Judge Requires Google to Share Search Results, Doesn't Require Breakup

Google must hand over its search results and some data to rival companies but does not need to break itself up by selling its Chrome web browser, a federal judge ruled. The decision, by Judge Amit P. Mehta of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, falls short of the sweeping changes proposed by the government to rein in the power of Silicon Valley.

House Republicans Open Probe of Bias at Wikipedia

Republicans on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee opened a probe into alleged organized efforts to inject bias into Wikipedia entries and the organization’s responses. Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) and Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), chair of the panel’s subcommittee on cybersecurity, information technology, and government innovation, sent an information request on the matter to Maryana Iskander, chief executive officer of the Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that hosts Wikipedia.

FTC Chair Warns Google Not to Suppress Emails Sent by Republicans

The Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission is warning Google not to filter or suppress emails sent by Republicans over Gmail, according to a letter sent from the FTC chair to Google's parent company, Alphabet Inc. The FTC isn't announcing a new investigation into Google, but FTC chair Andrew Ferguson is putting CEO Sundar Pichai on notice that he is taking allegations from Republicans about suppressing emails seriously.

U.S. Internet Forums Sue Britain's Media Regulator Over Free Speech

U.S. internet forums 4chan and Kiwi Farms have filed a legal case in the United States against Britain's media regulator Ofcom, saying its enforcement of the country's online safety law violated Americans' right to freedom of speech. The suit escalates a clash between tech groups and regulators in Britain and the European Union. The regulators say they are trying to protect users online, while critics, led by U.S. President Donald Trump, accuse them of threatening free speech and targeting U.S. companies.

Chinese-Government Hacking Campaign Said to Hit 200 U.S. Groups

The FBI and other law enforcement and intelligence agencies around the world warned that a Chinese-government hacking campaign that previously penetrated nine U.S. telecommunications companies has expanded into other industries and regions, striking at least 200 American organizations and 80 countries. The joint advisory was issued with the close allies in the Five Eyes English-language intelligence-sharing arrangement and also agencies from Finland, the Netherlands, Poland and the Czech Republic, an unusually broad array meant to demonstrate global resolve against what intelligence officials said is a pernicious campaign that exceeds accepted norms for snooping.

Anthropic Blocks Hackers from Using Claude to Write Phishing Emails

Anthropic said it had detected and blocked hackers attempting to misuse its Claude AI system to write phishing emails, create malicious code and circumvent safety filters. The company's findings, published in a report, highlight growing concerns that AI tools are increasingly exploited in cybercrime, intensifying calls for tech firms and regulators to strengthen safeguards as the technology spreads.

DOGE Official Risked Social Security Data on Cloud, Whistleblower Says

A whistleblower says that a former senior DOGE official now at the Social Security Administration copied the Social Security numbers, names and birthdays of over 300 million Americans to a private section of the agency's cloud. That private cloud environment is accessible by other former DOGE employees at the SSA and is lacking adequate security, the whistleblower claims, potentially putting an enormous amount of private information at risk to being revealed and possibly used by identity thieves.

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Musk's xAI Sues Apple, OpenAI, Alleging Illegal Thwarting of Competition

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence firm, xAI, sued Apple and OpenAI, accusing Apple of manipulating its App Store rankings to give preferential treatment to OpenAI. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, said that Apple and OpenAI “locked up markets to maintain their monopolies and prevent innovators like X and xAI from competing.”

Russian Hackers Leveraging Vulnerability in Older Cisco Software

Hackers associated with some of Russia’s most prolific cyber espionage units have over the last year been leveraging a vulnerability in older Cisco software to target thousands of networking devices associated with critical infrastructure IT systems, the FBI and Cisco said. Hackers working within the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) Center 16 are extracting “device configuration information en masse, which can later be leveraged as needed based on then-current strategic goals and interests of the Russian government,” Cisco Talos researchers Sara McBroom and Brandon White wrote in a threat advisory, published to the company’s blog.

Microsoft Stops Providing Advance Threat Notices to Chinese Companies

Microsoft Corp. has curtailed Chinese companies’ access to advance notifications about cybersecurity vulnerabilities in its technology after investigating whether a leak led to a series of hacks exploiting flaws in its SharePoint software. The change, which occurred last month, will limit access for program participants in “countries where they’re required to report vulnerabilities to their governments,” which would include China, according to David Cuddy, a Microsoft spokesperson.

Masimo Sues CBP to Stop Apple from Using Blood-Oxygen Feature Again

U.S. Customs and Border Protection unlawfully let Apple Inc. reactivate a blood-oxygen tracking feature on Apple Watches that infringes patents for the technology, Masimo Corp. said in a federal lawsuit. CBP exceeded its authority in an Aug. 1 internal advice ruling that overturned its own January decision without notice or input from Masimo, the medical-device maker said in a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Minnesota Sues TikTok, Accusing It of Preying on Young People

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D) sued TikTok, accusing the popular video-sharing platform of preying on young people with addictive algorithms and other design features. Ellison argues the social media company is driven “by an out-of-control pursuit of profit above all else” that seeks to keep young users on the app with features like its recommendation engine, endless scroll, push notifications, filters, live videos and a virtual currency system.

Google to Pay $30 Million to Settle YouTube Children's Privacy Suit

Google will pay $30 million to settle a lawsuit claiming it violated the privacy of children using YouTube by collecting their personal information without parental consent, and using it to send targeted ads. A preliminary settlement of the proposed class action was filed in San Jose, California, federal court, and requires approval by U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan van Keulen.

Britain Drops Demand for Apple to Create 'Backdoor' to Encrypted Data

Britain has dropped its demand for the iPhone maker Apple to provide a "backdoor" that would have enabled access to the protected encrypted data of American citizens, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said. Gabbard issued the statement on X, in the U.S., saying she had worked for months with Britain, along with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, to arrive at a deal.

Russia Restricts Calls Using Telegram, WhatsApp, Citing Extortion

Russian authorities announced they were “partially” restricting calls in messaging apps Telegram and WhatsApp, the latest step in an effort to tighten control over the internet. In a statement, government media and internet regulator Roskomnadzor justified the measure as necessary for fighting crime, saying that “according to law enforcement agencies and numerous appeals from citizens, foreign messengers Telegram and WhatsApp have become the main voice services used to deceive and extort money, and to involve Russian citizens in sabotage and terrorist activities.”

Investigators Link Russia to Attack on Federal Courts' Computer System

Investigators have uncovered evidence that Russia is at least partly responsible for a recent hack of the computer system that manages federal court documents, including highly sensitive records with information that could reveal sources and people charged with national security crimes, according to several people briefed on the breach. It is not clear what entity is responsible, whether an arm of Russian intelligence might be behind the intrusion or if other countries were also involved, which some of the people familiar with the matter described as a yearslong effort to infiltrate the system.

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.