Apples Agrees to $50 Million Settlement in Suit Over 'Butterfly' Keyboards

Apple Inc. agreed to pay $50 million to settle a class-action lawsuit by customers who claimed it knew and concealed that the "butterfly" keyboards on its MacBook laptop computers were prone to failure. Customers claimed that MacBook, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro keyboards suffered from sticky and unresponsive keys, and that tiny amounts of dust or debris could make it difficult to type.

Installation-Art Company Called META Suing Meta for Trademark Infringement

An installation-art company called META (or Meta.is) announced that it will be suing Meta (or Facebook) for trademark violation, alleging that Zuckerberg’s name change violated the smaller company’s established brand. Much of the case hinges on Facebook’s many privacy scandals, which Meta.is argues has made it impossible to share the name.

Thai Activists Hacked with Pegasus Spyware, According to Human Rights Group

More than 30 Thai activists and supporters have been hacked with NSO Group’s potent Pegasus spyware, civil groups said, in the first countrywide campaign brought to light because Apple warned targeted iPhone users. Apple issued warnings to suspected Pegasus victims in November, prompting some of the Thai recipients to contact civic organizations that then consulted iLaw, a local human rights group that has advocated for a new constitution drafted by elected representatives.

Meta Releases First Human Rights Report, but Critics Call It 'Selective'

Facebook owner Meta released its first annual human rights report, following years of accusations that it turned a blind eye to online abuses that fueled real-world violence in places like India and Myanmar. The report, which covers due diligence performed in 2020 and 2021, includes a summary of a controversial human rights impact assessment of India that Meta commissioned law firm Foley Hoag to conduct.

Amazon Considers Abandoning Private Labels to Appease Regulators

Amazon.com Inc. has considered abandoning its private-label business as a peace offering to regulators, according to a person familiar with the matter. The company’s growing set of house brands is at the core of investigations launched by U.S. and European regulators into whether the world’s largest e-commerce company is abusing its market power.

FCC Chair Considers Increases to Minimum High-Speed Broadband Service

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is looking to rewrite the definition of high-speed broadband service to bring it in line with programs established by Congress to fund the build-out of broadband infrastructure in unserved areas across the country. FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel circulated among her colleagues a Notice of Inquiry, which asks for public comment on whether speeds that define minimum speeds for broadband should be raised to 100 megabits per second downstream and 20 megabits per second upstream.

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UNESCO Study Finds Widespread Holocaust Distortion on Telegram

Messaging platform Telegram, a major source of news and information in Russia and across much of the world, is so rife with Holocaust denial and distortion that nearly half of public content shared by users related to the issue falls into these categories, more than on other platforms, according to a new study led by the UNESCO. People posting such content have found ways to evade moderation, including vague nods that signpost for users more explicit material on other platforms, or through inside jokes, memes and references that mock or glorify genocide.

Putin Signs Law Prohibiting Use of Digital Assets as Form of Payment

People in Russia will soon no longer be allowed to use digital assets as a form of payment. Russian president Vladimir Putin has signed a bill into law prohibiting the use of digital assets, such as cryptocurrency and NFTs, to pay for goods and services. In addition, as Protocol notes, the new law also requires crypto exchanges and providers to refuse transactions in which digital transfers can be interpreted as a form of payment.

Italy's Competition Authority Launches Investigation of Google

Italy's competition authority AGCM said it had launched an investigation against Google for suspected abuse of its dominant position in data portability, an accusation the Alphabet unit denied. The watchdog said in a statement that Google allegedly hindered interoperability with other platforms, particularly with Weople, an app by Italian operator Hoda, which could "constrain the economic benefits that consumers can derive from their data" and limit competition.

Ukrainian Officials Say Tech Companies Less Responsive to Concerns

Ukrainian officials who have flagged thousands of tweets, YouTube videos and other social media posts as Russian propaganda or anti-Ukrainian hate speech say the companies have grown less responsive to their requests to remove such content. New research shared with The Washington Post by a Europe-based nonprofit initiative confirms that many of those requests seem to be going unheeded, with accounts parroting Kremlin talking points, spewing anti-Ukrainian slurs or even impersonating Ukrainian officials remaining active on major social networks.

Taiwanese Prosecutors Accuse Chinese Apple Supplier of Stealing Secrets

Taiwanese prosecutors accused a Chinese Apple Inc. supplier of stealing commercial secrets from a Taiwanese supplier and poaching its workforce to win orders from the U.S. company, saying it had charged 14 people. Taiwan has been stepping up efforts to stop what it views as underhand and illegal activities by Chinese firms to steal know-how and poach away talent in what Taipei's government views as a threat to the island's tech prowess.

TikTok's Chief Security Officer Leaving; Company Says Departure Pre-Planned

TikTok’s chief security officer will step back from that role in September, the company said, in a move the company said wasn’t related to widening concerns in Washington over the security risks posed by the popular short-video app. Roland Cloutier, global chief security officer for the video-sharing app owned by Beijing-based ByteDance Ltd., will stay on as a strategic adviser focused on the business impact of security programs, the company said.

House Republicans Ask TikTok for Details About Chinese Employees' Access

Two high ranking House Republicans are asking TikTok for more information about the access that China-based employees of its parent company ByteDance have to American data. “We write to request documents and information regarding recent reports that TikTok allows China-based employees of its parent company, ByteDance, to access non-public U.S. user data, contrary to the company’s previous denials,” the top Republicans on the Oversight committee, James Comer (R-Ky.) and Energy and Commerce committee, Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), wrote in a letter to TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew.

Litigation Expected After Musk Terminates $44 Billion Deal to Acquire Twitter

Now that Elon Musk has signaled his intent to walk away from his $44 billion offer to buy Twitter, the fate of the influential social media network will be determined by what may be an epic court battle, involving months of expensive litigation and high-stakes negotiations by elite lawyers on both sides. The question is whether Mr. Musk will be legally compelled to stick with his agreed-upon acquisition or be allowed to back out, possibly by paying a 10-figure penalty.

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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.