Schumer Promises 'A Path Forward on TikTok Legislation' in Senate

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer outlined a busy agenda for lawmakers returning to Washington, saying they can make progress "on a path forward on TikTok legislation." Schumer's statement did not outline a specific position on TikTok but said "in the weeks and months ahead, we have the opportunity to make progress on bipartisan bills" including a measure on TikTok.

Apple Asks Appeals Court to Overturn Import Ban on Some Watches

Apple urged a U.S. appeals court to overturn a U.S. trade tribunal's decision to ban imports of some Apple Watches in a patent dispute with medical-monitoring technology company Masimo. Apple told the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit that the U.S. International Trade Commission's decision was based on a "series of substantively defective patent rulings," and that Masimo failed to show it had invested in making competing U.S. products that would justify the order.

Bipartisan Agreement Would Create Nationwide Online Privacy Protections

Key federal lawmakers unveiled a sweeping proposal that would for the first time give consumers broad rights to control how tech companies like Google, Meta and TikTok use their personal data, a major breakthrough in the decades-long fight to adopt national online privacy protections. The bipartisan agreement, struck by Senate Commerce Committee chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and House Energy and Commerce Committee chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), marks a milestone in the congressional debate over data privacy.

Podcast Creators Settle with George Carlin's Estate Over AI-Generated Content

The estate of the comedian George Carlin reached a settlement with the makers of a podcast who had said they had used artificial intelligence to impersonate Mr. Carlin for a comedy special. As part of the agreement, the two podcast creators, Will Sasso and Chad Kultgen, agreed to permanently remove the comedy special and to never repost it on any platform, according to Josh Schiller, a lawyer for Mr. Carlin’s estate.

Apple Accepts EU Demand to Allow Payment Links from Music-Streaming Apps

Apple Inc. said it has accepted European Union demands to stop preventing music-streaming apps from informing users of deals away from the company’s App Store, although it will still charge a fee on those sales. The Cupertino, California-based iPhone maker said that music streaming apps on its App Store in Europe can now include a link to the developer’s website, informing users of alternative ways of buying subscriptions.

Musk Challenges Judge's Order in Brazil to Block Certain Accounts

Elon Musk is challenging a decision by a Supreme Court justice in Brazil who ordered his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, to block certain accounts, and he called for the judge's resignation. "This judge has brazenly and repeatedly betrayed the constitution and people of Brazil. He should resign or be impeached. Shame @Alexandre, shame," Musk posted on X.

Meta Asks Judge to Dismiss FTC's Antitrust Case in Instagram, WhatsApp Deals

Meta asked a federal judge to dismiss the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) antitrust case against the social media giant, arguing that the agency failed to prove that its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp harmed consumers. “From the very beginning, the FTC has failed to state a plausible claim, and the agency has done nothing to build its case through the discovery process to prove otherwise,” Meta said in a press release.

Microsoft to Sell Teams Separately from Office Amid EU Antitrust Probe

Microsoft will sell its chat and video app Teams separately from its Office product globally, the U.S. tech giant said, six months after it unbundled the two products in Europe in a bid to avert a possible EU antitrust fine. The European Commission has been investigating Microsoft's tying of Office and Teams since a 2020 complaint by Salesforce-owned competing workspace messaging app Slack.

Judge Says Meta Can't Delay FTC from Reopening Probe of Privacy Failures

Meta Platforms cannot delay the U.S. Federal Trade Commission from reopening a probe into alleged privacy failures by its Facebook unit while the company pursues a lawsuit challenging the agency's authority, a U.S. court ruled. The Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in its order found that Meta had not shown its challenge was likely to be successful.

Scammers Using AI to Create Fake Videos of Social Media Influencers

Because it’s simpler and cheaper to base fake videos on real content, bad actors are scooping up videos on social media that match the demographic of a sales pitch, leading to what experts predict will be an explosion of ads made with stolen identities. As these tools proliferate, those with a more modest social media presence are facing a similar type of identity theft that has already targeted many celebrities — finding their faces and words twisted by AI to push often offensive products and ideas.

