Cyberlaw

Stop Killing Games has largely put its weight behind an EU Citizen's Initiative, and that seems to be paying off, as the movement to protect the ownership of video games has earned its first endorsement in the EU parliament.

This is to comply with the UK's Online Safety Act, which requires platforms to implement additional measures to stop children from accessing sensitive content online.

A Rotterdam court sentenced German former engineer Aksenov to three years in prison for copying confidential ASML and NXP semiconductor designs onto USB drives and passing them to a Russian contact linked to the FSB.

According to a report, Nintendo can brick the Nintendo Switch 2 of completely innocent users if they use a second-hand game - depending on how the game was previously used.

Researchers have discovered an exploit with Chat GPT-4o and GPT-4o mini that makes it reveal valid Windows product activation keys. The strategy works because ChatGPT has publicly known Windows keys baked into its data set.

According to The Information, a second version of TikTok, led by a group of new owners, could be released in the US on Sept. 5. The existing version would then sunset in March 2026.

SpaceX is facing a lawsuit filed by Mexico following the explosion of the Starship on June 18. This is despite the company's efforts to limit its impact on the environment.

The Counter-Strike 1.6 Source engine remake has run into a legal hurdle. Its developers promise they're working with Valve to resolve the issue, and that its early access window might have to be pushed to 2026 as a result.

The U.S. Department of Justice has confirmed that raids were recently carried out at a total of 29 North Korean "laptop farms" operating in 16 US states. As part of the operation, 29 bank accounts and 21 fraudulent websites have been seized.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has imposed sanctions on Aeza Group, a bulletproof hosting (BPH) provider based in Russia, for facilitating cybercriminal operations that affect victims across the globe. BPH providers such as Aeza Group deliver internet hosting services designed to resist takedown efforts and law enforcement intervention, thereby enabling unlawful or harmful online activity.

GNCA interviews Ross Scott of Accursed Farms to discuss the Stop Killing Games campaign and its push for legal protections when online-only games are shut down. The focus is a European Citizens’ Initiative that would require publishers to offer playable end-of-life versions, marking a critical step for digital ownership rights.

New research from Ben-Gurion University shows how malware can exfiltrate data from air-gapped computers using inaudible signals and nearby smartwatches, exposing overlooked risks in high-security environments.

Since Chinese AI language model Deepseek has been forwarding user data from Europe to China, German authorities are now attempting to ban the app. Apple and Google have now been officially requested to ban the app from their stores.

Meta has announced its plans to introduce personalized advertising on WhatsApp, which will be based on personal data from other Meta services such as Facebook and Instagram. Data protectionists are viewing this as a consolidation of Meta's social media monopoly.

Gamers Nexus has withdrawn from class action lawsuits against PayPal, Capital One, and others over alleged affiliate commission theft. The move allows GN to report freely under its GNCA series while protecting viewer privacy and source confidentiality.

Gamers Nexus has introduced a new monthly series under the GNCA (Gamers Nexus Consumer Advocacy) banner, aimed at covering investigations and developments that typically fall outside the hardware review channel's usual scope. The debut episode of the Tipline segment spans major updates in product recalls, digital preservation lawsuits, e-waste accountability, and right to repair legislation.

As of June 4, the aforementioned adult platforms are offline in France. The operators of these sites are refusing to implement an age verification law as a protest against the potentially "privacy-infringing", "ineffective" and "dangerous" requirement, triggering a dispute between the EU Commission and the adult entertainment industry.

Brazilian authorities have filed a lawsuit against the Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD and two of its partners for labor exploitation and multiple labor violations related to the construction of a factory in the state of Bahia.

Adidas confirms a data breach via a third-party vendor, exposing user contact details. No payment or login data was affected, but the incident raises concerns about vendor-related security risks.

The BYOND platform has been hit by sustained DDoS attacks from a group demanding the release of its source code. Disruptions have left services intermittently offline, raising concerns over the ethics of coercive digital activism.

