Justice Department Won't Charge 'Good Faith' Anti-Hacking Researchers

The U.S. Justice Department said it would not use the country’s long-standing anti-hacking law to prosecute researchers who are trying to identify security flaws, a move that provides both protection and further validation for a craft still villainized by many officials, companies and the general public. In a news release and five-page policy statement issued to federal prosecutors, top Justice officials said local U.S. attorneys should not bring charges when “good faith” researchers exceed “authorized access,” a vague phrase from the 1986 Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) that has been interpreted to cover such routine practices as automated downloads of Web content.

YouTube Removes 70,000 Ukraine War Videos for Violating Content Rules

YouTube has taken down more than 70,000 videos and 9,000 channels related to the war in Ukraine for violating content guidelines, including removal of videos that referred to the invasion as a “liberation mission.” The platform is hugely popular in Russia, where, unlike some of its US peers, it has not been shut down despite hosting content from opposition figures such as Alexei Navalny.

Chinese Technology Exports to Russia Plummet Amid U.S.-Led Sanctions

Chinese technology exports to Russia plummeted in March after U.S.-led sanctions took effect, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said, calling it a sign of Beijing’s wariness about violating the trade prohibitions. Chinese shipments of laptops to Russia fell by 40 percent in March compared with February, while exports of smartphones were off by two-thirds, she said, citing the most recently available Chinese trade data.

Russian Hacking Cartel Carries Out Cyberattack Against Costa Rica's Government

A Russian hacking cartel carried out an extraordinary cyberattack against the government of Costa Rica, crippling tax collection and export systems for more than a month so far and forcing the country to declare a state of emergency. The ransomware gang Conti, which is based in Russia, claimed credit for the attack, which began on April 12, and has threatened to leak the stolen information unless it is paid $20 million.

Russian Official Says, 'We Are Not Planning to Close YouTube'

Russia is not planning to block Alphabet Inc's YouTube, the minister for digital development said, acknowledging that such a move would likely see Russian users suffer and should therefore be avoided. Russia has blocked other foreign social media platforms, but despite months of fines and threats against YouTube for failing to delete content Moscow deems illegal and for restricting access to some Russian media, it has stopped short of delivering a killer blow to the video-hosting service.

FBI Told Israeli Government It Purchased Pegasus to Help in Investigations

The FBI informed the Israeli government in a 2018 letter that it had purchased Pegasus, the notorious hacking tool, to collect data from mobile phones to aid ongoing investigations, the clearest documentary evidence to date that the bureau weighed using the spyware as a tool of law enforcement. The FBI’s description of its intended use of Pegasus came in a letter from a top FBI official to Israel’s Ministry of Defense that was reviewed by The New York Times.

Tech Industry Groups Ask Supreme Court to Stay Texas Social Media Law

Tech industry trade organizations NetChoice and the Computer Communications Industry Association have appealed directly to the Supreme Court for an emergency stay of the Texas social media law known as HB 20. The law, which creates liability for content moderation decisions that are based on “the viewpoint of the user or another person,” could make it impossible to enforce bans on hate speech — or to even moderate platforms at all.

U.S. Citizen Accused of Using Bitcoin to Evade Government Sanctions

The Justice Department has launched its first criminal prosecution involving the alleged use of cryptocurrency to evade U.S. economic sanctions, a federal judge disclosed. In an unusual nine-page opinion, U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui of Washington, D.C., explained why he approved a Justice Department criminal complaint against an American citizen accused of transmitting more than $10 million worth of bitcoin to a virtual currency exchange in one of a handful of countries comprehensively sanctioned by the U.S. government: Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria or Russia.

More Countries Taking Steps to Protect Internet Users from Harmful Content

Countries are taking more steps to compel social-media platforms to shield users from material they deem harmful through standards that could affect Twitter Inc. as Elon Musk prepares to buy the company. Regulators from Australia to the European Union, India, Canada and the U.K. have recently introduced or are considering new rules for policing online content.

