Internet Governance
African Governments Partner With Tech Companies To Fight Coronavirus Misinformation: Several African countries have partnered with Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter to combat misinformation as coronavirus infections now total around 6,000 on the continent; some countries, including Kenya and South Africa, have also resorted to punitive measures, threatening jail time and large fines for the spread of false information.
Privacy
With Massive Uptick In Users, Zoom Promises To Fix Privacy And Security Flaws: Citing a series of privacy and security concerns, including vulnerabilities that allowed users to hijack cameras and “Zoombomb” meetings, Zoom announced a 90-day feature freeze as it plans to focus on fixing privacy and security issues to better accommodate its 200 million daily users.
Washington Governor Signs Facial Recognition Technology Law: The law, signed on Tuesday, is the first U.S. state law to limit the use of facial recognition technology by law enforcement and requires, among other things, that government agencies obtain a warrant before running facial recognition scans.
Information Security and Cyberthreats
Marriott Discloses New Security Breach: After a 2018 breach impacted over 500 million guests, Marriott said the latest breach exposed the personal information of 5.2 million guests, including names, birthdates, and phone numbers; Marriott said it does not believe any payment information was leaked.
Intellectual Property
National Emergency Library’s Expanded Offering Raises Piracy Concerns: In response to increased demand from educators who are now teaching remotely during the coronavirus pandemic, the Internet Archive-affiliated digital library suspended waitlists for access to its collection of 1.4 million scanned books and ebooks; some authors and publishers have criticized the policy change and accuse the Emergency Library of “acting as a piracy site.”
Free Expression and Censorship
“Fake News” Banned By Vietnamese Government: Effective April 15, a new law will restrict social media users from posting or sharing content the government deems to be misinformation; the law, which empowers authorities to impose substantial fines and force users to remove posts, also prohibits a swath of other content including posts “encouraging unsound customs, promoting depraved cultural products,” or disclosing state secrets.
Practice Note
Judge Rules Call Of Duty Can Depict Humvees Without A License: A New York district court judge ruled that unlicensed depictions of Humvees in the popular video game did not infringe Humvee maker AM General’s trademark because the vehicle’s presence in the game was intended to promote realism rather than to trade on the Humvee brand.
On the Lighter Side
A Micro-Mini Purse For Your Airpods: Twelve South, a company that exclusively makes accessories for Apple products, debuted a purse designed to hold Airpods and Airpods only; priced at $49, the miniature leather satchel is equipped with both a side strap and a finger-sized top handle.
Joel R. Reidenberg
Stanley D. and Nikki Waxberg Chair and Professor of Law
Founding Academic Director, Fordham CLIP
Tom Norton
Executive Director, Fordham CLIP
Brittany Thomas
Sean Conners
Editorial Fellows, Fordham CLIP