July 2015 – CLIP-ings

Internet Governance

Uber Cap Taxied Away: Mayor Bill de Blasio pulled his plan to curb the company’s growth in New York City so long as it makes improvements for disabled passengers and provides the city with ride data.

Privacy

Constitutionally Warranted: A New York appeals court ruled that Facebook cannot challenge the constitutionality of warrants for users’ information on their behalf; other companies and privacy groups argue that the decision “could set a troubling precedent giving prosecutors access to all kinds of digital information.”

Information Security And Cyberthreats

Hackers vs. Cheaters: Hacking group The Impact Team breached the database of AshleyMadison, a website for people seeking extra-relational affairs, and now threatens to unveil information about its 37 million users if the site is not taken offline.

The Digital Seatbelt? Legislators introduced the Security and Privacy in Your Car Act, a bill that aims to safeguard Internet-connected vehicles’ critical control systems, which research has proven can be compromised even while in motion.

Intellectual Property

Stream On, FilmOn: A U.S. District Judge held that the video streaming service FilmOn is entitled to receive the same copyright license as cable companies; the decision stands in direct conflict with Second Circuit precedent and, if upheld, would “open a route to legal TV-over-Internet businesses.”

Free Expression And Censorship

Free Speech Hub No More? Some Reddit users assert that new CEO Steve Huffman’s proposal to ban from the site illicit content and that which “violates a common sense of decency” amounts to undue censorship of free speech.

Practice Note

Lock It Before You Pocket: The Sixth Circuit ruled that there is no reasonable expectation of privacy in statements recorded by the recipient of a pocket-dial.

On The Lighter Side

G0a1! Robots are taking over the World (Cup).

Joel R. Reidenberg

Stanley D. and Nikki Waxberg Chair and Professor of Law

Founding Academic Director, Fordham CLIP

N. Cameron Russell

Executive Director, Fordham CLIP

Thomas B. Norton

Privacy Fellow, Fordham CLIP

Editorial Fellows

Elle Davis

Sam Borenzweig

Internet Governance

Apple Damming The Stream? Now that Apple has its own music streaming service, the FTC is “looking into” whether the company’s practice of taking a 30 percent cut of in-app purchases from other music streaming services and its restrictive policies on rivals’ advertising in the App Store violate antitrust law.

Privacy

Third Time’s The Charm? The NTIA will soon host meetings to discuss drone privacy issues; privacy groups have previously walked out of NTIA talks because they believed the Agency’s proposed privacy practices would not afford consumers sufficient protection.

Information Security And Cyberthreats

“Ja” To IT Security Law: Germany passed legislation that requires over 2,000 companies and other “critical infrastructure” institutions to meet minimum cyber-security standards and to notify customers and the government about suspected cyber-attacks.

A Piracy Tale: The Authors Guild sent a letter to the House Judiciary Committee arguing that Congress should force ISPs to “preemptively filter[ ] pirated material” on their sites, as individual authors lack the means to monitor for stolen content.

Intellectual Property

First Bite Of The Apple: The owner of the “iWatch” trademark sued Apple for buying Google ads that display the Apple Watch when users search for “iWatch.”

Free Expression And Censorship

Content Controlled: Author and bookseller groups requested that the DOJ investigate Amazon for antitrust violations on the basis that some of the company’s practices, such as selling or blocking certain books due to political leanings, “impede the free flow of ideas in our society.”