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Lawmakers Introduce Liability, Competition Bills Targeting Giant Internet Firms

The biggest U.S. tech companies would face new constraints under two bills announced Thursday after a month of revelations from a Facebook Inc. whistle-blower sparked fresh calls to rein in an industry that has largely escaped regulation so far. A …

Australia’s Top Law Officer Wants Defamation Rules Redrafted for Internet Age

Australia’s top law officer has written to her state counterparts urging them to redraft the country’s defamation law after a High Court ruling that publishers of social media posts are liable for reader comments sent shockwaves through the media sector. …

If Facebook Is the Problem, Is a Social Media Regulator the Fix?

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen told Congress on Tuesday that one option for making social media less harmful would be to create a dedicated regulatory agency to oversee companies like Facebook, and could have former tech workers on staff. “Right now, …

CNN Prevents Australians From Accessing Its Facebook Pages, Citing Defamation Risk

SYDNEY – CNN said it is preventing Australians from accessing its Facebook Inc pages after a court ruled that publishers can be liable for defamation in public comment sections and the social media firm refused to help it disable comments …

Australia’s High Court Rules Publishers Liable for Facebook Comments

MELBOURNE — Australia’s biggest news publishers including Rupert Murdoch’s the Australian are responsible for comments that readers post on their corporate Facebook pages, the High Court ruled on Wednesday. The court dismissed an appeal against a previous ruling that found …

Facebook’s WhatsApp to Appeal Ireland’s €225 Million Data Privacy Fine

Ireland hit Facebook’s WhatsApp with a record 225 million euro ($266 million) fine on Thursday following an inquiry into the messaging app’s transparency around sharing personal data with other Facebook companies. WhatsApp said the fine was “entirely disproportionate” and that …

Global Regulators Warned About Entry of ‘Big Tech’ Firms into Financial Services

Central banks and financial regulators urgently need to get to grips with the growing influence of “Big Tech,” according to top officials from central bank umbrella group the Bank for International Settlements (BIS). Global watchdogs are increasingly wary that the …

Senators Add Vaccine Misinformation as Reason to Alter Tech Firms’ Liability Protection

Two Democratic U.S. senators on Thursday will add to the stack of bills going after Section 230 – a law that protects tech companies from being sued over content posted by users – making such platforms responsible for health-related misinformation. …

Facebook Hits Back Against Biden Team Blaming It for Vaccine Misinformation

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy stood by federal guidance that those fully vaccinated against COVID-19 no longer needed to wear masks, while blaming social media companies for fueling vaccine misinformation. Murthy told CNN’s “State of the Union” that allowing vaccinated …

How Tech Firms From Amazon to YouTube Ban Users for Off-Site Behavior

Earlier this month, Twitch announced it would start banning users for behavior away from its site. The move by Amazon Inc.’s live-streaming platform involved hiring a law firm to conduct investigations into users’ misconduct, a new twist in the latest …