Bill Would Ensure Cryptocurrency Not Used to Evade Sanctions on Russia

As the U.S. searches for new ways to punish Russia for invading Ukraine, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., is crafting legislation she hopes will make it harder to use cryptocurrency to evade sanctions. The proposal, still in draft form, has taken on new urgency as bipartisan concerns grow that members of Moscow’s elite might be able to sidestep sanctions by using digital currencies.

Three Major Cybersecurity Companies Volunteer to Protect Utilities, Hospitals

While a growing number of U.S. companies are breaking business ties with Russia, three major cybersecurity companies are volunteering to protect U.S. utilities and hospitals free amid concerns about retaliatory hacks. Though no surge in cyberattacks on American companies has been reported, the federal government’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has urged U.S. organizations to lock down their systems in case the Russian government or private hackers take action as the divide between Russia and the United States grows.

Justice Department Charges Cryptocurrency Executive with Fraud

U.S. authorities filed criminal charges against a cryptocurrency executive and civil charges against him and his sister, accusing them of defrauding retail investors out of millions of dollars with a digital token known as Ormeus Coin. In papers filed in Manhattan federal court, the Justice Department said John Barksdale lied about the value and profitability of Ormeus Coin's mining assets, including that the coin was backed by a $250 million mining operation generating more than $5 million of monthly revenue.

FTC Says WW Weight-Loss Organization Violated Child Privacy Act

WW International, the weight-loss organization formerly known as Weight Watchers, used an app to illegally collect personal information from children without their parents’ permission, the Federal Trade Commission said. A complaint filed by the Justice Department on behalf of the commission said that WW and its pediatric weight-loss app, Kurbo, violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA, which requires apps and other online services geared toward children to get parental consent before collecting data from users under 13.

Musk Asks Judge to Scrap Settlement Over Twitter Posts as Unworkable

Tesla Inc. Chief Executive Elon Musk asked a federal judge to scrap a settlement he reached with securities regulators in 2018 that required some of his tweets be preapproved, a condition that has fomented an ongoing conflict with the government over whether he and Tesla have followed the rule. In a motion filed in Manhattan federal court, Mr. Musk’s lawyers argued that the Twitter oversight policy has become unworkable, while the Securities and Exchange Commission has abused the deal to make “round after round of demands for voluminous, costly document productions, with no signs of abatement.”

Kyiv's Cyber Watchdog Says Ukrainian Websites Under 'Nonstop' Attacks

Ukrainian websites have been under nonstop attack from Russian hackers since the Kremlin launched an invasion of the country last month, Kyiv's cyber watchdog agency said. In a post to Twitter, Ukraine's State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection said that "Russian hackers keep on attacking Ukrainian information resources nonstop.”

Hundreds of Thousands of Videos from Ukraine Create 'First TikTok War'

TikTok, the Chinese-owned video app known for viral dance and lip-syncing videos, has emerged as one of the most popular platforms for sharing videos and photos of the Russia-Ukraine war. Over the past week, hundreds of thousands of videos about the conflict have been uploaded to the app from across the world, according to a review by The New York Times.

PayPal Shuts Down Services in Russia, Still Allows Withdrawals

Payments company PayPal Holdings Inc. shut down its services in Russia, citing "the current circumstances," joining many financial and tech companies in suspending operations there after the invasion of Ukraine. A company spokesperson said PayPal will support withdrawals "for a period of time, ensuring that account balances are dispersed in line with applicable laws and regulations.”

Russian Government Blocks Facebook, Citing Discrimination Against Media

Facebook became the first American tech giant to be blocked by the Russian government, as part of the Kremlin’s broadening campaign to tighten control of the internet and limit spaces for dissent about the war in Ukraine. The move could foreshadow further restrictions against other tech companies such as Google, which owns YouTube, and Twitter.

U.S. Internet Service Provider Terminates Service for Customers in Russia

A leading American Internet service provider, Cogent Communications, said it was severing relations with Russian customers, a move that gives Ukrainian officials another victory in their campaign to isolate Russia online. Cogent chief executive Dave Schaeffer said the company did not want to keep ordinary Russians off the Internet but did want to prevent the Russian government from using Cogent’s networks to launch cyberattacks or deliver propaganda targeting Ukraine at a time of war.

Ukraine-Related Cyberattacks Created by Volunteers Causing Confusion

The war in Ukraine has provoked an onslaught of cyberattacks by apparent volunteers unlike any that security researchers have seen in previous conflicts, creating widespread disruption, confusion and chaos that researchers fear could provoke more serious attacks by nation-state hackers, escalate the war on the ground or harm civilians. The online battles have blurred the lines between state-backed hackers and patriotic amateurs, making it difficult for governments to understand who is attacking them and how to retaliate.

Surgeon General Wants Data from Tech Companies on COVID Misinformation

President Biden’s surgeon general on formally requested that the major tech platforms submit information about the scale of Covid-19 misinformation on social networks, search engines, crowdsourced platforms, e-commerce platforms and instant messaging systems. A request for information from the surgeon general’s office demanded that tech platforms send data and analysis on the prevalence of Covid-19 misinformation on their sites, starting with common examples of vaccine misinformation documented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

ICANN Rejects Ukraine's Request to Restrict Russia's Access to Internet

The international non-profit that coordinates management of the Internet told Ukraine it will not intervene in the country's war with Russia, rebuffing a request to cut Russia off from the global Internet. Ukraine's proposal is neither technically feasible nor within the mission of ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, according to a letter ICANN sent to Ukrainian officials.

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