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☆ Live updates: Supreme Court hears arguments for First Amendment cases
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Dan Berman | Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

The US Supreme Court is hearing arguments in a case that will decide whether the Biden administration's communication with social media companies during the Covid-19 pandemic violated free speech. The legal question: Whether the US government unconstitutionally pressured social media platforms into censoring users’ speech — particularly when the government flagged posts to the platforms that it believed violated the companies’ terms of service. How we got here: The states of Missouri and Louisiana, along with five social-media users, brought the lawsuit against various federal officials. In July 2023, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction ordering federal agencies and more than a dozen top officials not to communicate with social media companies about taking down “content containing protected free speech." The Supreme Court paused that injunction from going into effect in October 2023 until it heard the case.

Persons: Biden Organizations: Biden Locations: Missouri, Louisiana

☆ Takeaways from the Supreme Court’s oral arguments over social media censorship
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Brian Fung | John Fritze | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The Supreme Court on Monday appeared deeply skeptical of arguments by two conservative states that the First Amendment bars the government from pressuring social media platforms to remove online misinformation. Louisiana and Missouri accused the Biden administration of a sweeping censorship campaign conducted through emailed and other communications with social media platforms. Barrett asked: Could the FBI not call the social media sites and encourage them to take such posts down? Fletcher pointed to the context of the communication between the Biden administration and the social media companies. That is Congress’ role, he said, challenging claims that the administration has issued credible threats against social media that could support a coercion argument.

Persons: Biden, Roberts, Kavanaugh, Barrett, John Roberts, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, ”, Roe, Wade, Benjamin Aguiñaga, Alito, Samuel Alito, ” Alito, Brian Fletcher, Elena Kagan, Justice Kavanaugh, I’ve, ” Kagan, chuckles, Fletcher, Ketanji Brown Jackson, you’re, ” Aguiñaga Organizations: CNN, FBI, Facebook, New York Times, Communications, medica Locations: Louisiana, Missouri

A Chinese business titan pleaded guilty on Monday to federal charges that he made more than $10,000 in straw donor contributions to political candidates — including, a person familiar with the case said, to a New York congressman and Mayor Eric Adams. Hui Qin, 56, of Old Westbury, N.Y., who was once listed on Forbes magazine’s list of billionaires, ran a now-defunct entertainment business called SMI Culture. Image Hui Qin Credit... ImaginechinaMr. Qin asked others to contribute to political campaigns of his choosing, and he agreed to reimburse them, in 2021 and 2022, according to prosecutors. The other figures who received donations were Representative Andrew Garbarino of Long Island and Allan Fung, a former mayor of Cranston, R.I., who ran for Congress, the person familiar with the case said. Both are Republicans, while Mr. Adams is a Democrat.

Persons: Eric Adams, Hui Qin, Imaginechina Mr, Qin, Andrew Garbarino, Allan Fung, Adams Organizations: Forbes, Congress Locations: New York, Old Westbury, N.Y, Manhattan, Qin, Long, Cranston, R.I

☆ Reddit discloses FTC probe into its AI content licensing practices
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Washington CNN —The Federal Trade Commission is looking into Reddit’s plans to license its platform content to artificial intelligence companies, the social media company disclosed Friday in a securities filing. The FTC sent Reddit a letter on Thursday outlining the scope of the inquiry, Reddit said in the filing. “The FTC’s staff is conducting a non-public inquiry focused on our sale, licensing, or sharing of user-generated content with third parties to train AI models,” Reddit disclosed. The company has entered into an agreement to share its platform data with Google in order to train the tech giant’s AI models. Reddit said earlier this week that it expects to price shares between $31 and $34 each when it makes its IPO offering.

Persons: Reddit, ” Reddit, “ Organizations: Washington CNN, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Google

☆ Searches for VPNs spike in Texas after Pornhub pulls out of the state
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“The apparent spike in VPN searches in Texas shows that these types of age verification laws aren’t just unconstitutional, they’re also silly and ineffective,” Greer said. “Similar search spikes have been reported after other states passed age verification laws, which EFF opposes,” said Hudson Hongo, a spokesperson for the group. It also highlights the running debate in statehouses nationwide about how and whether governments can require websites to perform age verification. It requires adult websites to implement “reasonable age verification” methods to ensure that pornography is not being distributed to minors. The 5th Circuit court’s latest decision formally lifts the injunction against the Texas law.

