Policy – SiliconANGLE

Free speech row erupts over X suspending journalist who published JD Vance dossier

James Farrell — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 02:04:06 +0000

After X Corp. suspended journalist Ken Klippenstein’s account today when he published a Trump campaign document hacked by Iran, various media outlets have asserted that X isn’t the free speech platform it claims to be. The document in question, a 271-page opposition research file on former president Donald Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance (pictured), […]

The post Free speech row erupts over X suspending journalist who published JD Vance dossier appeared first on SiliconANGLE.

X releases first transparency report since Elon Musk took over the platform

James Farrell — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 01:17:24 +0000

X Corp. released its first transparency report today under its owner Elon Musk, detailing the platform’s arguably surprising moderation strategies. The last time such a report was issued was back in 2021, when X was Twitter Inc., and being a user of the website wasn’t quite so much a politically polarizing issue. Since Musk’s acquisition […]

The post X releases first transparency report since Elon Musk took over the platform appeared first on SiliconANGLE.

FTC cracks down on misleading AI-powered business schemes in new initiative

Duncan Riley — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 23:08:08 +0000

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has announced a crackdown on companies allegedly making deceptive artificial intelligence claims and schemes, including robot lawyer startup DoNotPay Inc. The crackdown, named “Operation AI Comply,” has seen the FTC take action against multiple companies that are alleged to have relied on AI as a way to supercharge deceptive or […]

The post FTC cracks down on misleading AI-powered business schemes in new initiative appeared first on SiliconANGLE.

US moves to ban import of certain connected vehicle parts from China and Russia

Maria Deutscher — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 19:23:35 +0000

The White House today announced plans to ban the import of certain auto parts made in China and Russia. The move follows a U.S. Commerce Department probe into connected vehicle components that began in February. As part of the investigation, officials evaluated the potential national security risks associated with such components. Commerce also collected public […]

The post US moves to ban import of certain connected vehicle parts from China and Russia appeared first on SiliconANGLE.

Six technology myths and the Big Tech-lash

Dave Vellante — Sun, 22 Sep 2024 02:55:02 +0000

Technology generally and Big Tech specifically are regularly cited by politicians, media and governments around the world as the root of many societal problems today. Accusations such as privacy invaders, fake news amplifiers, job destroyers, discriminators and more are commonly lobbed at technology firms with little recognition for the substantial value large tech companies have […]

The post Six technology myths and the Big Tech-lash appeared first on SiliconANGLE.

EU reportedly preparing to bring formal DMA charges against Google

Maria Deutscher — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 23:19:31 +0000

The European Commission is expected to bring formal charges against Google LLC over its business practices in the search market. Bloomberg revealed the upcoming regulatory action today, citing people familiar with the matter. Google provides a number of specialized search tools for tasks such as navigating e-commerce catalogs and booking air travel. Those tools include […]

The post EU reportedly preparing to bring formal DMA charges against Google appeared first on SiliconANGLE.

EU to step up enforcement of Apple’s compliance with DMA rules

Maria Deutscher — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 22:58:16 +0000

European Union officials are taking new steps to ensure that Apple Inc. complies with the bloc’s DMA tech industry regulation. The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, announced the initiative today. The Digital Markets Act is a piece of legislation designed to prevent tech giants from engaging in harmful business practices. Many of the law’s […]

The post EU to step up enforcement of Apple’s compliance with DMA rules appeared first on SiliconANGLE.

FTC finds that social media, streaming giants engaged in ‘vast surveillance’ of users

Maria Deutscher — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 19:06:35 +0000

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has determined that a number of major social media and streaming companies engaged in “vast surveillance” of their users. The FTC detailed its findings in a report released today. Officials prepared the report based on records supplied by Google LLC, Amazon.com Inc., Snap Inc., Discord Inc., X Corp., Reddit Inc., […]

The post FTC finds that social media, streaming giants engaged in ‘vast surveillance’ of users appeared first on SiliconANGLE.

X has found a way to come back to life in Brazil

James Farrell — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 01:27:28 +0000

Elon Musk’s X Corp. is back up in Brazil after the government blocked the app under orders from the country’s Supreme Court. Earlier this month, Brazil’s 28 million or so X users found themselves without a platform after the government ordered the National Telecommunications Agency to block access to the app. X owner Elon Musk […]

The post X has found a way to come back to life in Brazil appeared first on SiliconANGLE.

EU court scraps €1.49B antitrust fine against Google, mostly upholds Qualcomm penalty

Maria Deutscher — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 21:25:41 +0000

The European Union’s second highest court today ruled on two antitrust fines that the bloc issued to Google LLC and Qualcomm Inc. in 2019. The General Court annulled the penalty imposed on Google, which was the largest of the two at €1.49 billion. It mostly upheld Qualcomm’s €242 million fine, reducing it by about 1%. […]

The post EU court scraps €1.49B antitrust fine against Google, mostly upholds Qualcomm penalty appeared first on SiliconANGLE.

Big changes to Instagram: Will teens be saved?

