CIA Director Discusses Hackers in Visit with Russian Security Officials

U.S. Central Intelligence Agency director William Burns raised the issue of Russian cyberattacks during a rare visit to Moscow, where he met high-ranking security officials, three sources told Reuters. The trip follows a summit in Geneva in June where U.S. President Joe Biden pressed Russian President Vladimir Putin to act against ransomware groups attacking companies and infrastructure in the United States, and Moscow publicly agreed to track down cyber criminals.

Breitbart Called Leading Producer of Climate Change Denial on Facebook

Breitbart is the most influential producer of climate change denial posts on Facebook, according to a report that suggests a small number of publishers play an outsize role in creating content that undermines climate science. The far-right news and commentary site is one of just 10 publishers responsible for nearly 70 percent of interactions with climate change denial content on Facebook, according to a study by the nonprofit Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), shared exclusively with The Washington Post.

Amid 'Many Concerns,' Facebook to Shut Down Facial-Recognition System

Facebook plans to shut down its decade-old facial recognition system this month, deleting the face scan data of more than one billion users and effectively eliminating a feature that has fueled privacy concerns, government investigations, a class-action lawsuit and regulatory woes. Jerome Pesenti, vice president of artificial intelligence at Meta, Facebook’s newly named parent company, said in a blog post that the social network was making the change because of “many concerns about the place of facial recognition technology in society.”

Facebook's Head of Global Affairs Vows to Protect Users in 'Metaverse'

Facebook Inc's head of global affairs, Nick Clegg, said the company was working on ways to protect users in the metaverse, speaking in an interview with Reuters. The company changed its name to Meta Platforms Inc to reflect its focus on building the "metaverse," a shared virtual environment that it bets will be the successor to the mobile internet. read more

Working Group on Financial Markets Wants Congress to Regulate Stablecoins

Federal regulators say they urgently need more power from Congress to properly regulate stablecoins, a fast-growing type of cryptocurrency that they warn could result in bank runs, consumer abuse and payment snafus unless lawmakers act quickly, according to a report issued by the Treasury Department. The report, which was undertaken by the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets, called on Congress to pass a law that makes issuers of stablecoins subject to requirements like those of traditional banks and financial institutions.

Facebook Whistleblower Says Zuckerberg Must Leave for Change to Occur

In her first public address since she leaked a trove of damaging documents about Facebook's inner workings, whistleblower Frances Haugen urged her former boss, Mark Zuckerberg, to step down and allow change rather than devoting resources to a rebrand. "I think it is unlikely the company will change if [Mark Zuckerberg] remains the CEO," Haugen told a packed arena at the opening night of the Web Summit, a tech fest drawing dozens of thousands to the Portuguese capital, Lisbon.

EU Countries Seek Agreement on Negotiations with U.S. Tech Firms

EU countries aim to agree on a common negotiating position on two sets of draft rules to curb the powers of U.S. tech giants on Nov. 25, people involved in the discussions said, though squabbles among EU lawmakers could delay the rules' adoption. The Digital Markets Act (DMA) sets out a list of dos and don'ts for online gatekeepers - companies that control data and access to their platforms — such as Amazon, Apple, Alphabet unit Google and Facebook.

Apple Opposes Links to Third-Party Payment Options Before Hearing

Apple Inc. outlined its objections to allowing app developers to link to third-party payment options ahead of a hearing next month that could determine whether a set of antitrust court orders is put on pause. After a lengthy trial earlier this year brought by "Fortnite" creator Epic Games, U.S. District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers issued a ruling that was largely favorable to the iPhone maker and upheld its practice of requiring developers to use its in-app payment system, for which it charges commissions.

Patagonia Stops Advertising on Facebook, Seeks Others to Join Effort

Patagonia is doubling down on its decision to stop all paid advertising on Facebook Inc. platforms, urging other companies to join the sportswear company in its boycott of the social-networking company as it faces widespread scrutiny following the release of internal documents. In a statement, Patagonia Chief Executive Ryan Gellert urged Facebook to “prioritize people and planet over profit.”

