FTC Asks Judge to Block Meta's Acquisition of Virtual-Reality Startup

The Federal Trade Commission asked a judge to halt Meta Platforms Inc.’s planned acquisition of a virtual-reality startup, a case that represents a shift in U.S. antitrust enforcement and poses a challenge to the Facebook parent’s metaverse strategy. The FTC is seeking an injunction blocking Meta’s planned acquisition of Within Unlimited Inc., the company behind the popular virtual-reality fitness game “Supernatural.”

Biden Administration Argues for Limits on Section 230 at Supreme Court

The Biden administration argued to the U.S. Supreme Court that social media giants like Google could in some instances have responsibility for user content, adopting a stance that could potentially undermine a federal law shielding companies from liability. Lawyers for the U.S. Department of Justice made their argument in the high profile lawsuit filed by the family of Nohemi Gonzalez, a 23-year-old American citizen killed in 2015 when Islamist militants opened fire on the Paris bistro where she was eating.

Indiana's Attorney Files Suit Against TikTok Under Consumer Protection Laws

Indiana’s attorney general sued the Chinese-owned app TikTok for deceiving users about China’s access to their data and for exposing children to mature content, in the first state lawsuits against the popular video service. Todd Rokita, the attorney general, claimed that TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, violated state consumer protection laws by failing to disclose the Chinese government’s ability to tap sensitive consumer information.

Previously Banned Twitter Users Regaining Access to Their Accounts

Thousands of previously banned Twitter users, including members of the far-right and users sharing blatant misinformation, have begun to have their accounts restored to the platform, according to an independent analysis. The mass restoration of accounts comes after new owner Elon Musk said late last month that he would offer “general amnesty” to many who had been removed from the platform.

Court Dismisses Australia's Lawsuit Against Google Over Ad Targeting

Australia's competition regulator said its lawsuit against Alphabet Inc's Google that alleged consumers were misled about expanded use of personal data for targeted advertising had been dismissed by a court. The proceedings, initiated by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission in July 2020, alleged Google did not explicitly take consent from users about a change made in 2016 that combined personal information in Google accounts with activity on non-Google sites that use its technology to display advertisements.

Hong Kong Officials Criticize Google for Pro-Democracy Song in Search Results

Google is under fire from officials and legislators in Hong Kong over a pro-democracy song that is showing up in search results for the national anthem, which raises tensions between American tech giants and authorities as Beijing tries to spread patriotism in the city. Two members of Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing legislative council in recent days have joined the city’s chief secretary in criticizing the Alphabet Inc. unit for showing the song, “Glory to Kong Kong,” among its top results.

Australian Competition Regulator Sues Telstra Over Broadband Speed Disclosures

Australian competition regulator took the country's top telecom firm Telstra Corp. to court for failing to inform some customers about downgrading the upload speed of its broadband plan. The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) initiated the lawsuit in the Federal Court, alleging Telstra downgraded broadband upload speed for nearly 9,000 residential customers in October and November 2020 without informing them or lowering its charges.

Officials Predict Antisemitic Speech on Twitter Will Lead to Violence

Current and former federal officials are warning that a surge in hate speech and disinformation about Jews on Twitter is uniting and popularizing some of the same extremists who have helped push people to engage in violent protests including the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on Congress. The officials are predicting that Twitter will contribute to more violence in the months ahead, citing the proliferation of extreme content, including support for genocidal Nazis by celebrities with wide followings and the reemergence of QAnon proselytizers and white nationalists.

Chinese Hackers Stole Millions of Dollars of Covid Relief Benefits

Chinese hackers have stolen tens of millions of dollars worth of U.S. COVID relief benefits since 2020, the Secret Service said. The Secret Service declined to provide any additional details but confirmed a report by NBC News that said the Chinese hacking team that is reportedly responsible is known within the security research community as APT41 or Winnti.

Facebook Considers 'Removing News' if U.S. Adopts 'Journalism Competition' Act

Facebook warns it could ban news in the U.S. if Congress passes a bill that would require the platform to negotiate with and compensate publishers for their content. Andy Stone, Meta’s head of policy communications, said on Twitter that Facebook will “be forced to consider removing news” from Facebook if the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act (JCPA) is passed.

New Zealand Proposes Requiring Online Platforms to Pay for News Content

New Zealand said it would seek to require online platforms like Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Facebook owner Meta Platforms Inc. to pay news publishers for content, becoming the latest country to wade into a worldwide debate about whether tech giants unfairly benefit from news shared on their platforms. New Zealand’s proposal will be based on a similar law in Australia and introduced legislation in Canada and will be designed to act as an incentive for digital platforms to reach voluntary deals with local news outlets, according to a statement from New Zealand Broadcasting Minister Willie Jackson.

Kraken Cryptocurrency Exchange Settles with Treasury Department Over Sanctions

Kraken, a U.S. cryptocurrency exchange, agreed to pay more than $360,000 to the Treasury Department to settle accusations of sanctions violations involving virtual currency transactions by users in Iran. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said Kraken, the second-largest crypto exchange by volume in the United States, had agreed to a settlement for enabling nearly $1.7 million of transactions to individuals who appeared to be in Iran between October 2015 and June 2019.

Supreme Court Refuses to Hear $2.75 Billion Patent Case Against Cisco

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a bid by Centripetal Networks Inc to reinstate the largest award in the history of U.S. patent law — $2.75 billion — to be paid by Cisco Systems Inc. in a cybersecurity patent dispute. The justices turned away Reston, Virginia-based cybersecurity company Centripetal's appeal of a lower court's decision to negate the award after the judge who presided over the trial disclosed that his wife owned Cisco stock worth $4,688.

Iranian Government-Backed Hackers Targeted Activists, Human Rights Groups Say

Iranian government-backed hackers targeted nearly two dozen high-profile activists, journalists, diplomats and others in recent months as part of an ongoing espionage effort, two human-rights groups said. In three cases, hackers gained access to the victims’ emails, contacts and other data, according to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, which published the analysis. The hackers also attempted a Google Takeout, which allows users to download their complete Google account including messages, cloud storage and other sensitive information.

FCC Bans Electronic Equipment from Huawei, ZTE, Citing 'National Security'

U.S. regulators imposed a ban on electronic equipment from Huawei Technologies Co. and ZTE Corp., continuing a years-long effort to limit the reach of Chinese telecommunications companies into U.S. networks. The Federal Communications Commission, in an order, also named connected-camera providers Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co. and Dahua Technology Co., as well as two-way radio maker Hytera Communications Corp.

U.K. Online Safety Bill Would Ban 'Deepfake' Porn and 'Downblousing'

Nonconsensual “deepfake” pornography and “downblousing” will be made illegal when the online safety bill returns to parliament in December, the government has announced. Explicit images taken without someone’s consent, through hidden cameras or surreptitious photography, will be criminalised, including so-called downblousing pictures.

Musk Says Twitter Plans to Reinstate Most Previously Banned Accounts

Elon Musk plans to reinstate nearly all previously banned Twitter accounts — to the alarm of activists and online trust and safety experts. After posting a Twitter poll asking, “Should Twitter offer a general amnesty to suspended accounts, provided that they have not broken the law or engaged in egregious spam?” in which 72.4 percent of the respondents voted yes, Musk declared, “Amnesty begins next week.”

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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.