Persons: Pornhub, “, VPNs, ”, Evan Greer, they’re, ” Greer, Hudson Hongo, ” Pornhub, David Alan Ezra, Ezra, Ken Paxton Organizations: CNN, Texas, Pornhub’s, Google, Texans, Frontier Foundation, EFF, Court, Western, Western District of, Circuit, “ Locations: Texas, China, Russia, Turkey, Montana , Utah, Virginia, statehouses, Western District, Western District of Texas

☆ Europe investigates Big Tech’s use of generative AI
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Regulators at the European Commission say they’re particularly concerned about how generative AI could sow chaos in the run-up to this summer’s EU parliamentary elections. Online platforms will have until April 5 to respond to questions about steps they’ve taken to prevent AI tools from spreading election misinformation. The companies’ responses could be incorporated into a series of election security guidelines for tech platforms the European Commission plans to finalize by March 27, another commission official said. The AI investigation also covers a broader set of topics including how platforms are addressing generative AI’s impact on user privacy, intellectual property, civil rights and children’s safety and mental health. “One of the grievances we have is the ability to manipulate the service through automated means and this can include generative AI, so yes, there’s a link to the ongoing investigation,” one of the commission officials said.

Persons: “, ”, Linda Yaccarino, Thierry Breton Organizations: CNN, European Union, Meta, Microsoft, Commission, Digital Services, Elon Locations: Israel, EU

☆ FCC cracks down on cable TV ‘junk fees’
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The new junk fees rule requires cable and satellite TV companies to list “all-in” prices to consumers in their billing and marketing materials — including any miscellaneous fees, such as those related to sports programming or local broadcast channels. Between 24% and 33% of the typical consumer’s bill can be attributed to fees, consumer advocates told the FCC. In a separate move last year, the FCC proposed banning certain cable fees altogether, including early termination fees that the agency says hinder competition and prevent customers from easily switching providers. Mending the digital divideIn addition to cable, the FCC also addressed internet availability during its Thursday meeting. Defining high-speed internetThe report also reflects newly adopted revisions in how the country defines high-speed internet, which the FCC voted to approve on Thursday.

Persons: “, ”, Jessica Rosenworcel, ’ ”, NCTA, Dave Wallace, Amira Karaoud, Biden, Rosenworcel, you’re, Anne Neuberger, Neuberger Organizations: Washington CNN, Federal Communications Commission, FCC, Energy Star, National Institute for Standards, Technology, Logitech, LG, Samsung, Consumer, European Union Locations: Kentucky, Louisville , Kentucky, U.S, greenlight, Las Vegas, America

☆ Who will buy TikTok from ByteDance?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

At $100 billion, there are few companies that could afford to buy TikTok outright. Citing people familiar with the matter, the Journal wrote that Kotick “floated the idea of partnering to buy TikTok to a table of people that included OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.”CNN couldn’t independently confirm the report. Its one go at the social media scene, the buggy and short-lived Ping, was one of Apple’s biggest flops. And any tech executive or private equity investor thinking of buying TikTok would need to be prepared to enter the social media quagmire. A key question in assessing the value of a TikTok deal is whether China would allow ByteDance to export its algorithm — the secret sauce that keeps TikTok users glued to their phones.

