EU Official Calls Russian Link to Hacking Efforts 'Unacceptable'

A top European Union (EU) official called out Russia for its involvement in recent hacking efforts directed towards the governments of multiple member states, describing these efforts as “unacceptable.” “Some EU Member States have observed malicious cyber activities, collectively designated as Ghostwriter, and associated these with the Russian state,” Josep Borrell, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said in a statement.

Chinese Online Game Companies Promise to Self-Regulate

Hundreds of Chinese online game companies have vowed to self-regulate and combat user addiction, the country’s state-backed gaming industry association said, falling in line with a government effort to restrict negative influences from entertainment on China’s youth. More than 200 companies — among them China’s largest game publishers, Tencent Holdings Ltd. and NetEase Inc. — promised to go a step beyond the playing limits on youth set by China last month, according to the industry association.

Court Filing Says Google's 'Incognito' Browser Mode Not Really Private

Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai in 2019 was warned that describing the company's Incognito browsing mode as "private" was problematic, yet it stayed the course because he did not want the feature "under the spotlight," according to a new court filing. Google spokesman José Castañeda told Reuters that the filing "mischaracterizes emails referencing unrelated second and third-hand accounts."

China Bans All Transactions Using Cryptocurrency, as Well as Mining

China intensified its crackdown on cryptocurrency, declaring all financial transactions involving cryptocurrencies illegal and issuing a nationwide ban on cryptocurrency mining, the power-hungry process in which vast computer networks compete for newly created crypto tokens. The clampdown in China comes as the country’s central bank has been testing its own digital currency, the electronic Chinese yuan.

Jailed Kremlin Critic Calls Google, Apple Cowards for Removing Voting App

Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said Google and Apple showed "cowardice" and acted as accomplices of Russian President Vladimir Putin by removing a voting app before this month's election, according to his social media accounts. Navalny's supporters earlier accused the U.S. tech giants of caving in to Kremlin pressure by removing the anti-government tactical voting app from their stores at the start of three days of parliamentary voting.

Top Officials Want Law Requiring Companies to Report Cybersecurity Incidents

The nation’s top cybersecurity officials urged Congress to consider passing legislation that would fine organizations if they failed to report cybersecurity incidents to the federal government, part of an effort to do more to confront a recent spree of attacks. Jen Easterly, the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), testified in favor of taking the more hardline stance to encourage incident reporting during a hearing held by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which is considering bipartisan mandatory cyber reporting legislation.

Increase in Hate Speech Online Exposes Weaknesses in German Law

In 2017, Germany enacted one of the world’s toughest laws against online hate speech, which requires Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to remove illegal comments, pictures or videos within 24 hours of being notified about them or risk fines of up to 50 million euros, or $59 million. But an influx of hate speech and harassment in the run-up to the German election, in which the country will choose a new leader to replace Angela Merkel, its longtime chancellor, has exposed some of the law’s weaknesses.

White House Pushes for More Cooperation to Address Semiconductor Crisis

The White House is pressing automakers, chip companies and others to cooperate in a bid for more information about the ongoing semiconductor crisis that has forced cuts to U.S. auto production, but made clear that the industry needs to take the lead to solve the problem. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, who along with Brian Deese, director of the National Economic Council, met with semiconductor industry participants, told Reuters that strong action was needed to address the chip shortage.

EU Plans to Require Smartphone Makers to Use USB-C Cables

The European Union announced plans to require the smartphone industry to adopt a uniform charging cord for mobile devices, a push that could eliminate the all-too-familiar experience of rummaging through a drawer full of tangled cables to find the right one. The European Commission, the bloc’s executive arm, proposed legislation that would mandate USB-C cables for charging, technology that many device makers have already adopted.

Apple Refuses to Reinstate Fortnite Until All Legal Appeals Exhausted

Apple will not allow Fortnite back on its devices until its legal battle with the video game's maker, Epic Games, has fully concluded, potentially delaying the game's return to iPhones by several years. A lawyer for Apple said the company "has exercised its discretion not to reinstate Epic's developer program account at this time" in response to a request from the video game maker to do so, according to a letter sent to Epic's lawyer and tweeted by the company's CEO, Tim Sweeney.

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Tech Trade Groups Sue Texas Over Law Targeting Social Media Companies

Technology trade groups that represent Facebook, Google’s YouTube and Twitter are suing Texas to stop a new state law that cracks down on social media companies for censoring conservative speech. The lawsuit filed in federal court challenges the law signed earlier this month by Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott that would allow any state resident banned from a social media platform for their political views to sue.

Facebook Oversight Board Seeks Information About Rules for High-Profile Users

Facebook Inc's independent Oversight Board said it has asked the social networking giant to provide clarity on the system it uses to review content decisions relating to some high-profile users. The board's inquiry follows a Wall Street Journal report last week that Facebook exempts high-profile users from some or all of its rules, raising questions about its enforcement decisions against harmful content.

U.S. Bans Russian-Owned Cryptocurrency Exchange Linked to Ransomware

The Biden administration blacklisted a Russian-owned cryptocurrency exchange for allegedly helping launder ransomware payments, an unprecedented action meant to deter future cyber-extortion attacks by disrupting their primary means of profit. The targeting of SUEX OTC marks the first time the Treasury Department has sanctioned a digital currency platform.

FBI Sat on Keys to Unlock Computers as It Planned Ransomware Takedown

The FBI refrained for almost three weeks from helping to unlock the computers of hundreds of businesses and institutions hobbled by a major ransomware attack this summer, even though the bureau had secretly obtained the digital key needed to do so, according to several current and former U.S. officials. The key was obtained through access to the servers of the Russia-based criminal gang behind the July attack.

Homeland Security Chair Seeks Info from Social Media on Extremism

Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Gary Peters (D-Mich.) is demanding that Facebook, Twitter and YouTube provide information regarding their policies surrounding mitigating extremist content on their platforms. Peters in a release said he wrote letters to each platform's CEO in an effort to combat domestic terrorism and investigate the events of Jan. 6, when rioters attacked the U.S. Capitol.

State Attorneys General Pushing New Antitrust Laws Aimed at Big Tech

A bipartisan group of U.S. state attorneys general sent a letter to lawmakers urging them to pass a series of bills that tighten antitrust laws aimed at Big Tech companies like Facebook and Alphabet's Google. The letter, which was addressed to leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives, expressed explicit support for six bills that passed the House Judiciary Committee in June. Four of the bills directly address Big Tech's platform powers while two others empower enforcers.

Russia Set to Increase Fines Against U.S. Technology Companies

Russia’s internet regulator is poised to significantly raise the fines it has slapped on U.S. technology companies such as Facebook Inc. and Alphabet Inc. as the Kremlin escalates its push to curb access to information online. Companies that refuse to delete content judged to be illegal in Russia could soon face amends of 5% to 20% of their annual local revenue, Roskomnadzor, the federal communications watchdog, said in an email.

Senate Democrats Want FTC to Develop New Data Privacy Rules

A group of Senate Democrats is calling on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to develop new rules to protect data privacy amid stalled progress on a national framework. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) led a letter signed by eight of his colleagues to FTC Chairwoman Lina Khan requesting new rules targeted at strengthening privacy, boosting civil rights and creating guardrails on the collection of consumer data.

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.