| Internet Governance Complaint Alleges Ads In Amazon Search Results Deceive Consumers: A complaint brought before the Federal Trade Commission by labor union coalition Strategic Organizing Center alleges that Amazon’s frequent inclusion of sponsored ads in its search results amounts to “near-categorical noncompliance” with FTC rules prohibiting search engines from deceptively including ads in organic search results. Italy’s Antitrust Authority Fines Amazon $1.2 Billion For Anticompetitive Logistics Servicing: The regulator determined that the company abused its market dominance by tying key features to the use of its Fulfilled By Amazon service, which put third-party sellers at a disadvantage. |
| Privacy Apple Permits User Data Use For Targeted Advertising Despite Privacy Changes: Even though users have the option to ask apps not to track them as part of privacy changes Apple rolled out earlier this year, companies have nevertheless been allowed to rely on user-level iPhone signals for advertising purposes so long as the data is anonymized, aggregated, and not personally identifiable. |
| Information Security and Cyberthreats Google Disrupts Massive Botnet, While Microsoft Seizes Control Of China-Based Hacking Group Servers: In coordination with internet infrastructure service providers, Google broke up a network of nearly one million devices infected with Gulpteba malware and sued the botnet’s two Russia-based operators in an effort to “set a precedent, create legal and liability risks for the botnet operators, and help deter future activity”; similarly, Microsoft seized control of malicious websites and servers that the China-based Nickel hacking group used to perpetrate cyberattacks to advance the country’s geopolitical interests. |
| Intellectual Property Clearview AI Set To Receive Patent For Its Facial Recognition-Powered Search Engine: The U.S.P.T.O. issued a notice of allowance to the controversial face-recognition company for a patent that covers “methods of providing information about a person based on facial recognition,” which includes an “automated web crawler” that scans and matches images on the web; civil rights and privacy advocates worry that the patent will help ensure the growth of facial recognition tech before lawmakers and regulators get the opportunity to evaluate all its potential dangers. |
| Free Expression and Censorship Rohingya Refugees Sue Facebook For $150 Billion Over Failure To Stop Spread Of Misinformation Leading To Myanmar Violence: The lawsuits spearheaded by legal teams in the U.S. and the UK allege that Facebook knew about, but did little to stop the spread of, anti-Rohingya content on is platform. |
| Practice Note German Court Enjoins Sharing Of Complete IP Address With U.S.-Based Cookie Consent Management Service: The court enjoined university Hochschule RheinMain from using a cookie preference service that shares users’ complete IP addresses with a U.S.-based company on the basis that the sharing runs afoul of data protection law and the Court of Justice of the European Union’s Schrems II decision. |
| On the Lighter Side Uber Turns To Tree-Hailing: This holiday season, customers in select cities can use Uber’s Holiday Hub to order decorations such as trees and wreaths. |
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| Ron Lazebnik Academic Director, Fordham CLIP Tom Norton Executive Director, Fordham CLIP |