Persons: CNN Business ’, There’s, Joe Biden’s, who’d, Dan Ives, ” Ives, Who’s, ”, Gene Kimmelman, OpenAi, Bobby Kotick, Activision Blizzard, “, Sam Altman, ” CNN couldn’t, Altman didn’t, doesn’t, quagmire, They’d, Mark Zuckerberg, Shou Chew, It’s, Trump, —, Brian Fung Organizations: CNN Business, New York CNN, Senate, Microsoft, Department, Google, ” Meta, Facebook, Street Journal, Activision, ” CNN, Kotick, Apple, Oracle, Walmart, Communist Party, ByteDance Locations: New York, United States, Beijing, Europe, China

☆ EU approves landmark AI law, leapfrogging US to regulate worrying new technology
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —European Union lawmakers gave final approval Wednesday to a landmark law governing artificial intelligence, leapfrogging the United States once again on the regulation of a critical and disruptive technology. The first-of-its-kind law is poised to reshape how businesses and organizations in Europe use AI for everything from health care decisions to policing. It imposes blanket bans on some “unacceptable” uses of the technology while enacting stiff guardrails for other applications deemed “high-risk.”For example, the EU AI Act outlaws social scoring systems powered by AI and any biometric-based tools used to guess a person’s race, political leanings or sexual orientation. Meanwhile, the law outlines a separate category of “high-risk” uses of AI, particularly for education, hiring and access to government services, and imposes a separate set of transparency and other obligations on them. Companies such as OpenAI that produce powerful, complex and widely used AI models will also be subject to new disclosure requirements under the law.

Persons: Chuck Schumer Organizations: CNN — European Union, EU Locations: United States, Europe

☆ Premarket stocks: Congress has bad news for Wall Street
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

New York CNN —Dealmaking is the lifeblood of Wall Street. But analysts say that funding cuts in the plan could end up harming mergers and acquisitions on Wall Street, squashing hopes of a recovery in dealmaking. The bad news: Recent regulations and proposed budget cuts threaten to step on those green shoots before they’re able to flower. Why it matters: Dealmaking isn’t just good for Wall Street. Shares of the stock are down nearly 30% so far this year after its seemingly nonstop streak of bad luck.

Persons: New York CNN — Dealmaking, Joe Biden, squashing, It’s, Goldman Sachs, ”, Lucille Jones, Jones, Mitch Berlin, Biden, ’, ” Berlin, That’s, Hewlett Packard, “, TikTok —, Brian Fung, TikTok, Shou Chew, Nadya Okamoto, Okamoto, Teddy Siegel, Siegel, David Goldman, LATAM, it’s, Max Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Wall, LSEG, Federal Reserve, Federal Trade Commission, Department of Justice, Congressional, Office, CNN, Discover Financial Services, Hewlett, Juniper Networks, Target, Boeing, Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, The National Transportation Safety, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, NTSB Locations: New York, dealmaking, EY, Berlin, “, LSEG, Australia, New Zealand, Newark

☆ House expected to vote on bill that could ban TikTok amid Trump resistance
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Clare Foran | Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The House is expected to vote Wednesday on a bill that could lead to a nationwide ban against TikTok, a major challenge to one of the world’s most popular social media apps. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle who support the bill have argued that it is not a ban. In recent comments to reporters, Wisconsin Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher, who chairs a House select committee on China, rejected characterizations of the bill as a TikTok ban. “This legislation has a predetermined outcome: a total ban of TikTok in the United States,” the company wrote in a post on X. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Tuesday would not commit to holding a vote on the House’s TikTok bill, underscoring the uncertainty over what will happen if the House passes the bill as expected.

Persons: Donald Trump, equivocated, TikTok, It’s, Joe Biden, Trump, Mark Zuckerberg, ” Trump, “, Mike Gallagher, “ It’s, ”, Shou Chew, Chuck Schumer, CNN’s Kate Sullivan, Morgan Rimmer, Lauren Fox Organizations: TikTok, ByteDance, Apple, Google, House Energy, Commerce Committee, Facebook, CNBC, Lawmakers, Wisconsin Republican, Chinese Communist Party Locations: China, Beijing, Washington, United States

☆ TikTok creators fear US ban as the House prepares to vote on crackdown bill
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

As House lawmakers prepare to vote on the bill Wednesday, TikTok is encouraging users to call their representatives with a full-screen notification about the legislation. Okamoto’s TikTok account features videos on women’s health, sex education and the occasional glimpse into her personal life. Her sisters are TikTok creators in their own right, one of whom is using her income from TikTok to pay her own way through college, Okamoto said. It’s so tired,” said Grey Prnce, who together with her spouse, Grayson France, co-manages the TikTok account @officiallyverygay. Thus was born @Got2GoNYC, a TikTok account that aims to map all the publicly accessible toilets in the city.

