Large Cryptocurrency Exchange to Close All User Accounts in China

One of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges said it would close all user accounts in mainland China by the end of the year, days after the country’s central bank declared all crypto-related transactions illegal. Huobi Global, which was founded in 2013 and currently operates from offices in Singapore, South Korea, the U.S. and other countries, over the weekend said it stopped allowing new customers in mainland China to register accounts.

Despite Misinformation Policies, Ivermectin Discussions Popular on Facebook

Facebook has become more aggressive at enforcing its coronavirus misinformation policies in the past year. But the platform remains a popular destination for people discussing how to acquire and use ivermectin, a drug typically used to treat parasitic worms, even though the Food and Drug Administration has warned people against taking it to treat Covid-19.

Australia Considers Regulatory Action Against Google Over Advertising

Australia’s competition watchdog expressed concerns about the dominance of Alphabet Inc.’s Google in a large part of the online-advertising sector, and said it is considering regulatory action against the tech giant. Google has a dominant position in key parts of the so-called advertising technology supply chain, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said in a roughly 200-page report.

YouTube Deletes Russian Broadcaster Over COVID Misinformation Policy

Alphabet Inc's YouTube deleted Russian state-backed broadcaster RT's German-language channels, saying it had breached its COVID misinformation policy. Initially RT's German channel was issued a strike for uploading content that violated YouTube's COVID misinformation policy, resulting in a suspension of posting rights on the platform for a week.

Facebook Seeks Opinion from Advisory Board on Moderating High-Profile Users

Facebook is asking the quasi-independent Oversight Board for guidance regarding the platform’s “cross-check” content moderation system for high-profile users after a recent report claimed the system lets some of those users break the platform’s rules. Facebook requested the Oversight Board’s guidance in the form of a Policy Advisory Opinion — about a week after the board requested Facebook provide it with “further clarity” about information relating to the cross-check system that was previously shared with board members.

Facebook Pauses 'Instagram Kids' Ahead of Hearing on Mental Health Effects

Facebook said that it had paused development of an “Instagram Kids” service that would be tailored for children 13 years old or younger, as the social network increasingly faces questions about the app’s effect on young people’s mental health. The pullback comes ahead of a congressional hearing about internal research conducted by Facebook, and reported in The Wall Street Journal, that showed the company knew of the harmful mental health effects that Instagram was having on teenage girls.

Google Appeals $5 Billion Antitrust Fine in EU's Android Case

Alphabet Inc.’s Google started its appeal to overturn a $5 billion antitrust fine imposed by the European Union, contending that its Android operating system for mobile devices has boosted competition rather than foreclosing it. The tech giant presented oral arguments in Luxembourg before the EU’s second-highest court, in its appeal to overturn the 2018 decision from the bloc’s antitrust enforcer.

India's Antitrust Watchdog Agrees to Keep Google Info Confidential

India's antitrust watchdog has agreed to Google's request to keep confidential some information the company provided during an investigation into its business, though the regulator denied allegations it leaked a report on the probe to the media, a judge said. Alphabet Inc.'s Google sued the Competition Commission of India (CCI) at a New Delhi court last week, urging a judge to direct the watchdog to prevent leaks of information.

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.

  • Read the article: CNN

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.

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