Report from the Wall Street Journal In Brief – The Canadian Government of Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced it is rescinding its digital services tax (DST) that targets the largest US digital companies in a bid to boost trade talks with the US and avoid major...
Another Week. Another State Social Media Teen Law Blocked – Georgia
Report from MediaPost In Brief – Federal District Judge Amy Totenberg has blocked enforcement of Georgia law SB 351, the Protecting Georgia’s Children on Social Media Act. In her 50-page order she says, “The state seeks to erect barriers to speech that cannot...
Google’s Latest Offer to Change Vertical Search to Comply with EU DMA
Report from Reuters In Brief – Google has proposed more changes to its search results to improve the visibility of “vertical” search competitors, such as those specializing in hotels, airfares, or local services, aiming to resolve the European Commission’s preliminary...
Apple and Google Asked to Block DeepSeek Downloads in Germany
Report from Bloomberg In Brief – The Data Protection and Privacy Commissioner of Berlin has announced that she asked Apple and Google to remove China-based chatbot DeepSeek from their app stores due to data security concerns and a failure to comply with the EU General...
Google Agrees to Invest in Legal Compliance in a Shareholder Settlement
Report from Reuters In Brief – Google and a collection of plaintiffs in shareholder derivative litigation alleging leadership wrongdoing that exposed the company to antitrust liabilities have agreed on a settlement that will have the company invest $500 million over...
AU eSafety Commissioner Enters the Chat on YouTube’s Age Limit Exemption
Report from Reuters In Brief – Australia’s eSafety Commissioner is recommending that the Albanese Government not exempt YouTube from the country’s strict social-media age limit of 16 years old despite the government’s initial plan to do so. Google representatives...
Commission-Led Google DMA Meetings Fail to Resolve Search Issues
Report from Reuters In Brief – Google used a European Commission-hosted workshop on July 7–8 to outline two more proposals intended to address complaints over how it treats “vertical” search competitors, such as those specializing in hotels, airfares, or local...
Apple Appeals to the Courts on the Commission’s DMA Fine and Demands
Report from Politico In Brief – Apple has appealed the €500 million fine imposed by the European Commission for failing to comply with the Digital Market Act (DMA), calling the penalty “unprecedented” and arguing that the regulator’s demands for changes to its App...
Small Publishers File Complaints Against Google’s AI and Search Policies
Report from Reuters In Brief – The Independent Publishers Alliance, a UK-based trade group of small independent publishers, has filed antitrust complaints against Google with the European Commission and the UK Competition and Markets Authority accusing Google of...
Reddit Implements Age Verification in UK
Report from TechCrunch In Brief – Reddit, which is reported to be the fastest growing social media platform in Great Britain, has announced that they are checking the age of users in the UK to bring their services into compliance with the Online Safety Act (OSA). To...
US Department of Justice Joins xAI Lawsuit Challenging Colorado AI Law
Report from the Colorado Sun In Brief – The US Department of Justice has joined a lawsuit filed by xAI, the AI company owned by Elon Musk, seeking to block Colorado’s first-in-the-nation AI safety law from taking effect. Senate Bill 205, which was signed into law in...
Norwegian Government Announces Their Plan for a Social Media Age Limit
Report from Reuters In Brief – The Government of Norway has announced that it will a submit a bill in parliament by year-end to ban teens from using social media until January 1 of the year they turn 16. Access to social media won’t be based strictly on birthdays, but...
FTC Settles Ad Agencies to End Group Online “Brand Safety” Standards
Report from MediaPost In Brief – The Federal Trade Commission announced antitrust settlement agreements with major advertising holding companies Dentsu, Publicis, and WPP to end what the regulator alleges was unlawful collusion in setting industry-wide “brand safety”...
US Department of Justice Won’t Help French Prosecutors Probe Musk’s X
Report from the Wall Street Journal In Brief – The US Justice Department is declining to assist French authorities investigating X, describing the effort as a politically motivated misuse of the criminal justice system to regulate online speech in a way that conflicts...
Another Arkansas Social Media Law Blocked by Federal Judge
Report from the Arkansas Advocate In Brief – US District Judge Timothy Brooks has issued a temporary injunction blocking Arkansas Act 900 that was set to restrict minors from accessing social media with certain features. The 2025 law, challenged by the tech industry...
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