Persons: Washington CNN — TikTok, TikTok, Shou Chew, Nadya Okamoto, Okamoto, She’s, “, ” Okamoto, it’s Chew, ”, Grey Prnce, Grayson France, Teddy Siegel, Siegel, ducking, @Got2GoNYC, ” Siegel, it’s, Prnce Organizations: Washington CNN, Target, CNN, Chinese Community Party Locations: China, Beijing, United States, New York City, Utah, Salt Lake City

☆ Analysis: Trump on Social Security cuts and a possible TikTok ban
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

But Trump’s comments on TikTok and Social Security, both in an unfettered interview on CNBC, suggest not calculation, but confusion about Social Security and ambivalence about TikTok. Social Security was a top issue during the Republican presidential primary, when Trump attacked his GOP opponents, accusing them of wanting to take social security benefits away from older Americans. In an ad-libbed and meandering answer during a telephone interview broadcast on CNBC, Trump seemed to suggest that he was open to cutting Social Security. Have you changed your, your outlook on how to handle entitlements Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Mr. President? His answer also did nothing to address Kernen’s larger question, about Social Security and Medicare’s insolvency crisis.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Joe Biden, Biden, Trump, It’s, CNBC’s Joe Kernen, we’ve, Joe Biden’s, Karoline Leavitt, ” It’s, Abby Phillip, Nikki Haley, ByteDance, ” Trump, ” Biden, Brian Fung, Jeff Yass, Steve Bannon, “ Organizations: CNN, Social Security, Trump, CNBC, Social, Republicans, Republican, GOP, ISIS, Federal Reserve, Treasury Department, South Carolina Gov, House Republicans Locations: Trump, TikTok’s China, China, TikTok, Yass

☆ Kate’s doctored photo raises concerns about tools that let everyone easily edit images
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Brian Fung | Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Although celebrities have altered photos with editing tools for years, images taken of the royal family have a historical importance and are expected to be authentic. The use of image editing to present a false narrative goes back almost to the dawn of photography itself. Image tools with generative AI will allow so much more than photo manipulation because people will be able to create images from completely new scenarios. As AI images hit the mainstream, it will open up more discussions around transparency and the need to regulate usage so news outlets and the public can better spot AI-generated and augmented images, he said. Although AI image watermarks already being implemented on certain platforms, mandating that will be a challenge, Hayden said.

Persons: Catherine , Princess of Wales, Wales, Kate, ”, Princess of, Prince Louis, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Princess, Google’s, Ramesh Raskar, who’s, Raskar, Reece Hayden, Hayden Organizations: CNN, Kensington Palace, Agence France, Presse, Reuters, Associated Press, Adobe, Google, MIT Media, Apple, Facebook, ABI Research Locations: Princess of Wales, Kensington

☆ AI is not ready for primetime
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Generative AI tools, including ChatGPT, have been alleged to violate copyright. That’s not stopping Big Tech companies and AI firms, which continue to hook consumers and businesses on new features and capabilities. “Access to major generative AI systems in widespread use is controlled by a few companies,” said Venkatasubramanian, noting that these systems easily make errors and can produce damaging content. He believes bolder reforms may be necessary too, such as taxing AI companies to fund social safety nets. For now, current day generative AI users must understand the limitations and challenges of using products that are still quite far from where they need to be.