Google Plans to Destroy Data Collected from Users in 'Incognito' Mode

Google plans to destroy a trove of data that reflects millions of users’ web-browsing histories, part of a settlement of a lawsuit that alleged the company tracked people without their knowledge. The class action, filed in 2020, accused Google of misleading users about how Chrome tracked the activity of anyone who used the private “Incognito” browsing option.

AT&T Says Data on 73 Million Current, Former Customers Found on Dark Web

The theft of sensitive information belonging to millions of AT&T’s current and former customers has been recently discovered online, the telecommunications giant said. In an announcement addressing the data breach, AT&T said that a dataset found on the “dark web” contains information including some Social Security numbers and passcodes for about 7.6 million current account holders and 65.4 million former account holders.

DeSantis Signs Bill Restricting Young Children's Usage of Social Media

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed strong restrictions against children using social media, following other Republican-led states amid a national push to crack down on minors’ access to online platforms over safety fears. The sweeping restrictions prohibit children 13 and younger from creating social media profiles, and requires parental consent for those between 14 and 15.

U.S. Indicts Seven Chinese State-Sponsored Hackers, Announces Sanctions

The Justice Department unsealed an indictment charging seven Chinese state-sponsored hackers with a broad 14-year campaign to target U.S. and foreign critics, businesses and political officials to advance Beijing’s economic espionage and political spying goals. In tandem, the Treasury Department announced sanctions on two of the hackers and a front company for their roles in breaching U.S. critical infrastructure, including in the defense and energy sectors.

Judge Dismisses X's Lawsuit Against Center for Countering Digital Hate

A federal judge in California dismissed X’s lawsuit against a nonprofit organization that studies hate speech online, ruling that the social media company’s case was designed to punish researchers for speaking freely about the social media platform, formerly known as Twitter. X sued the Center for Countering Digital Hate in July in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California after the organization published several articles that claimed its researchers had discovered a rise in hate speech on the platform following Elon Musk’s takeover.

European Antitrust Regulators to Investigate Apple, Google, Meta

Apple, Alphabet's Google and Meta Platforms will be investigated for potential breaches of the EU's new Digital Markets Act, European antitrust regulators said, potentially leading to hefty fines for the companies. The European Union law, effective from March 7, aims to challenge the power of the tech giants by making it easier for people to move between competing online services like social media platforms, internet browsers and app stores.

Germany's Cybersecurity Agency Warns About Russian Hackers

Elite hackers tied to Russian intelligence last month targeted several German political parties with an eye toward burrowing into their networks and stealing data, according to an alert released by Germany's cybersecurity agency and security researchers working for Google owner Alphabet. In a report, Alphabet's Mandiant cyber unit said it had caught the hacking group known as APT29, which is alleged by Western intelligence to act on behalf of Russia's SVR foreign spy agency, trying to trick "key German political figures" into opening an email masquerading as an invitation to a March 1 dinner event hosted by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Germany's center-right political party.

Spain's High Court Orders Telegram Suspended After Media Complaints

Spain's High Court has ordered the suspension of messaging app Telegram's services in the country after media companies complained it was allowing users to upload their content without permission, according to a court source. The use of Telegram in Spain will be temporarily suspended after a request by media firms including Atresmedia, EGEDA, Mediaset and Telefonica.

Justice Department Files Antitrust Complaint Against Apple Over iPhone

The Justice Department sued Apple, alleging the tech giant blocked software developers and mobile gaming companies from offering better options on the iPhone, resulting in higher prices for consumers. The government’s antitrust complaint, filed in a New Jersey federal court, alleges Apple used its control of the iPhone to prevent competitors from offering innovative services such as digital wallets and limited the functionality of hardware products that compete with Apple’s own devices.

EPA Warns States About Cyberattacks on Water, Wastewater Systems

The Biden administration is asking states to bolster security for water and wastewater systems, warning that utilities across the country are being targeted by “disabling cyberattacks.” In a letter sent to all U.S. governors, the White House and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cited ongoing threats from hackers linked with Iranian and Chinese governments, warning that similar attacks could disrupt access to clean drinking water and “impose significant costs on affected communities.”

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.