Apple Fined $5.65 Million for Not Complying with Dutch Order on App Store

Apple was fined 5 million euros ($5.65 million) by the Dutch antitrust regulator for failing to comply with an order to open its app store to allow dating app providers in the Netherlands to use alternative payment methods. Apple on Jan. 15 said it had complied with the December order from the Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) — but the regulator said Apple had not.

D.C., States Sue Google for Deceiving Customers About Location Data

Attorneys general from D.C. and three states sued Google, arguing that the search giant deceived consumers to gain access to their location data. The lawsuits, filed in the District of Columbia, Texas, Washington and Indiana, allege the company made misleading promises about its users’ ability to protect their privacy through Google account settings, dating from at least 2014.

Journalists Covering Chinese Olympics Plan to User 'Burner' Phones, Laptops

Journalists covering the Winter Olympics next month say they’ll do their work in Beijing on brand-new cellphones and laptops simply leave them behind or throw them away when the Games are over. The reason: Reporters are concerned that any devices they use there could become infected with tracking software, enabling Chinese authorities to spy on their contents.

Crypto.com Says 483 Users Affected by $34 Million in Unauthorized Withdrawals

Crypto.com shared new details about a recent hack on its platform in a statement on its website, saying 483 of its users were affected and that unauthorized withdrawals of over $15 million worth of ETH, $19 million worth of BTC and $66,200 in “other currencies” occurred. The total losses, worth over $34 million at current cryptocurrency values, are even higher than what analysts had predicted before Crypto.com released its statement.

Facebook Removes Network of Fake Accounts from Iran Targeting Scotland

Facebook parent Meta Platforms removed a network of fake accounts that originated in Iran and targeted Instagram users in Scotland with content supporting Scottish independence, the company's investigators said. The network used fake accounts to pose as locals in England and Scotland, posting photos and memes about current events and criticism of the United Kingdom's government, Meta said.

EU's Legislative Arm Gives Initial Approval to Digital Services Act

The European Union took a significant step toward passing legislation that could transform the way major technology companies operate, requiring them to police content on their platforms more aggressively and introducing new restrictions on advertising, among other provisions. The legislative arm of the 27-nation bloc voted overwhelmingly to give initial approval to the sprawling regulations set forth in the landmark Digital Services Act.

Red Cross Shuts Down Some IT Systems After Cyberattack on Contractor

A cyberattack on a contractor used by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has compromised the personal data of more than 515,000 "highly vulnerable people," including people separated from their families by conflict and disaster, the organization said. The hack has forced the Red Cross to shut down IT systems that support a program that reunites families separated by conflict, migration or disaster, the humanitarian organization said.

  • Read the article: CNN

Russian Tech Giant Yandex Settles Competition Law Dispute

Russian tech giant Yandex said it had reached a settlement agreement in a competition law dispute over its search engine results with Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) and a consortium of IT companies. The FAS told Yandex last February that it had created unequal market conditions for general online search services, that it was preferentially promoting its own products and asked it to stop. Yandex at the time said it was ready to defend its position.

Austria's Data Protection Ruling Could Affect Companies Across Europe

European businesses face uncertainty over the use of a popular analytics tool from Google after a regulator found it breached privacy laws, the latest salvo by the European Union against big U.S. tech companies. The ruling from Austria’s data-protection regulator could upend business practices for companies across Europe as regulators in the 27 EU countries are also preparing legislation on social-media content.

Facebook Critics Seek Release of Report on Human Rights in India

Facebook critics called on the world's largest social network to release a human rights impact assessment it commissioned in 2020 to investigate hate speech on its platforms in India. The social media company, which is now called Meta, faces increasing scrutiny over its handling of abuses on its services, particularly after whistleblower Frances Haugen leaked internal documents showing its struggles monitoring problematic content in countries where it was most likely to cause harm.

Google Promises to Improve Enforcement of Age-Sensitive Ad Policy

Alphabet Inc's Google said it would immediately improve enforcement of an age-sensitive ad policy after Reuters found ads for sex toys, liquor and high-risk investments in its search engine that should have been blocked under its efforts to comply with UK regulations. Britain started enforcing regulations last September aimed at protecting children from being tracked online.

Antitrust Bills Would Increase Security Risks for iPhone Users, Apple Says

Apple warned in a letter sent to lawmakers that antitrust bills being considered in the Senate would increase the risk of security breaches to iPhone users, in part because they could force it to allow sideloading, where apps are downloaded outside the App Store. Apple’s pushback reflects growing concern from the iPhone maker about the American Innovation and Choice Online Act and the Open App Markets Act, both of which are scheduled to be considered this week.

  • Read the article: CNBC

Investigation Says Israeli Police Used Spyware on Netanyahu, Citizens

Israeli police have used NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware to remotely access, control and extract information from cellphones belonging to Israeli citizens, including leaders of a protest movement against former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to an investigation published in the Israeli outlet Calcalist. The military-grade software developed by the private Israeli company NSO was also used to target a number of people who were not suspected of involvement in a crime, including mayors, former government employees and at least one person close to a senior politician, according to the report.

U.S. Investigating Alibaba's Cloud Business as National Security Risk

The Biden administration is reviewing e-commerce giant Alibaba's cloud business to determine whether it poses a risk to U.S. national security, according to three people briefed on the matter, as the government ramps up scrutiny of Chinese technology companies' dealings with U.S. firms. The focus of the probe is on how the company stores U.S. clients' data, including personal information and intellectual property, and whether the Chinese government could gain access to it, the people said.

Google's Confidentiality Agreements for Employees Illegal, Judge Rules

A California judge ruled that the confidentiality agreements Google requires its employees to sign are too broad and break the state’s labor laws, a decision that could make it easier for workers at famously secret Big Tech firms to speak openly about their companies. A Google employee identified as John Doe argued that the broad nondisclosure agreement the company asked him to sign barred him from speaking about his job to other potential employers, amounting to a noncompete clause, which are illegal in California

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.