Persons: ”, Taylor Swift, Joe Biden, Mandel Ngan, That’s, OpenAI, Elon Musk, Elon Musk Gonzalo Fuentes, ” Suresh Venkatasubramanian, Venkatasubramanian, ” Arvind Narayanan, CNN he’s, Narayanan, “, ChatGPT, Bard –, haven’t, ” Gemini, Brian Fung Organizations: CNN, Chamber, Getty, Big Tech, Microsoft, Google, Reuters, Brown University, “, White, Office of Science, Technology, Management, Executive, Princeton, “ Tech Locations: Washington ,, AFP, New Hampshire

☆ Premarket stocks: Why another unexpectedly hot jobs report could derail markets
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New York CNN —Wall Street was taken aback by the US labor market’s resilience in January. Another unexpectedly hot report could shake things up again. The January jobs report showed that the US economy added a stunning 353,000 jobs that month and the unemployment rate stayed at 3.7%. The new EU regulations force sweeping changes on some of the world’s most widely used tech products, including Apple’s app store, Google search and messaging platforms, including Meta’s WhatsApp. The broad obligations apply only to the EU, which could leave tech users in the United States and other markets looking longingly at some of the features Big Tech is rolling out in response to the European directive.

Persons: Jerome Powell, he’s, “, ” Powell, Bonnie Cash, —, ’ ”, BeiChen Lin, It’s, Loretta Mester, ”, José Torres, Meta’s, Brian Fung, Apple, Bing, Read, Elisabeth Buchwald, NYCB, Steven Mnuchin’s, Alessandro DiNello, ” Read Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Federal, Financial, Capitol, Reuters, Traders, Russell Investments, ” Cleveland Federal, CNBC, Market, Interactive Brokers, Apple, Google, Union citizens, Big Tech, New York Community Bank, Silicon Valley Bank, Liberty Strategic Capital Locations: New York, Washington ,, United States, NYCB, Silicon

☆ Wait, is America actually banning TikTok now?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Washington CNN —House lawmakers are moving with dizzying speed with a plan that could ban TikTok from the United States. But could a TikTok ban really happen? A man walks past the headquarters of ByteDance, the parent company of video sharing app TikTok, in Beijing. They allege TikTok poses a national security threat because the Chinese government could use its intelligence laws against ByteDance, forcing it to hand over the data of US TikTok users. By that precedent, it would be unconstitutional for the government to ban TikTok even if it were blatantly a direct mouthpiece for the Chinese government, Jaffer said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Greg Baker, Biden, —, “, ” TikTok, Donald Trump, Trump, ByteDance, Mark Zuckerberg, TikTok, Mike Gallagher, Gallagher, ” Biden, Joint Base Andrews, it’s, Washington Sen, Maria Cantwell, ” Cantwell, ”, Jenna Leventoff, Ken White, Brown White, Osborn, White, It’s, Jameel Jaffer, Jaffer Organizations: Washington CNN —, White, Biden —, Apple, Google, House Energy, Commerce, Trump, Facebook, Republican, Biden, Wisconsin Republican, Joint Base, Senate, CNN, American Civil Liberties Union, Columbia University Locations: United States, China, ByteDance, Beijing, AFP, Iran, Russia, North Korea, Washington

☆ Apple backs down against ‘Fortnite"-maker Epic Games amid EU investigation threat
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Apple relenting means Epic will be able to bring “Fortnite” back to iPhones in Europe, Epic said in a blog post. “Apple has told us and committed to the European Commission that they will reinstate our developer account. Apple said it reached the decision “following conversations with Epic” in which Epic committed to following Apple’s new EU-focused policies. “Epic Sweden AB has been permitted to re-sign the developer agreement and accepted into the Apple Developer Program,” Apple said in a statement. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney wrote back to Apple promising to abide by its terms, but Apple rescinded the developer account anyway.

Persons: “, Fortnite, Fortnite ”, Apple, ” Apple, Thierry Breton, Tim Sweeney, ” Organizations: CNN, Apple, European Union, European Commission, Markets, Apple Developer, EU Locations: Europe, iPhones, pushback

☆ Sweeping EU rules for tech giants take effect today. Here’s what’s changing
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The new EU regulations force sweeping changes on some of the world’s most widely used tech products, including Apple’s app store, Google search and messaging platforms, including Meta’s WhatsApp. Its broad obligations affect six of the world’s largest tech companies: Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, Microsoft and ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok. While the law could increase demand for tech companies to extend EU-specific features to other markets, few platforms have shown signs they plan to do so. Tech pushes backBut some tech companies have pushed back on the DMA, warning that it could lead to unintended consequences. “The changes the DMA requires will inevitably cause a gap” between EU users’ security and the security Apple users enjoy outside the EU, it added.