James Farrell — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 02:01:51 +0000

Meta Platforms Inc.-owned Instagram today announced some profound changes to how the platform works for young people in an effort to address the growing concern that social media is damaging the minds of children. The company said it is ushering in “built-in protections” for young folks, giving parents more control over how their kids use […]

The post Big changes to Instagram: Will teens be saved? appeared first on SiliconANGLE.

TikTok jousts with US appeals court in attempt to avoid nationwide ban

James Farrell — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 02:17:13 +0000

Chinese-owned social media app TikTok faced a barrage of questions today from a U.S. appeals court as the company fights to block a law that will ban the app in the U.S. if it’s not sold. In April, President Joe Biden signed legislation that meant TikTok’s owner, ByteDance Ltd., had one year to sell the […]

The post TikTok jousts with US appeals court in attempt to avoid nationwide ban appeared first on SiliconANGLE.

CEO Andy Jassy tells Amazon employees they’ll have to be in the office 5 days a week next year

Mike Wheatley — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 23:42:29 +0000

Amazon.com Inc. Chief Executive Andy Jassy has signaled an end to the company’s work-from-home policy, telling staff in a lengthy memo on Monday that they’re going to be required to sit in the office five days a week. The decision marks a shift from Amazon’s current policy, which requires its corporate team staffers to be […]

The post CEO Andy Jassy tells Amazon employees they’ll have to be in the office 5 days a week next year appeared first on SiliconANGLE.

White House secures commitment from AI firms to curb deepfake porn

James Farrell — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 01:16:04 +0000

The White House today announced voluntary commitments from several leading artificial intelligence companies to rein in the creation and distribution of image-based sexual abuse, IBSA, including “deepfake” content generated by AI. The announcement was made by President Biden and Vice President Harris on the eve of the anniversary of the introduction of the Violence Against […]

The post White House secures commitment from AI firms to curb deepfake porn appeared first on SiliconANGLE.

Coalition of US attorneys general calls for warning labels on social media

James Farrell — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 02:02:09 +0000

A bipartisan group of 42 attorneys general today called for Congress to require Surgeon General warning labels on social media apps to attend to the growing mental health crisis among young adults in the U.S. In June this year, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy penned an op-ed for the New York Times in which he called the […]

The post Coalition of US attorneys general calls for warning labels on social media appeared first on SiliconANGLE.

EU’s top court rules against Apple, Google in multibillion-dollar cases

Maria Deutscher — Tue, 10 Sep 2024 19:37:11 +0000

The European Union’s top court has ruled against Apple Inc. and Google LLC in a pair of cases that focused on their tax and e-commerce practices, respectively. The Apple case revolved around the effective tax rate that applied to the company in Ireland until 2014. Google, in turn, turned to the European Court of Justice, […]

The post EU’s top court rules against Apple, Google in multibillion-dollar cases appeared first on SiliconANGLE.

US sanctions Russians over alleged election interference campaign using social media influencers

Duncan Riley — Thu, 05 Sep 2024 03:13:54 +0000

The U.S. departments of Justice, State and Treasury announced today sanctions and criminal charges in relation to claimed Russian government-sponsored attempts to manipulate public opinion ahead of the Nov. 5 presidential election. Announced by Attorney General Merrick Garland (pictured, right), the claims, which some media outlets are referring to as “Russiagate 2.0,” include that two […]

The post US sanctions Russians over alleged election interference campaign using social media influencers appeared first on SiliconANGLE.

Internet Archive loses appeal, court rules e-book lending is copyright infringement

James Farrell — Thu, 05 Sep 2024 01:53:04 +0000

The online digital library Internet Archive today lost its appeal to lend out scanned e-books without the approval of publishers. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit rejected the nonprofit’s claim in a lawsuit with a coalition of book publishers that its digitized library of books can legally operate under the fair use […]

The post Internet Archive loses appeal, court rules e-book lending is copyright infringement appeared first on SiliconANGLE.

Telegram investigated in South Korea over surge of sexual deepfake content

James Farrell — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 01:55:32 +0000

Authorities in South Korea have begun an investigation into the embattled instant messaging app Telegram, focusing on the platform’s relationship with deepfake sex crimes that have caused a stir in the country. The probe comes after Telegram’s founder and chief executive, Pavel Durov, was arrested in France in late August for a slew of charges […]

The post Telegram investigated in South Korea over surge of sexual deepfake content appeared first on SiliconANGLE.

Clearview AI fined €30.5M in the Netherlands over its facial recognition database

Maria Deutscher — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 23:15:04 +0000

The Netherlands’ privacy watchdog today fined Clearview AI Inc. €30.5 million, or about $33.7 million, over its controversial facial recognition database. The penalty is the latest in a series issued to the company by data protection regulators. Moreover, Clearview AI’s business practices were the focus of multiple lawsuits in the U.S. over the past few […]

The post Clearview AI fined €30.5M in the Netherlands over its facial recognition database appeared first on SiliconANGLE.

