Head of New California Online Regulator to Enforce State's Privacy Law

Ashkan Soltani, faces the daunting task of overseeing the first government body in the United States with the sole job of regulating how Google, Facebook, Amazon and other companies collect and use data from millions of people. The office, the California Privacy Protection Agency, will be a more than 30-person group with a $10 million annual budget to help enforce the state’s privacy law, which is among the most stringent in the country.

EU Law Would Direct Apple to Allow App Installations Outside Its Own Store

Apple Inc. is facing one of the biggest challenges yet to how it controls and profits from the App Store as Europe prepares to complete a new competition law in the coming weeks. The new European Union legislation — which could be effectively completed as soon as this month — is set to direct Apple to allow software to be downloaded outside its cash-generating App Store and limit how companies impose their own payment systems on apps, according to people involved in the negotiations.

Australian Competition Watchdog Pursues Facebook Over Crypto Ads

Australian competition watchdog has begun proceedings against Facebook owner Meta Platforms Inc, alleging the social media company engaged in false or misleading cryptocurrency advertisements in the country, it said. Meta published ads featuring "prominent Australian public figures" promoting cryptocurrency investment or money-making schemes, which according to the regulator were "scams" that were likely to have misled users into believing them.

'Information Warriors' Using Technology to Inform Russians About War

An international resistance of computer programmers and volunteer “information warriors” is racing to pierce Kremlin propaganda and expose ordinary Russians to the uncensored truth of a brutal war. The Internet has sent old information-war efforts into overdrive, allowing everyday people to pitch in on imaginative efforts designed to reach strangers thousands of miles away.

French Cloud-Computing Company Files Antitrust Complaint Against Microsoft

A French cloud-computing company has filed an antitrust complaint in Europe against Microsoft Corp., adding to recent criticism of the competitive practices at a company that has largely avoided the recent regulatory scrutiny aimed at rival tech giants. OVHcloud said it filed the complaint with the European Commission, the European Union’s top competition regulator.

Facebook Removes Fake Video of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Facebook's parent company, Meta, said that it removed a deepfake video of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for violating the social network's rules against manipulated media. "It appeared on a reportedly compromised website and then started showing across the internet," said Nathaniel Gleicher, who heads security policy at Meta, in a tweet about the video.

  • Read the article: CNET

'Wordle Archive' Website Taken Down After Legal Request from New York Times

Wordle Archive — a website that let users play through hundreds of previous daily five-letter Wordle puzzles — has been taken down at the request of Wordle owner The New York Times. The archival site, which offered a backward-looking play feature that's not available in the NYT's official version of Wordle, had been up since early January.

Germany's Cyber Security Agency Says Kaspersky Software Poses Risk

Germany's cyber security agency warned users of an anti-virus software developed by Moscow-based Kaspersky Lab that it poses a serious risk of a successful hacking attack. The BSI agency said that the Russia-based cyber-security company could be coerced by Russian government agents to hack IT systems abroad or agents could clandestinely use its technology to launch cyberattacks without its knowledge.

Cyberspace Administration of China Wants 'Youth Mode' for Online Gaming

Companies engaged in online gaming, livestreaming, audio and video in China should set up a "youth mode" to protect minors, according to draft regulations issued by the Cyberspace Administration of China. The major platforms should regularly conduct assessments on cyber protection for minors in order to provide a "clean" online environment for them, CAC said, adding that the platforms should also cap daily spending amount for minor users.

Large-Scale Cyberattack Takes Down Several Israeli Government Websites

Israel appears to be recovering from a large-scale cyberattack. According to Haaretz and Kan's Amichai Stein, attackers took down several Israeli government websites, including those for the ministries of health, interior, justice and welfare. The Prime Minister's Office website was also affected. All of the websites are back online, the country's National Cyber Directorate said in a statement.

Restaurant Group Sues Google for Prioritizing Food Delivery Apps

A Florida restaurant group has sued Google for allegedly prioritizing food delivery apps over directing users to an establishment's own website. The lawsuit, filed in Northern California District Court on March 8 by Left Field Holdings, alleges that Google would allow users to place an order through search directly via an "order online" button that takes users to another Google ordering webpage, where orders are sold to food delivery companies.

  • Read the article: CNET

Ukrainian Security Researchers Say HackerOne Not Paying Bug Bounty Rewards

Ukrainian hackers and security researchers say bug bounty platform HackerOne is withholding their bug bounty rewards, in some cases thousands of dollars, and refusing to let hackers withdraw their earnings. Several hackers and researchers with affected HackerOne accounts said in tweets that HackerOne is blocking payouts, citing economic sanctions and export controls following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in late February, but that the sanctions don’t apply to them.

Insurers Fear Claims for Coverage of Cyberattacks Linked to Ukraine War

Insurance for cyberattacks has been a booming business, but Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has insurers sweating about the possibility of big losses. They are rushing to plug a possible loophole that leaves them vulnerable: A judge in New Jersey ruled last year that essentially said a common acts-of-war exclusion doesn’t cover cyberattacks.

Russian Internet Users Seek Ways to Avoid Ban on Facebook, Instagram

As Russia blocked access to Meta Platforms Inc's flagship social media platforms, Facebook and Instagram, demand from internet users for tools to skirt the restrictions skyrocketed, data from a monitoring firm showed. Instagram access in Russia was cut in response to Meta's decision to allow social media users in Ukraine to post messages such as "Death to the Russian invaders".

Meta Says Rules Change Doesn't Allow 'Calls for the Death of a Head of State'

Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc. clarified that it is against the company’s user rules to share a post that “calls for the death of a head of state” -- likely a reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Last week, Facebook temporarily relaxed its policies so that Ukrainian users could post threats of violence against the Russian military, which invaded its neighbor in late February. The change led to some public confusion as to what was allowed, and what was not, on Facebook and Instagram.

YouTube App 'Vanced' Being Discontinued 'Due to Legal Reasons'

The popular Vanced YouTube app is being discontinued, after a legal threat from Google. The creators of Vanced have revealed the project will be shut down in the coming days, with download links set to be removed. While the app will continue to work for anyone who currently has it installed on Android, without any future updates it’s likely to stop working at some point soon. The Vanced owners say they’ve had to discontinue the project “due to legal reasons.”

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.