Zoom Agrees to Pay $85 Million in Class-Action Privacy Settlement

Zoom Video Communications Inc agreed to pay $85 million and bolster its security practices to settle a lawsuit claiming it violated users' privacy rights by sharing personal data with Facebook, Google and LinkedIn, and letting hackers disrupt Zoom meetings in a practice called Zoombombing. Zoom agreed to security measures including alerting users when meeting hosts or other participants use third-party apps in meetings, and to provide specialized training to employees on privacy and data handling.

Two Reports Find Social Media Companies Still Allowing Anti-Semitic Content

Anti-Semitic content explicitly banned by social media companies has been shared online and allowed to remain up even after being were reported to the companies, according to a report released by the Center for Countering Digital Hate, a nonprofit organization. The study, which found that social media companies acted on fewer than one in six reported examples of anti-Semitism, comes alongside a report with similar findings from the Anti-Defamation League.

Russia Launches Case Against WhatsApp for Not Storing User Data Locally

Russia launched administrative proceedings against Facebook's WhatsApp for what it said was a failure to localize data of Russian users on Russian territory, the Interfax news agency reported. A day earlier, a Russian court fined Alphabet Inc.'s Google 3 million roubles for violating personal data legislation and registered administrative proceedings against Facebook and Twitter for the same offense.

Moscow Court Fines Google for Not Storing Personal Data in Russia

A Moscow court ordered Google to pay a fine of 3 million rubles (roughly $41,000) for refusing to store the personal data of Russian users on servers in Russia, a move that is part of the government’s longstanding effort to tighten its grip on online activity. The fine is the first one given to Google in Russia over data storage regulations. Facebook and Twitter previously received similar penalties for allegedly violating Russian regulations.

Bill Would Update Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act

Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.) introduced a bill that would update the decades-old law governing children’s privacy online, an effort bolstered by increased attention on the issue from lawmakers, regulators and kids’ advocates. The bill, the Protecting the Information of our Vulnerable Children and Youth Act, would expand the existing law to include teenagers under 18 and make the rules apply to all sites that children and teens use.

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.

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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.