Brazil’s Supreme Court upholds X ban, Starlink won’t comply

James Farrell — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 01:19:44 +0000

Five Brazilian Supreme Court justices today voted to uphold a decision that requires the National Telecommunications Agency, Anatel, to block access to Elon Musk’s X Corp. platform. Millions of X users in Brazil found themselves without X over the weekend as the country’s internet providers and mobile phone companies restricted access. Alexandre de Moraes (pictured), […]

The post Brazil’s Supreme Court upholds X ban, Starlink won’t comply appeared first on SiliconANGLE.

TikTok told it must face lawsuit over deadly viral challenge, despite Section 230 protections

James Farrell — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 01:05:19 +0000

The Chinese social media giant TikTok could potentially be found liable for content posted on its platform that led to the death of a girl, despite federal protections for publishers in such cases. A U.S. appeals court revived a lawsuit today that was filed by the mother of a 10-year-old girl who died in Pennsylvania […]

The post TikTok told it must face lawsuit over deadly viral challenge, despite Section 230 protections appeared first on SiliconANGLE.

Netherlands fines Uber €290M for breaching EU’s GDPR privacy regulation

Maria Deutscher — Mon, 26 Aug 2024 19:29:12 +0000

The Netherlands’ privacy watchdog today issued a fine of €290 million, or about $324 million, to Uber Technologies Inc. over its data management practices. The decision relates to a regulatory framework called the EU-US Privacy Shield that was struck down by a court in 2020. Uber, like many other U.S. tech firms, transfers information it […]

The post Netherlands fines Uber €290M for breaching EU’s GDPR privacy regulation appeared first on SiliconANGLE.

Google inks controversial deal with California’s lawmakers to fund local news

James Farrell — Thu, 22 Aug 2024 02:20:15 +0000

Google LLC and the state of California have agreed to a deal under which the tech giant will commit $172.5 million to fund local journalism over the next five years while some of the money will be set aside for artificial intelligence development in the state. The deal comes after months of dispute between lawmakers […]

The post Google inks controversial deal with California’s lawmakers to fund local news appeared first on SiliconANGLE.

US judge blocks FTC’s ban on noncompete clauses

James Farrell — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 02:10:27 +0000

A federal judge in Texas today derailed the Federal Trade Commission’s ban on noncompete agreements, blocking the ban from taking effect in September as planned. In a 27-page opinion, District Judge Ada Brown said that the FTC didn’t have the authority to make such decisions, calling the rule “arbitrary and capricious.” Brown added that the […]

The post US judge blocks FTC’s ban on noncompete clauses appeared first on SiliconANGLE.

EU issues request for information to Meta in connection with DSA probe

Maria Deutscher — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 19:18:27 +0000

The European Union has asked Meta Platforms Inc. for information about the way it shares data from its social media platforms with researchers. The European Commission, the EU’s executive branch, disclosed the request today. The move relates to a probe that officials launched earlier this year into Meta’s compliance with the EU’s Digital Services Act […]

The post EU issues request for information to Meta in connection with DSA probe appeared first on SiliconANGLE.

FTC cracks down on fake reviews and influencer misconduct with new rule

Duncan Riley — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 00:05:33 +0000

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission today announced a final rule that will ban marketers from using fake reviews, including those generated with artificial intelligence and other deceptive marketing methods such as paying for bots to inflate follower counts. The rule allows the FTC to strengthen enforcement and seek civil penalties against violators. “Fake reviews not […]

The post FTC cracks down on fake reviews and influencer misconduct with new rule appeared first on SiliconANGLE.

EU Commissioner just warned Elon Musk over dangerous content and it backfired badly

James Farrell — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 00:44:45 +0000

EU Commissioner Thierry Breton shared words with X Corp. owner Elon Musk yesterday, reminding him that Musk and X have a responsibility to adhere to the EU’s Digital Services Act, or DSA. Breton’s strongly worded missive to Musk sent yesterday was sent in response to what he called the “risk of amplification of potentially harmful […]

The post EU Commissioner just warned Elon Musk over dangerous content and it backfired badly appeared first on SiliconANGLE.

FTC enters Google v. Epic Games case and hints that Google should be broken up

Duncan Riley — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 00:37:44 +0000

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is reportedly considering breaking up Google LLC following its intervention via amicus brief into the Epic Games Inc. v. Google case regarding Google’s practices relating to competition and payments in its Play store. The case involved Epic Games, best known as the company behind the highly popular online game “Fortnite,” […]

The post FTC enters Google v. Epic Games case and hints that Google should be broken up appeared first on SiliconANGLE.

Federal appeals court rules that geofence warrants are unconstitutional

Maria Deutscher — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 22:55:35 +0000

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has ruled that geofence warrants, which allow police to collect data on individuals’ whereabouts, violate the Fourth Amendment. TechCrunch reported the decision today. Geofence warrants enable law enforcement officials to identify who was in the vicinity of a crime scene when the offense was committed. In […]

The post Federal appeals court rules that geofence warrants are unconstitutional appeared first on SiliconANGLE.