Judge Decertifies App Store Class-Action Suit Against Apple

A federal judge decertified a class action by tens of millions of Apple customers who accused the company of monopolizing the market for iPhone apps by banning purchases outside its App Store, leading to higher prices. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, California, reversed her February 2024 decision allowing Apple account holders who spent $10 or more on app or in-app content within the last 17 years to sue as a group.

Australia's Competition Regulator Sues Microsoft Over AI Bundling

Australia's competition regulator sued Microsoft, accusing it of misleading millions of customers into paying higher prices for its Microsoft 365 software after bundling it with artificial intelligence tool Copilot. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) alleged that from October 2024, the technology giant misled about 2.7 million customers by suggesting they had to move to higher-priced Microsoft 365 personal and family plans that included Copilot.

More Than 60 Countries Sign UN Treaty Targeting Cybercrime in Hanoi

Countries signed their first UN treaty targeting cybercrime in Hanoi, despite opposition from an unlikely band of tech companies and rights groups warning of expanded state surveillance. The new global legal framework aims to strengthen international cooperation to fight digital crimes, from child pornography to transnational cyberscams and money laundering.

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Two Federal Judges Admit Using AI to Prepare 'Error-Ridden' Orders

Two federal judges admitted in response to an inquiry by U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley that members of their staff used artificial intelligence to help prepare recent court orders that Grassley called "error-ridden." In letters released by Grassley's office, U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate in Mississippi and U.S. District Judge Julien Xavier Neals in New Jersey said the decisions in the unrelated cases did not go through their chambers' typical review processes before they were issued.

OpenAI Loosened Rules for Discussing Suicide, Teen's Parents Allege

OpenAI twice loosened ChatGPT’s rules for discussing suicide in the year before 16-year-old Adam Raine took his own life using a method the chatbot advised him on, according to an amended lawsuit filed by his parents. Adam’s parents, Matthew and Maria Raine, sued OpenAI in August for the wrongful death of their son, saying he had spent more than 3½ hours a day conversing with ChatGPT, including about suicide, in the weeks before taking his own life by hanging in April.

Plaintiffs in Google Privacy Case Want Company to Forfeit $2.36B

U.S. Google users who won a $425 million jury verdict in a consumer privacy class action last month have asked a federal judge to force the Alphabet unit to forfeit an additional $2.36 billion in profits. The consumers in a court filing called the amount a "conservative approximation" of Google’s allegedly ill-gotten gains after the jury found the company secretly collected app activity data from millions of users who had disabled an account tracking feature.

Canada Issues Record $126 Million Fine Against Crypto Company

Canada's anti-money laundering regulator said it had imposed a C$176.9 million ($126.14 million) fine on money services business Xeltox Enterprises Limited, the largest-ever penalty doled out by the agency. The regulator, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC), said Xeltox did not submit suspicious transaction reports when there were reasonable grounds to suspect transactions related to the laundering of money connected to trafficking in child sexual abuse material.

Reddit Sues Four Companies for Scraping Data from Google Search Results

The Internet message board Reddit filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York claiming that four companies had illegally stolen its data by scraping Google search results in which Reddit content appeared. Three of those companies — SerpApi; a Lithuanian start-up, Oxylabs; and a Russian company, AWMProxy — sold data to A.I. companies like OpenAI and Meta, according to the lawsuit.

Chinese Users File Complaint Against Apple Over App Distribution

A group of 55 Chinese iPhone and iPad users filed a complaint with China's market regulator, a lawyer representing the group said, alleging that Apple abuses its market dominance by restricting app distribution and payments to its own platforms while charging high commissions. The complaint to China's State Administration for Market Regulation scrutinizes Apple at a time when trade tensions between Beijing and Washington have been intensifying, with both governments deploying tariffs and technology restrictions as policy tools.

Cybersecurity Provider Blames Breach on State-Backed Chinese Hackers

A potentially “catastrophic” breach of a major U.S.-based cybersecurity provider has been blamed on state-backed hackers from China, according to people familiar with the matter. Seattle-based F5 Inc. disclosed in a regulatory filing Wednesday that nation-state hackers had breached its networks and gained “long-term, persistent access” to certain systems.

Meta Removes Facebook Group That Shared Info About ICE Agents

Meta removed a Facebook group that was used to share information about Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Chicago after the Department of Justice requested it be taken down. The Facebook group was removed by the company “following outreach” by the Department of Justice, Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a social media post.

Britain Fines 4chan for Failing to Warn Users About Illegal Content

Britain said on it had issued U.S. Internet forum site 4chan with a 20,000 pound ($26,644) fine for failing to provide information about the risk of illegal content on its service, marking the first penalty under the new online safety regime. Media regulator Ofcom said 4chan had not responded to its request for a copy of its illegal harms risk assessment nor a second request relating to its qualifying worldwide.

Calif. Age-Check Bill Supported by Tech Companies Signed Into Law

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law requiring device-makers like Apple and Google to check users’ ages online, marking a win for tech companies that had rallied behind it in the face of opposition from Hollywood studios. California’s age-checking law boasts rare buy-in from major tech firms including Google, Meta, OpenAI and Snap, unlike similar plans recently passed in deep-red Utah and Texas that sharply divided the industry.

Governor Signs California Bill Regulating AI 'Companion Chatbots'

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed a bill placing new guardrails on how artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots interact with children and handle issues of suicide and self-harm. S.B. 243, which cleared the state Legislature in mid-September, requires developers of “companion chatbots” to create protocols preventing their models from producing content about suicidal ideation, suicide or self-harm and directing users to crisis services if needed.

Jury Orders Samsung to Pay $445.5 Million for Infringing Communication Patents

A federal jury in Marshall, Texas found that Samsung Electronics owes patent owner Collision Communications nearly $445.5 million in damages for infringing on patents related to 4G, 5G and Wi-Fi communications standards. The jury said that Samsung's laptops, Galaxy smartphones and other wireless-enabled devices infringe four Collision patents.

Russian-Speaking Hackers Claim Credit for Attack on Japanese Brewer

A cohort of Russian-speaking hackers known as Qilin has claimed responsibility for a ransomware attack that hobbled Asahi Group Holdings Ltd.’s operations for more than a week. The group stole roughly 27 gigabytes of data from Japan’s biggest beer brewer including financial documents, contracts, development forecasts and employees’ personal information, Qilin said on its website.

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