Apple Senior VP Calls iPhone Sideloading 'A Cyber Criminal's Best Friend'

“Sideloading is a cyber criminal’s best friend and requiring that on iPhone would be a gold rush for the malware industry,” according to Apple senior vice president Craig Federighi, who delivered a dramatic speech at Web Summit 2021 declaiming the security risks if Apple were required to let users sideload apps. Federighi, who oversees Apple’s iOS and macOS software divisions, was specifically protesting the European Commission’s proposed Digital Markets Act, which, if passed, would require Apple to let users install apps outside of the iOS App Store.

U.S. Blacklists Israeli Spyware Company NSO Group

The United States added the Israeli spyware company NSO Group to its “entity list,” a federal blacklist prohibiting the company from receiving American technologies, after determining that its phone-hacking tools had been used by foreign governments to “maliciously target” government officials, activists, journalists, academics and embassy workers around the world. The move is a significant sanction against a company spotlighted in July in an investigation by the global Pegasus Project consortium, which includes The Washington Post and 16 other news organizations worldwide.

White House Orders Federal Agencies to Patch Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities

The Biden administration issued a sweeping new order mandating that nearly all federal agencies patch hundreds of cybersecurity vulnerabilities that are considered major risks for damaging intrusions into government computer systems. The new requirement is one of the most wide-reaching cybersecurity mandates ever imposed on the federal government.

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.

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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.