To add to TikTok’s legal woes in the U.S., Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers (AG) filed suit against TikTok on May 22, 2024, alleging that TikTok violated Nebraska’s consumer protection laws and engaged in deceptive trade practices by “designing and operating a platform that is addictive and harmful to teens and children.” In addition, the
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Privacy Tip #397 – TikTok and ByteDance File Suit Against the United States
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in Privacy Tips
As threatened, TikTok, Inc. and ByteDance, Ltd., the owner of the TikTok app, filed suit against the United States on May 7, 2024, alleging that the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (“the Act”) is unconstitutional and is a violation of the free speech of 170 million Americans who use the app. …
Aid Package Signed by President Biden Includes Divestiture of TikTok Requirement
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in Cybersecurity
President Biden signed a historical aid package into law on Tuesday that includes aid for Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific region. The package also includes a bill increasing sanctions on Russian assets and requiring TikTok owner ByteDance to sell TikTok within 270 days or risk that the app will not be available through app stores…
U.S. House of Representatives Passes Bill to Ban TikTok Unless Divested from ByteDance
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in Data Privacy
Yesterday, with broad bipartisan support, the U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly (352-65) to support the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, designed to begin the process of banning TikTok’s use in the United States. This is music to my ears. See a previous blog post on this subject.
The Act would penalize…
Privacy Tip #391 – Potential Ban on TikTok in US Follows Ban in Other Countries
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in Privacy Tips
The bill that passed in the U.S. House of Representatives potentially banning TikTok’s use in the U.S. is not a novel idea. The federal government has already banned TikTok’s use for federal employees, some states have banned its use for state employees, and the state of Montana has attempted to ban its use…
Dragos Outlines Voltzite’s Attacks Against Critical Infrastructure
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in Cybersecurity
In a joint release last week, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and other federal agencies issued a chilling Advisory about the ongoing attacks by Volt Typhoon on U.S. critical infrastructure. Volt Typhoon is a People’s Republic of China (PRC) sponsored group that uses slow and persistent techniques to gain entry into U.S.-based critical…
Privacy Tip #384 – Montana Appeals Order Blocking Ban of TikTok
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in Privacy Tips
Montana’s legislature last year passed legislation, signed by the Governor, to ban the use of TikTok within the borders of the state, seeking to protect Montana consumers’ personal information and limit spying by the Chinese government through TikTok.
Some Montana users sued Montana to block the ban. A federal judge in Montana issued a preliminary…
Privacy Tip #377 – China’s Threat to US: Watch 60 Minutes with the Five Eyes
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in Privacy Tips
If you didn’t get to watch “60 Minutes” on Sunday and see the “Five Eyes” warn us all about China, put it on your list to watch soon.
The Five Eyes are the intelligence leaders of five allied countries: U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, and New Zealand. I have never seen all five together before and…
High Alert: China Linked BlackTech Hides in Router Firmware
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in Cybersecurity
Not only is the People’s Republic of China (PRC) a threat with its use of TikTok, but it also supports threat actors that have for years attacked U.S. based companies as well as the governments of the U.S. and Japan. According to a Joint Advisory published on September 27, 2023, by the National Security Agency…
Privacy Tip #361 – Beware of ChatGPT-Themed Scams
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in Artificial Intelligence, Privacy Tips
Researchers at Meta, the owner of Facebook, released a report this week which indicated that since March 2023, Meta “has blocked and shared with our industry peers more than 1,000 malicious links from being shared across our technologies” of unique ChatGPT-themed web addresses designed to deliver malicious software to users’ devices.
According to Meta’s report…