China Bans Livestreaming of Unauthorized Video Games

China said the livestreaming of unauthorized video games was banned, signaling stricter enforcement of rules as part of its broad crackdown on the gaming industry aimed at purging content the government does not approve of. The National Radio and Television Administration said platforms of all kinds must not livestream games that are not approved by related authorities.

Ukrainian Officials Say They Thwarted Russian Cyberattack on Power Grid

Ukrainian officials said that they had thwarted a Russian cyberattack on Ukraine’s power grid that could have knocked out power to two million people, raising fears that Moscow will increase its use of digital weapons in a country already pummeled by war. Ukraine’s power grid has been knocked offline twice before, in 2015 and 2016, causing widespread blackouts.

Apple CEO Says Antitrust Legislation Would Create Privacy, Security Risks

Apple Inc. Chief Executive Tim Cook warned that proposed antitrust legislation would have the unintended consequence of making iPhones less safe, putting users at risk to “data hungry” companies looking to sidestep its privacy features. The iPhone maker faces twin threats to its App Store business from Congress and the European Union, where lawmakers intend to loosen its grip on the app economy and make the iPhone more accessible to third-party developers as part of efforts to increase competition.

Spotify Complaint Expected to Lead to More EU Antitrust Charges Against Apple

Apple faces an additional EU antitrust charge in the coming weeks in an investigation triggered by a complaint from Spotify, a person familiar with the matter said, a sign that EU enforcers are strengthening their case against the U.S. company. The European Commission last year accused the iPhone maker of distorting competition in the music streaming market via restrictive rules for its App Store that force developers to use its own in-app payment system and prevent them from informing users of other purchasing options.

Google Removes Apps from Play Store That Secretly Harvested Data

Google has yanked dozens of apps from its Google Play store after determining that they include a software element that surreptitiously harvests data. The Panamanian company that wrote the code, Measurement Systems S. de R.L., is linked through corporate records and web registrations to a Virginia defense contractor that does cyberintelligence, network-defense and intelligence-intercept work for U.S. national-security agencies.

Microsoft Says It Disrupted Hacking Attempts by Russian Military Spies

Microsoft Corp said it had disrupted hacking attempts by Russian military spies aimed at breaking into Ukrainian, European Union, and American targets. In a blog post, the tech firm said a group it nicknamed "Strontium" was using seven internet domains as part of an effort to spy on government bodies and think tanks in the EU and the United States, as well as Ukrainian institutions such as media organizations.

U.S. Government, Energy Companies on Alert for Russian Cyberattacks

With President Biden warning of evolving intelligence that Russia is exploring possible cyberattacks against American critical industries, companies such as Berkshire Hathaway Energy and the U.S. government are on high alert. After years of what critics saw as lip service, cybersecurity collaboration between the federal government and some critical industries has taken root, officials and industry leaders say, and it could be put to the test as Russian government hackers probe the defenses of American power plants, banks and telecommunications networks.

Intel Suspends All Business Operations in Russia to Condemn War in Ukraine

A month after stopping shipments to customers in Russia and Belarus, Intel has now suspended all business operations in Russia. In a statement, the company said, “Intel continues to join the global community in condemning Russia’s war against Ukraine and calling for a swift return to peace,” adding that it will support its 1,200 employees in Russia and “[implement] business continuity measures to minimize disruption to our global operations.”

German Authorities Shut Down Servers for Russian Darknet Marketplace Hydra

German authorities shut down the server infrastructure for the Russian darknet marketplace Hydra, seizing €23 million (~$25.2 million USD) worth of Bitcoin in the process, Germany’s Federal Crime Police Office (BKA) announced. Hydra is a large marketplace on the dark web that serves as a hub for drugs, stolen credit card information, counterfeit bills, fake documents, and other illegal goods or services.

Nonprofit Organization Endorses Meta's Plan to Expand Encryption

A nonprofit association that promotes social responsibility among corporations has concluded in a new report that Meta’s planned expansion of strong encryption to its Messenger and Instagram services will do more good than harm for human rights, giving the company more ammunition as it fights efforts in the United Kingdom and other countries to carve out exceptions to make police work easier. Business for Social Responsibility, whose work on the subject was paid for by Facebook parent Meta but whose reputation is for independence in its published reports, recommended that the company continue to promote end-to-end encryption, which prevents anyone without direct access to the devices of the sender or the receiver from viewing messages.

Canada Proposes Law to Force Payments to News Providers for Online Content

Canada laid out details of a proposed legislation that would compel platforms like Facebook and Google to negotiate commercial deals and pay news publishers for their content, in a move similar to Australia's ground-breaking law passed last year. "The news sector in Canada is in crisis," Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez said at a news conference, introducing the bill put forward by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government.

Hackers Spread Fake News of Ukrainian Surrender to Erode Confidence in Media

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in late February, hackers have repeatedly broken into the social media accounts and broadcasting systems of trusted information sources in Ukraine, like government officials and prominent media outlets. The hackers are most likely trying to erode confidence in Ukrainian institutions and show that the government and news media cannot be relied upon for information or to keep hackers out of their systems.

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.