Twitter Reportedly Reviewing Policies on Permanently Banning Users

Twitter Inc. is reviewing its policies around permanently banning users, possibly bringing its content moderation in line with Elon Musk's vision for the social media platform, the Financial Times reported. Twitter has been exploring if there are other content moderation tools that could replace a ban, its harshest penalty for violating rules, the newspaper said, citing multiple people familiar with the situation.

Appeals Court Blocks Texas Social Media Law from Going Into Effect

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals blocked a controversial Texas social media law from going into effect as industry groups seek to bring the case to the Supreme Court. The court granted a request from the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA) and NetChoice to prevent the law’s implementation ahead of a potential Supreme Court hearing on the case, the tech associations said.

U.S. Company Ordered to Pay Fine for Firing Dutch Worker Who Objected to Webcam

A Florida-headquartered company has been ordered to pay about €75,000 (around $73,000) in compensation and other fees after firing a Netherlands-based remote worker who refused to keep their webcam on all day, NL Times reports. The company, Chetu, said the unnamed employee was required to attend a virtual classroom with their webcam turned on for the entire day and their screen remotely monitored.

Biden Issues Order Giving Europeans Rights to Challenge U.S. Data Storage

The U.S. is starting to implement a deal with the European Union aimed at allowing information about Europeans to continue to be stored on U.S. soil, reducing a looming threat to thousands of companies with trans-Atlantic operations. President Biden issued an executive order giving Europeans new rights to challenge U.S. government-surveillance practices against them, a central element of the preliminary deal that the U.S. and the EU first outlined in March.

Meta Detects 400+ Malware Apps Designed to Steal Facebook Login Details

Facebook’s parent company Meta said that it has detected more than 400 malware apps this year designed to steal users’ Facebook login information. The apps, which were listed on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, were disguised to look like fun or useful apps, from photo editors to VPNs to fitness trackers, Meta said in a press release.

German Interior Minister Wants to Dismiss Cybersecurity Chief Over Russian Contacts

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser wants to dismiss the country's cybersecurity chief due to possible contacts with people involved with Russian security services, German media reported, citing government sources. Arne Schoenbohm, president of the BSI federal information security agency, could have had such contacts through the Cyber Security Council of Germany, various outlets reported.

Twitter Locks Kanye West's Account After Anti-Semitic Tweet

Twitter locked rapper Kanye West’s Twitter account over an anti-Semitic tweet posted on the account. In the since-removed tweet, West said he was “going death con 3 [sic] On JEWISH PEOPLE,” and also that, “You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda,” without specifying what group he was addressing, according to internet archive records pulled by CNN.

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Biden Administration Limits Sale of Semiconductor Technology to China

The Biden administration announced sweeping new limits on the sale of semiconductor technology to China, a step aimed at crippling Beijing’s access to critical technologies that are needed for everything from supercomputing to guiding weapons. The moves are the clearest sign yet that a dangerous standoff between the world’s two major superpowers is increasingly playing out in the technological sphere, with the United States trying to establish a stranglehold on advanced computing and semiconductor technology that is essential to China’s military and economic ambitions.

Former Seattle Tech Worker Sentenced to Time Served in Capital One Hacking

A former Seattle tech worker convicted of several charges related to a massive hack of Capital One bank and other companies in 2019 was sentenced to time served and five years of probation. U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik said sentencing former Amazon software engineer Paige Thompson to time in prison would have been particularly difficult on her “because of her mental health and transgender status,” the Department of Justice said in a statement.

Google Settles Advertising Tracking Case with Arizona for $85 Million

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich has entered an $85 million settlement with Google LLC for allegedly tracking the users' location with "deceptive and unfair" practices to sell advertisements, his office announced. Brnovich started investigating Google after a 2018 Associated Press article said the company was misleading consumers on how they were tracking and using their location data, according to a news release.

Australia Proposes Consumer Privacy Rules After Breach at Mobile Operator

Australia proposed an overhaul of consumer privacy rules that will help facilitate targeted data sharing between telecommunication firms and banks following a massive data breach at Optus, the country's second largest mobile operator. Last month's cyber attack on Optus, owned by Singapore Telecommunications Ltd., was one of Australia's biggest data breaches, and compromised data of up to 10 million customers including home addresses, drivers' licenses and passport numbers.

Ex-Uber Security Chief Found Guilty for Not Disclosing Breach of Customer Records

Joe Sullivan, the former Uber security chief, was found guilty by a jury in federal court on charges that he did not disclose a breach of customer and driver records to government regulators. In 2016, while the Federal Trade Commission was investigating Uber over an earlier breach of its online systems, Mr. Sullivan learned of a new breach that affected the Uber accounts of more than 57 million riders and drivers.

Dutch Court Rules for Twitter in Dispute Over Story About Satan Worshippers

A Dutch court rejected calls from the town of Bodegraven-Reeuwijk for Twitter to do more to tackle posts about unfounded allegations that a ring of Satan-worshipping pedophiles were active in the town in the 1980s. The District Court in The Hague concluded the social media giant had "done enough to remove unlawful content about the 'Bodegraven story' from its platform," referring, among other things, to the permanent suspension of a Twitter account that contained defamatory and inflammatory tweets about the story.

Biden Administration Drafting Rules to Limit China's Chip Production

The Biden administration is preparing new rules aimed at curbing China’s advanced computing and chip production capabilities — the U.S. government’s most significant effort to date to restrain China’s development of technologies critical for its military advancement. The rules will sweep more broadly than a draconian export control previously applied to Chinese tech giant Huawei.

Italian Administrative Court Cancels Antitrust Fine Against Apple, Amazon

An Italian administrative court scrapped a fine imposed by the country's antitrust authority on U.S. tech giants Apple and Amazon for alleged collusion, a document showed. The antitrust authority had fined both companies a total of more than 200 million euros ($195.3 million) in 2021, citing alleged anti-competitive cooperation in the sale of Apple and Beats products.

Digital Rights Groups Helping Iranians Evade Internet Crackdown

Internet freedom activists are scrambling to help Iranians evade Tehran’s online crackdown and are urging the U.S. government and tech companies to do more to help keep a digital lifeline open for protesters. Digital rights groups say they are sending circumvention tools and other technical advice to Iranians to help them sidestep the regime’s internet restrictions, and some activists are calling for a bolder approach to send in satellite internet gear to avoid the country’s computer networks altogether.

Google Stops Offering Its Translation Services in Mainland China

Google has discontinued its Google Translate services in mainland China, removing one of the company’s few remaining services that it had provided in a country where most Western social media platforms are blocked. The Google Translate app and website now display a generic search bar and a link redirecting Chinese users to its page in Hong Kong, which is blocked on the mainland.

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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.