Watchdog Official Predicts Global Body to Regulate Cryptocurrency

Global market regulators are likely to launch a joint body within the next year to better coordinate cryptocurrency rules, a senior watchdog official has said. Ashley Alder, chair of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) said the boom in digital currencies such as bitcoin was one of the three main areas authorities were now focused on, alongside COVID and climate change.

Appeals Court Allows Texas to Enforce Law Limiting Content Regulation

A federal appeals court ruled that Texas for now can enforce a law that prohibits the internet’s biggest social-media platforms from suppressing users’ content based on the viewpoint of their speech. Texas Republicans enacted the social-media law last year, saying they were striking back against what they view as Silicon Valley’s suppression of conservative political views on Facebook, Twitter and other major platforms.

Legislation Would Create Commission to Protect Consumers Online

Sen. Michael F. Bennet (D-Colo.) will introduce the Digital Platform Commission Act, a bill to establish a new five-person commission responsible for protecting consumers in the age of Big Tech. According to proposed text viewed exclusively by The Washington Post, the agency would have the power to interrogate the algorithms powering major tech platforms, and to set new rules to ensure the biggest companies are transparent about how they handle thorny decisions around content moderation on their platforms.

Draft Executive Order Would Limit Chinese Access to Personal Data

The Biden administration has drafted an executive order that would give the Department of Justice vast powers to stop foreign adversaries like China accessing Americans' personal data, according to a person familiar with the matter and excerpts seen by Reuters. The proposal, which is being reviewed by government agencies, would also direct the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to prevent federal funding from supporting the transfer of U.S. health data to foreign adversaries, according to the excerpts.

Facebook Oversight Board Criticizes Move to Withdraw Ukraine Guidance

An oversight board for Facebook and Instagram parent Meta said it was “disappointed” after the social media company withdrew a request for policy guidance on content moderation related to the war in Ukraine. In a series of tweets, the Oversight Board, which is independent from Meta and made up of about 40 members from around the world with varying backgrounds, said Meta’s withdrawal for guidance on posts involving the war in Ukraine “raises important issues.”

Musk Reportedly Says That He Supports EU's Digital Services Act

Elon Musk, who is offering to buy Twitter, has given his support to a new European Union law aimed at protecting social media users from harmful content after he met with the bloc’s single market chief. EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton told The Associated Press that he outlined to Musk how the bloc’s online regulations aim to uphold free speech while also making sure whatever is illegal “will be forbidden in the digital space,” which Musk “fully agreed with.”

Musk Says He Would Reverse Twitter's 'Bad Decision' to Ban Trump

Elon Musk said he would reverse Twitter’s ban on former president Donald Trump, articulating for the first time his stance on one of the most consequential decisions before him at the social media site he is acquiring. “I do think it was not correct to ban Donald Trump. I think that was a mistake,” Musk said at an event hosted by the Financial Times. “It alienated a large part of the country and did not ultimately result in Donald Trump not having a voice.”

Former Facebook Moderator Files Lawsuit Over Working Conditions in Kenya

A former moderator working for Facebook owner Meta Platforms Inc. filed a lawsuit alleging that poor working conditions for contracted content moderators violate the Kenyan constitution. The petition, also filed against Meta's local outsourcing company Sama, alleges that workers moderating Facebook posts in Kenya have been subjected to unreasonable working conditions including irregular pay, inadequate mental health support, union-busting, and violations of their privacy and dignity.

Clearview AI Settles ACLU Lawsuit, Agrees to Limit Facial Recognition Database

Clearview AI, the facial recognition software maker, settled a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union and agreed to limit its face database in the United States primarily to government agencies and not allow most American companies to have access to it. Under the settlement, which was filed with an Illinois state court, Clearview will not sell its database of what it said were more than 20 billion facial photos to most private individuals and businesses in the country.

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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.