse.

Senators Want to Ban U.S. Spending on Equipment from Chinese Telecoms

Two U.S. senators said they are introducing a measure to prohibit funds in a $1.9 trillion government funding measure from being used to purchase Chinese telecommunications equipment from Huawei, ZTE and other companies deemed U.S. security threats. Senators Tom Cotton, a Republican, and Mark Warner, a Democrat, said the funds that were approved in March in a law known as the American Rescue Plan should not be used to potentially undermine U.S. telecommunications networks.

Hackers Tied to Iranian Government Said to Target U.S. Defense Contractors

Cybersecurity researchers said that hackers with ties to the Iranian government targeted U.S. defense contractors in attempts to install malware, including by posing as a United Kingdom-based aerobics instructor. Security software firm Proofpoint said in a report that researchers had identified “a years-long social engineering and targeted malware campaign by the Iranian-state aligned threat actor TA456,” also known as “Tortoiseshell.”

State Attorneys General Plan to Appeal Dismissal of Facebook Antitrust Suit

More than 40 state attorneys general said they planned to appeal the dismissal of their antitrust lawsuit against Facebook, setting up a protracted legal fight to rein in the power of the Silicon Valley giant. The states would be pushing back on a decision made last month by a federal judge who eviscerated their arguments that Facebook had obtained a monopoly through its acquisitions of Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014 and had harmed competition.

White House Pushing Critical Infrastructure Companies to Improve Cyber Defenses

The White House is signaling to U.S. critical infrastructure companies, such as energy providers that they must improve their cyber defenses because additional potential regulation is on the horizon. U.S. President Joseph Biden signed a national security memorandum, launching a new public-private initiative that creates "performance controls" for cybersecurity at America's most critical companies, including water treatment and electrical power plants.

Facebook Changes Instagram Policies to reduce Ads Targeting Teens

Facebook unveiled changes to Instagram’s advertising and privacy policies that it said would protect teenagers, following years of criticism that the photo-sharing site has not done enough to prevent underage users from sexual predators and bullying. The social network, which owns Instagram, said it would change its advertising policy to reduce hyper-targeted ads to teens.

Google Lawsuit Claims Germany's Hate Speech Law Violates Privacy Rights

Google said that it was taking legal action over an expanded version of Germany's hate-speech law that recently took effect, saying its provisions violated the right to privacy of its users. The Alphabet unit, which runs video-sharing site YouTube, filed suit at the administrative court in Cologne to challenge a provision that allows user data to be passed to law enforcement before it is clear any crime has been committed.

Former eBay Security Supervisor Gets 18 Months in Cyberstalking Case

A former supervisor for security operations at eBay Inc. was sentenced to 18 months in prison for his role in a cyberstalking campaign that targeted a Massachusetts couple whose online newsletter was viewed as critical of the e-commerce company. Federal prosecutors in Boston said Philip Cooke, a retired police captain in Santa Clara, California, and other employees participated in a scheme to harass the couple through Twitter and by sending them disturbing packages, including live cockroaches.

Biden Says Russia Already Spreading Misinformation About 2022 Elections

President Biden said that he has been briefed on Russian efforts to spread misinformation related to the 2022 midterm elections.“Look what Russia is doing already about the 2022 elections and misinformation,” Biden said during a speech at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), referencing information he said was contained in his President’s Daily Brief.

Law Enforcement Agencies Want Congress to Require Ransomware Reports

Congress, urged on by the nation’s top law enforcement agencies, is pushing to require companies to report ransomware attacks in an effort to help the government understand the scope of the threat. At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, representatives of the Justice Department, FBI, Secret Service and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency all said Congress should consider passing a bill forcing companies that have been hit by a cyberattack to tell the government.

Groups Urge Congress to 'Dig Deeper' Into Facebook's Role in Capitol Riot

Tech accountability groups are urging members of Congress to “dig deeper” into the role Facebook played in leading up to the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol ahead of the House hearing about the attack, according to a report shared with The Hill. The groups are sending the report, composed of publicly available information and the groups’ previous findings of how Facebook was used ahead of the riot, to House and Senate leadership offices, as well as members of the House select committee formed to investigate the attack.

House Democrats Suggest Blacklisting Israeli Firm for Licensing Spyware

Four House Democrats suggested blacklisting or imposing sanctions against the Israeli firm that licensed spyware used by governments to hack the smartphones of journalists, human rights activists and business executives. The Democrats’ statement was in response to an investigation by The Washington Post and 16 media partners into a list of phone numbers that included surveillance targets and that appeared to be concentrated in countries thought to have been clients of the NSO Group, a private spyware company based in Israel.

Kaseya Denies Paying for Access to Decryption Key After Ransomware Attack

Software company Kaseya strongly denied paying to get access to a key to decrypt its systems following a massive ransomware attack on the company that impacted up to 1,500 organizations earlier this month. The denial came days after a spokesperson for Kaseya told The Hill it had obtained a decryption key for its systems and those of customers from a “trusted third party,” but did not comment on which third party that was and whether it had paid a ransom.

Antiterrorism Forum Expands Types of Content Its Members Will Share

An antiterrorism forum that includes Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter and YouTube is expanding the types of content its members share to include white supremacists and far-right militias, Reuters reported. The Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism was set up in 2017 to combat terrorist groups' use of social media sites to share ideas and recruit people to the cause. Its database previously focused on Islamist extremist organizations like Islamic State, al Qaeda and the Taliban, Reuters noted.

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China Orders Internet Companies to Change Anticompetitive Practices

China’s main technology-sector regulator ordered the country’s Internet giants to fix certain anticompetitive practices and data security threats, building on a regulatory campaign to reform how China’s largest tech companies operate. China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, which oversees China’s telecommunication and industry policies, said that its new six-month rectification program was aimed at correcting a range of industry issues, including disrupting market order, infringing on users’ rights, mishandling user data and violating other regulations.

Europe Gives Google Two Months to Change Search Engine for Flights, Hotels

Alphabet unit Google has two months to improve the way it presents Internet search results for flights and hotels and explain how it ranks these or face possible sanctions, the European Commission and EU consumer authorities said. The world's most popular Internet search engine has long faced scrutiny from antitrust enforcers and consumer groups around the world over its business practices, which in some cases have landed it with hefty fines.

Judge Gives FTC Extra Time to File Amended Complaint Against Facebook

A U.S. judge gave the U.S. Federal Trade Commission until Aug. 19 to file an amended complaint in its antitrust lawsuit against Facebook In. an extension of three weeks from the previous deadline. Judge James Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia granted the FTC's request for the extension, which was not opposed by Facebook.

Biden's Antitrust Team Shows Willingness to Clash with Tech Industry

President Biden has assembled the most aggressive antitrust team in decades, stacking his administration with three legal crusaders as it prepares to take on corporate consolidation and market power with efforts that could include blocking mergers and breaking up big companies. Mr. Biden’s decision this past week to name Jonathan Kanter to lead the Justice Department’s antitrust division is the latest sign of his willingness to clash with corporate America to promote more competition in the tech industry and across the economy.

ACLU of Alaska Seeks Investigation of Ass't Attorney General Over Tweets

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Alaska is calling for an investigation into an Alaskan official over controversial tweets discovered by The Guardian news outlet. ACLU spokesperson Megan Edge wants a “transparent and timely” investigation into state Assistant Attorney General Matthias Cicotte, Edge said in a statement to The Hill.

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