Meta Rejects Recommendation to Suspend Ex-Cambodian Prime Minister

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, rejected a recommendation from its Oversight Board to suspend the account of former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, according to a decision announced. Meta said it would not be suspending Hun Sen’s Facebook or Instagram page after determining that doing so would “not be consistent with our policies, including our protocol on restricting accounts of public figures during civil unrest.”

Chinese Influence Campaign Prompts Meta's 'Biggest Single Takedown'

A total of 7,704 Facebook accounts, 954 Facebook pages, 15 Facebook groups and 15 Instagram accounts tied to a Chinese influence campaign were removed by Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Hundreds of other accounts on TikTok, X, LiveJournal and Blogspot also participated in the campaign, which researchers named Spamouflage, for the frequent posting of spamlike messages, according to Meta’s report.

Ransomware Gang Said It Stole Social Security Numbers, Copies of Passports

The Rhysida ransomware gang claimed responsibility for a recent cyberattack on Prospect Medical Holdings, according to a dark web listing reviewed by Axios. The new ransomware gang alleges it stole more than 500,000 Social Security numbers and photocopies of employees' driver's licenses and passports, along with other legal and financial documents.

Canadian Regulator Moves Forward with Plan for Implementing Online News Act

The Canadian regulator responsible for implementing the country's online news law said it will start setting up a framework for negotiations between news organizations and Internet giants this autumn, with the aim of initiating mandatory bargaining by early 2025. Canada's Online News Act, part of a global trend to make tech firms like Alphabet's Google and Meta's Facebook pay for news, became law in June but has not yet come into effect.

Judge Dismisses Republican National Committee's Spam Suit Against Google

A federal judge on dismissed a Republican National Committee lawsuit alleging that Google’s email spam filters illegally suppressed their missives, dealing the campaign group a crushing blow in a lengthy battle that has riled conservative lawmakers in Washington. U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Calabretta wrote that while it was a “close case,” the RNC had not “sufficiently pled that Google acted in bad faith” by filtering their messages into spam filters in its popular Gmail service.

Data Breach Affecting 75,000 Tesla Employees Blamed on 'Insider Wrongdoing'

A Tesla data breach earlier this year affecting more than 75,000 people was caused by "insider wrongdoing," according to a notification on Maine's Attorney General website. The 75,735 people impacted were likely current or former Tesla employees. "While we have not identified evidence of misuse of the data in a manner that may cause harm to you, we are nonetheless providing you with this notice to ensure that you are aware of what happened and the measures we have taken," the company wrote in a letter to employees.

Somalia Suspends TikTok, Telegram, Betting Company for Promoting Immorality

The Somali government has suspended TikTok, Telegram, and 1XBET, a betting company, arguing that they are used by terrorists and groups that promote immorality in the East African country. The Ministry of Communications and Technology ordered Internet providers to block the applications. The decision comes as the fight against jihadist group al Shabaab is flaring up in the country’s central region.

Thailand to Ask Court to Shut Down Facebook Over Scams on 'Fake Pages'

Thailand's digital minister plans to ask a court to shut down Meta Platforms' Facebook in Southeast Asia's second largest economy unless it takes action over scams that have affected more than 200,000 people, he said. “We are asking the court to close Facebook, not allowing it to provide services in Thailand if they let these fake pages scam people," Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn told Reuters.

Russian Court Fines Google for 'False Information' in Video About Ukraine War

A Russian magistrate court fined Google 3 million rubles, or about $32,000, after it allegedly failed to delete a video that contained what Russia claimed to be false information related to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Russian state-run news agency TASS reported that in addition to “false information,” Google was also found guilty of publishing prohibited information that detailed ways of gaining entry into protected facilities that are not open to minors.

Judge Upholds Ruling Against Copyright Protection for AI-Created Artwork

A federal judge upheld a finding from the U.S. Copyright Office that a piece of art created by artificial intelligence (AI) is not open to protection. The ruling was delivered in an order turning down Stephen Thaler’s bid challenging the government’s position refusing to register works made by AI. Copyright law has “never stretched so far” to “protect works generated by new forms of technology operating absent any guiding human hand,” U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell found.

Apple Briefly Removes Glenn Beck's Podcast Episodes in Trademark Dispute

Episodes of Glenn Beck’s show were restored on Apple Podcasts more than five hours after his radio show, “The Glenn Beck Program,” was removed from the platform. Reached for comment, an Apple spokesman told Variety that “The Glenn Beck Program” was removed from Apple Podcasts because of a trademark dispute involving Beck’s podcast and that the issue has since been resolved.

New York Times Considers Suing OpenAI for Using Articles to Train ChatGPT

Lawyers for The New York Times are exploring whether to sue OpenAI to protect the intellectual property rights associated with its reporting, according to two people with direct knowledge of the discussions. For weeks, The Times and the maker of ChatGPT have been locked in tense negotiations over reaching a licensing deal in which OpenAI would pay The Times for incorporating its stories in the tech company's AI tools, but the discussions have become so contentious that the paper is now considering legal action.

  • Read the article: NPR

Jury Orders Ex-Boyfriend to Pay $1.2 Billion in Damages in Revenge Porn Case

A Texas woman was awarded $1.2 billion in damages after she sued her former boyfriend and accused him of sending intimate images of her to her family, friends and co-workers from fake online accounts. The woman, who is identified only by the initials D.L. in court documents, sued her former boyfriend, Marques Jamal Jackson, claiming he had psychologically and sexually abused her by distributing so-called revenge porn, a term for sexually explicit photos or videos of someone that are shared without consent.

Nebraska Congressman Says FBI Reports His Email Hacked by Chinese Spies

The suspected Chinese hackers who forged Microsoft customer identities to read the emails of State Department employees also obtained the personal and political emails of Rep. Don Bacon, a moderate Republican from Nebraska on the House Armed Services Committee. Bacon tweeted that he had been notified by the FBI that his emails were hacked by Chinese spies who took advantage of a Microsoft mistake for a month between mid-May and mid-June, which lines up with when investigators said the other breaches occurred.

White House Launches Contest to Encourage AI Usage for Fixing Security Flaws

The White House said it had launched a multimillion-dollar cyber contest to spur use of artificial intelligence (AI) to find and fix security flaws in U.S. government infrastructure, in the face of growing use of the technology by hackers for malicious purposes. "Cybersecurity is a race between offense and defense," said Anne Neuberger, the U.S. government's deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technology.

Biden Signs Executive Order Blocking High-Tech Investments in China

President Joe Biden signed an executive order to block and regulate high-tech U.S.-based investments going toward China — a move the administration said was targeted but it also reflected an intensifying competition between the world’s two biggest powers. The order covers advanced computer chips, micro electronics, quantum information technologies and artificial intelligence.

Book Author Sues Apple for Copyright Infringement Over 'Tetris' Movie

Dan Ackerman, editor in chief of tech news site Gizmodo, alleges Apple TV+ film “Tetris” illegally copied from his book on the popular video game, in a lawsuit he filed seeking at least $4.8 million in damages from Apple and others. Ackerman’s “The Tetris Effect: The Game That Hypnotized the World,” published in 2016, is about the game’s origins in the former Soviet Union and the fight for its global licensing rights.

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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.