Facebook to Provide Bullying Protection for Activists, Journalists

Facebook Inc. will now count activists and journalists as "involuntary" public figures and so increase protections against harassment and bullying targeted at these groups, its global safety chief said in an interview this week. The social media company, which allows more critical commentary of public figures than of private individuals, is changing its approach on the harassment of journalists and "human rights defenders," who it says are in the public eye due to their work rather than their public personas.

Senator Wants Facebook to Preserve Documents in Whistleblower Testimony

Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) is calling on Facebook to preserve documents related to the congressional testimonies from a company whistleblower and the tech giant’s head of global safety, as Congress looks for ways to conduct oversight of the platform amid new damning allegations. Cantwell penned a letter to Facebook Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday requesting that the company “preserve and retain” documents, data and other information stored electronically that relates to the testimonies whistleblower Frances Haugen delivered on Oct. 5, and Global Head of Safety Antigone Davis on Sept. 30.

Senator Wants TikTok to Provide Information About Extremist Content

Senate Homeland Security Chairman Gary Peters (D-Mich.) pressed video-sharing app TikTok for information about its efforts to curb violent extremist content before and after the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, expanding the panel’s probe into how social media may have contributed to the violence. Peters expressed concern over reports that domestic extremists used the platform to “recruit, organize and communicate” in the days leading up to the riot, and that they “continue to spread their messages through content supporting white supremacists, extremists, and terrorist organizations.”

Facebook Whistleblower Accepts Invitation to Meet with Oversight Board

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen said that she will speak to the platform’s independent Oversight Board at its invitation. “I have accepted the invitation to brief the Facebook Oversight Board about what I learned while working there,” Haugen tweeted. “Facebook has lied to the board repeatedly, and I am looking forward to sharing the truth with them.”

Google Removes Ads for Apps That Encourage Spouses to Spy

Google has pulled several “stalkerware” ads that violated its policies by promoting apps that encouraged prospective users to spy on their spouses’ phone. These consumer-grade spyware apps are often marketed to parents wishing to monitor their child’s calls, messages, apps, photos and location, often under the guise of protecting against predators.

Poll Shows Serious Concerns About Cyberattacks from China, Russia

Most Americans across party lines have serious concerns about cyberattacks on U.S. computer systems and view China and Russia as major threats, according to a new poll. The poll by The Pearson Institute and the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that about 9 in 10 Americans are at least somewhat concerned about hacking that involves their personal information, financial institutions, government agencies or certain utilities.

Tech Body Creates Committee to Address Misinformation in Australia

A tech body backed by the Australian units of Facebook, Google and Twitter said it has set up a special committee to adjudicate complaints over misinformation, a day after the government threatened tougher laws over false and defamatory online posts. The issue of damaging social media posts has emerged as a second battlefront between Big Tech and Australia, which last year passed a law to make platforms pay licence fees for content, sparking a temporary Facebook blackout in February.

FTC Warns About Social Media Scams for Broadband Benefit Program

The Federal Trade Commission is warning Americans about scams popping up on social media offering to "help" people sign up for the Emergency Broadband Benefit program, which provides people struggling through the pandemic with a subsidy to pay for monthly broadband access and a one-time only discount for a computer. The notice, issued on Friday, warns that the ads are government impersonators that look and sound like legitimate government sites, complete with government seals, designed to trick people into handing over personal information or paying a fee.

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EU Antitrust Regulators Probe Slack Complaint About Microsoft Teams

EU antitrust regulators are following up on a complaint by Slack Technologies by asking Microsoft's rivals if its Teams app integrated with its Office product gives it greater clout, in a sign that they could open an investigation. In a questionnaire sent to rivals and seen by Reuters, the European Commission is focusing on the period 2016 to 2021. Microsoft introduced Teams in early 2017 to compete with Slack and others in the fast-growing workplace collaboration market.

White House National Security Council Considers Cryptocurrency Oversight

The White House is considering a wide ranging oversight of the cryptocurrency market to combat the growing threat of ransomware and other cyber crime, a spokeswoman said. "The NSC and NEC are coordinating across the interagency to look at ways we can ensure that cryptocurrency and other digital assets are not used to prop up bad actors, including ransomware criminals," the White House National Security Council spokeswoman said.

Apple Appeals Verdict in Fortnite Case Requiring App Store Payment Changes

Apple asked a federal appeals court to throw out a legal decision that would require the tech giant to tweak its strict App Store rules and force it to allow app developers to inform customers of ways to pay for subscriptions and services outside the App Store. The September verdict followed a yearlong legal battle between Apple and Epic Games, the maker of the game Fortnite. Apple also asked a judge to delay the ruling mandating App Store changes until after the appeal is heard.

DOJ to Take Action Against Contractors Who Don't Report Cyberattacks

The U.S. Department of Justice has said it will launch civil legal action against federal contractors if they fail to report cyberattacks or data breaches. The Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative, introduced by Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco, will leverage the existing False Claims Act (FCA) to “pursue cybersecurity-related fraud by government contractors and grant recipients.”

Dutch Antitrust Authority Orders Changes to Apple's In-App Payment System

The Dutch antitrust authority has found that Apple’s rules requiring software developers to use its in-app payment system are anti-competitive and ordered it to make changes, four people familiar with the matter said, in the latest regulatory setback for the iPhone maker. Apple's app-store payment policies, in particular its requirement that app developers exclusively use its payment system where commissions range between 15% and 30%, have long drawn complaints from developers.

Ireland Drops Opposition to EU Corporate Tax Rate Plan for Tech Companies

A global agreement to set a minimum 15% corporate tax rate cleared its last major hurdle after Ireland, a low-tax country that is the European headquarters for some of the largest U.S. tech companies, said it would join the overhaul effort. The change in Irish policy comes ahead of a meeting of 140 governments and jurisdictions that have for years been negotiating a way of taxing international companies to limit avoidance and divide tax revenue in a way they say is fairer.

Google to Stop Advertising on Inaccurate Videos About Climate Change

Google said it will no longer display advertisements on YouTube videos and other content that promote inaccurate claims about climate change. The decision, by the company’s ads team, means that it will no longer permit websites or YouTube creators to earn advertising money via Google for content that “contradicts well-established scientific consensus around the existence and causes of climate change.”

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