Persons: Meta’s, Apple, Bing, Elon Musk’s, “ Fortnite, ”, Agustin Reyna, “, Apple’s, ” Apple, Reyna, ” BEUC, Tim Sweeney, Meta —, Daniel Friedlaender, CCIA, Friedlaender, Olesya Dmitracova Organizations: Washington CNN, Apple, Google, Union citizens, Big Tech, Spotify, Netflix, Digital Markets, Meta, Microsoft, European Commission, EU, YouTube, Epic, Consumer, Tech, Games, CNN, Computer, Communications Industry Association Locations: United States, Europe

☆ TikTok: House panel unanimously approves bill that could ban app from US app stores
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

If enacted, the bill would give ByteDance 165 days, or a little more than five months, to sell TikTok. The legislation also has the support of the White House and House Speaker Mike Johnson. House lawmakers voted unanimously in the same session Thursday to advance a second bill, one that would limit US companies’ ability to sell Americans’ personal information to foreign adversaries. Speaking to reporters on the Capitol steps Thursday, Gallagher rejected characterizations of the bill as a TikTok ban. A legislative factsheet from the sponsors of the House bill claims the proposal does not censor speech.

Persons: ”, TikTok, Shou Chew, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Frank Pallone, “, ” Pallone, Shou Zi Chew, Jose Luis Magana, Mike Gallagher, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Mike Johnson, Steve Scalise, Washington Sen, Maria Cantwell, ” Cantwell, Gallagher, “ It’s, Dan Crenshaw, It’s, ” Crenshaw, snoop, ByteDance, Trump, Tom Williams, —, “ We’re, Jenna Leventoff, Stephanie Joyce, ” CNN’s Haley Talbot, Melanie Zanona Organizations: Washington CNN, TikTok, House Energy, Commerce, Apple, Google, “, Washington Republican, New, New Jersey Rep, Capitol, Wisconsin Republican, Illinois Democratic Rep, White, Senate, Democratic, Washington, CNN, Chinese Communist Party, Texas Republican, Oracle, American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU, Computer and Communications Industry Association, Foreign Locations: China, New Jersey, Washington, United States, Beijing, State, Rayburn, Montana

☆ Google employee charged with stealing AI trade secrets
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Hannah Rabinowitz | Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A Google employee was charged Tuesday with stealing artificial intelligence trade secrets from the tech giant while secretly working with two Chinese-based companies in the AI industry. Linwei Ding, who also goes by Leon Ding, is charged with four counts of theft of trade secrets. As part of his responsibilities at Google, prosecutors say, Ding helped to develop the software deployed in Google’s supercomputing data centers. Ding was a junior employee, Google spokesperson José Castañeda told CNN, and the company monitors file transfers to cloud storage platforms including Google Drive and Dropbox. “We have strict safeguards to prevent the theft of our confidential commercial information and trade secrets,” Castañeda said.

Persons: Linwei Ding, Leon Ding, “, General Merrick Garland, ” Ding, Ding, ”, José Castañeda, ” Castañeda Organizations: CNN, Google, supercomputing, Justice Department, FBI Locations: America, California, China, United States

☆ Elon Musk’s X must face copyright infringement suit by music publishers, federal judge says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The decision exposes X, formerly Twitter, to claims that it gave paying “verified” subscribers more leeway than non-paying users to illegally share copyrighted music. The lawsuit, filed last June by the National Music Publishers’ Association — whose members include Universal, Sony and Warner Music Group — also claims that X delayed responding to copyright infringement notices and didn’t take enough “reasonable steps” to combat repeat offenders. But she threw out claims by music publishers that X was directly responsible for stealing artists’ intellectual property. Most large social media platforms, such as TikTok, pay licensing fees to music publishers in exchange for giving users the ability to share songs on the websites. In the case against X, music publishers cited more than 1,700 songs whose copyright X has allegedly infringed, including hits such as Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” Outkast’s “Hey Ya!” and Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk,” featuring Bruno Mars.