Man Charged with Trying to Extort Sports Leagues, Streaming Content

Federal authorities have accused a Minnesota man with trying to extort $150,000 from Major League Baseball after hacking into its computer system. The U.S. Attorney’s office for the southern district of New York and the FBI have charged Joshua Streit, 30, with illegally streaming content from MLB, as well as from the National Hockey League (NHL), the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the National Football League (NFL).

Facebook Expands Vaccine Misinformation Policies to Target Children

Vaccine misinformation has been pervasive issue on Facebook for years, and it wasn't until earlier this year that the website finally introduced policies that would address the problem. Now, the social network has expanded those policies and its COVID-19 vaccination efforts to include kids shortly after the FDA authorized the emergency use of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages five to eleven.

Locast to Pay $34 Million in Copyright Damages for Streaming Local TV

A case that began with hype that someone had finally cracked the code for delivering free and legal broadcast streaming is ending with a $32 million payment of copyright damages to ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC. After suspending its service following a devastating court loss, Locast has also now agreed to a permanent injunction, according to court papers filed.

National Cyber Director Considering Mandates for Critical Infrastructure

The Office of the National Cyber Director wants to bring cohesion to efforts to strengthen computer defenses across a sprawling set of more than 100 civilian agencies even as it seeks to drive more robust cybersecurity in the private sector. “This is the beginning, not the end” of the attempt to ensure that the United States enjoys a secure and open Internet, said National Cyber Director Chris Inglis in an interview laying out strategic vision for the federal government’s newest agency.

Stricter Age Checks Online Eliminate Anonymity on More Websites

In response to mounting pressure from activists, parents and regulators who believe tech companies haven’t done enough to protect children online, businesses and governments around the globe are placing major parts of the internet behind stricter digital age checks. The experience of consuming content and communicating online is increasingly less like an anonymous public square and more like going to the bank, with measures to prove that you are who you say you are.

Senate Approves Legislation Targeting Chinese Telecom Companies

The U.S. Senate voted unanimously to approve legislation to prevent companies such as Huawei Technologies Co Ltd. or ZTE Corp. that are deemed security threats from receiving new equipment licenses from U.S. regulators. The Secure Equipment Act, the latest effort by the U.S. government to crack down on Chinese telecom and tech companies, was approved by the U.S. House on a 420-4 vote, and now goes to President Joe Biden for his signature.

Senators Pushing for Update to Children's Online Privacy Protection Act

Two Democratic senators called for two bills to be voted into law that will limit what children are shown online and how their data can be used for advertising by Big Tech companies like Google's YouTube and Facebook. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Ed Markey, both Democrats, called for the passage of an update of the 1998 Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which would, among other things, raise the age of children whose data cannot be collected without consent from 12 to 15.

CFPB Director Says Agency Reviewing Big Tech's Impact on Money Flow

Chief consumer finance watchdog Rohit Chopra told U.S. lawmakers his agency will review Big Tech's impact on the flow of money in the economy as leading technology firms use real-time consumer payments systems that collect huge amounts of personal data. Chopra, head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), said Big Tech's entrance into the payment sector raises questions, including: "How will these firms harvest and monetize data they collect on our transactions? What criteria will they use to decide who is removed from the platform? How will they ensure that payment systems adhere to consumer protections?"

Judge Transfers Trump's Twitter Case, Says Ex-President Bound by Terms

A Florida federal judge ruled that Donald Trump’s status as a former president does not exclude him from following Twitter’s terms of service, the latest setback in his quest to get back on the social media platform after being banned this year. U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola Jr. granted Twitter’s motion to transfer the case from the Southern District of Florida to the Northern District of California, which is required by a clause in the company’s user agreement that all Twitter users sign.

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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.