Tag Archives: Lawmakers

WASHINGTON, Aug 11 (Reuters) – A bipartisan trio of senators introduced a bill that would rein in app stores of companies they said exert too much market control, including Apple Inc (AAPL.O) and Alphabet Inc’s Google (GOOGL.O). Democratic Senators Richard Blumenthal and Amy Klobuchar teamed up with Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn to sponsor the bill, which would bar big app stores from requiring app providers to use their payment system. It would also prohibit them from punishing apps… Source link

The bipartisan legislation marks Congress’s most significant push to date to rein in Silicon Valley, in some cases taking direct aim at tech giants’ underlying business models. If successful, the legislation could force Google (GOOG) to stop promoting YouTube in its search results, or prohibit Amazon (AMZN) from selling products on its marketplace that compete directly with third-party seller listings. Apple (AAPL) could be required to relax its restrictions on iOS app developers, and… Source link

(Bloomberg) — More transparency is needed into what kind of cash payments are made after ransomware attacks, a top Democrat said, following a recent spate of cyber-attacks aimed at U.S. companies. Mark Warner, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, spoke days after a top U.S. meat producer needed to shut down facilities that account for almost a quarter of American beef supplies after a cyber incident. “Not only are the companies often not reporting that they are attacked, but… Source link

Mike Blake/Reuters The head of the U.S. Post Office law enforcement division running a covert social media collection program is expected to brief lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee Wednesday morning about its surveillance work. Yahoo News last week revealed the existence of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Internet Covert Operations Program, known as iCOP, which has been monitoring social media for information about political protests. The work involves having analysts trawl… Source link

Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.) seek to determine whether Google Play violated Section 5 of the FTC Act. “New research suggests that Google misleadingly markets children’s apps as compliant with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) despite evidence that many of those apps illegally track children’s behavior and share their personal information without consent,” Markey and Castor wrote in the joint letter. “The FTC must use its full… Source link

A new proposal by Republican lawmakers to overhaul a critical law that protects online platforms already looks dead in the water, according to one legal expert, though another prominent legal scholar believes it could fuel bipartisan reform for tech regulation. The proposal, laid out by Republican members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Thursday, is meant to serve as a foundation to reform Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a law that provides liability protection… Source link

Fox Business Flash top headlines are here. Check out what’s clicking on FoxBusiness.com. EXCLUSIVE: The National Cybersecurity Center and Google on Monday are launching a training program for state lawmakers and their staff in all 50 states to best prepare them for cyber threats ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, FOX Business has learned. The initiative, Cybersecurity for State Leaders, will include nonpartisan trainings intended to prepare lawmakers and statehouse staff “to be vigilant… Source link

By Colin Packham, Byron Kaye CANBERRA (Reuters) – Australian lawmakers are expected to approve amendments to landmark legislation to force Facebook and Alphabet’s Google to pay media companies for news content, despite opposition from some minor political parties. FILE PHOTO: Smartphone with Google app icon is seen in front of the Australian flag in this illustration taken January 22, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo The government introduced amendments to the so-called Media… Source link

Lawmakers in Congress are drafting a bill that would let news publishers team up against Facebook and Google. The House Judiciary Committee plans to roll out legislation in the coming weeks to allow small US news organizations to collectively bargain with the two tech titans, according to Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.), the panel’s top Republican. The bill would add to the growing regulatory pressure on Facebook and Google, which have been accused of putting news… Source link