Persons: Elon Musk’s, National Music Publishers ’ Association —, Warner Music Group —, Aleta Trauger, X, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Mariah Carey’s, Mark Ronson’s, ”, Bruno Mars, “, ” Trauger Organizations: New, New York CNN, Elon, National Music Publishers ’ Association, Universal, Sony, Warner Music Group, X Corp, Court, Middle, Middle District of, CNN Locations: New York, TikTok, Rhianna, Funk, Middle District, Middle District of Tennessee

☆ Biden administration sanctions makers of commercial spyware used to surveil US
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Bad actors have used commercial spyware to target at least 50 US government officials, the Biden administration said last year as it unveiled an executive order banning federal agencies from using the technology. In 2021, the US government said NSO Group’s spyware had been used against roughly a dozen State Department employees serving in Africa. The US government has sought to build international support for curbing the use of commercial spyware, and last month, it announced visa restrictions for anyone seeking to enter the United States who has been involved in the commercial spyware industry. The use of commercial spyware “has been linked to arbitrary detentions, forced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings in the most egregious of cases,” the State Department said at the time. On Tuesday, the Biden administration vowed to watch closely for signs that Intellexa may seek to circumvent the sanctions.

Persons: Washington CNN —, ”, Tal Jonathan Dilian, Sara Aleksandra Fayssal Hamou, Côte, Biden, Oregon Democratic Sen, Ron Wyden Organizations: Washington CNN, Biden, Treasury Department, Intellexa Consortium, US, Google, Pegasus, Intellexa, Amnesty International, State Department, Commerce Department, Oregon Democratic Locations: Egypt, Armenia, Greece, Madagascar, Côte d’Ivoire, Serbia, Spain, Indonesia, Africa, States

☆ Former Twitter execs sue Elon Musk over severance payments
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Brian Fung | Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —A group of former Twitter executives sued Elon Musk on Monday in a bid to recover more than $128 million in severance that they allege Musk has not paid since he acquired the company, now called X, more than a year ago. The executives include former Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal, former CFO Ned Segal, former Chief Legal Officer Vijaya Gadde and former General Counsel Sean Edgett — all of whom were fired within hours after Musk took control of Twitter. Monday’s lawsuit is just the latest legal action brought by former Twitter employees related to Musk’s acquisition. The company has also been accused of failing to pay annual bonuses to employees laid off after Musk’s takeover. Musk and X have also faced lawsuits from vendors, landlords and business partners who claim the company has failed to pay what they are owed.

Persons: Elon Musk, Musk, Parag Agrawal, Ned Segal, Vijaya Gadde, Sean Edgett —, “, ”, Agrawal, Gadde, Segal Organizations: New, New York CNN, Twitter, Court, Northern, Northern District of Locations: New York, Northern District, Northern District of California, Delaware

☆ Federal judge mocks Elon Musk’s X lawsuit targeting hate speech researchers
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A high-profile lawsuit filed by Elon Musk’s X targeting hate speech researchers appeared to stumble on Thursday as a federal judge sounded a skeptical note on many of the lawsuit’s allegations, suggesting that the company formerly known as Twitter hasn’t done enough to establish its claims. The judge in the case signaled he may toss out X’s claims but appeared undecided on whether to let the company amend and refile the suit. X has also blamed CCDH’s reports, which showcase the prevalence of hate speech on the platform, for amplifying brand safety concerns and driving advertisers away from the site. “You could have brought a defamation case; you didn’t bring a defamation case,” Breyer told X attorney Jonathan Hawk. Elon Musk, owner of X, attends the Viva Technology conference at the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre in Paris, France, June 16, 2023.

Persons: Elon Musk’s, X, CCDH, CCDH’s, Charles Breyer, ” Breyer, Jonathan Hawk, Elon Musk, Porte, Gonzalo Fuentes, Breyer, Hawk, “, ” Hawk, I’ve, John Quinn Organizations: CNN, Center, Twitter, Nazi, Viva Technology, Porte de, CCDH Locations: San Francisco federal, Paris, France

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