Epic's Fortnite has officially returned to Apple's US App Store after a lengthy legal battle. Apple banned the game in August 2020 for violating App Store policies by allowing players to buy the in-game currency directly from Epic.

United States President Donald Trump has signed a new law that criminalizes AI-generated Deepfakes, in an effort to stop the spread of non-consensual sexual images and videos online.

Schedule I’s removal from the Australian Steam store draws attention to the challenges developers face navigating regional classification laws on global platforms.

Pinterest is testing a new pop-up notification on the app that will encourage kids to log off the service during school hours. The pop-up will be shown to minors between the ages of 13 and 17 in the US and Canada.

Two former Columbia University students have created an AI tool that can help users cheat on anything. The tool, called Cluely, has raised $5.3 million and is available in a free and paid subscription plan.

Google is reportedly making ongoing monthly payments to Samsung to keep Gemini as the default AI assistant in One UI. The antitrust lawsuit hearing took place on April 21 and Google is expected to appeal the final decision in September.

The infamous internet forum 4chan was taken offline following a hack that acquired admin access to the site. The forum now loads intermittently (as of press time). The hack likely exploited the fact that 4chan had not updated its PHP version since 2016.

Stader Labs has launched Cabbage, an AI-powered memecoin trading platform, as part of a strategic push to combine intelligent trading tools with long-term token value creation. With real-time analytics and one-click execution, Cabbage aims to bring structure to the chaotic memecoin market. At the same time, Stader is tying Cabbage revenue directly to SD token buybacks, giving token holders a tangible stake in the platform’s success.

The founder of Nate, an AI-powered shopping app that promised a universal checkout experience, was charged with fraud Wednesday. Rather than utilizing machine learning and artificial intelligence as advertised, the app allegedly used hundreds of call center employees to transact purchases.

A security investigation of iOS apps has revealed a massive privacy breach – 1.5 million user images uploaded to several specialist dating apps were publicly exposed to anyone with the URL. The developer M.A.D. Mobile has since addressed the issue, but the fix has come months after the researchers’ initial warnings.

As digital threats and crimes become more and more sophisticated, the importance of remaining informed and proactive about how to respond to them rises to match. That includes knowing what to do if you find out your personal data has been stolen, which, according to those in the legal profession, includes taking action to protect yourself from the fallout as soon as possible.

TikTok’s parent company ByteDance has till April 5 to sell the app to an American company. However, a new study shows more Americans are now opposed to the ban as compared to two years ago.

The next release of iOS, version 18.4, will bring several improvements, including non-English languages for Apple Intelligence. However, iPhone Mirroring is conspicuously absent from the most recent release candidate of iOS 18.4 distributed in the EU.

ChatGPT accused a Norwegian man of murdering his two sons and jail time of 21 years. OpenAI is now in trouble once again in Europe for producing egregious falsehoods under GDPR regulation.

Although the policy guidance that encourages local use of open-source RISC-V chips is not official yet, the insiders familiar with the inner workings of the Chinese government who spoke to Reuters claim that this could happen before the end of the month. No less than eight government bodies are involved.

Apple is facing a lawsuit lodged by consumers regarding the carbon neutrality of Apple Watch Series 9, Watch SE, and Watch Ultra 2. The lawsuit alleges Apple was misleading in the carbon reduction of certain projects purchased as carbon offsets to advertise the devices as "carbon neutral."

Google will soon nix SMS authentication for Gmail logins, according to Davey Winder at Forbes. Citing inside sources, Winder claims that the search giant will soon authenticate Gmail logins using QR codes that can be scanned with a smartphone's camera.

In just a few days, Kindle users will no longer be able to download eBooks purchased through Amazon's Kindle store. The move will essentially end any potential for downloading local backups of purchased books; Kindle users will only be able to access their library via downloads directly to a Kindle device.

A controversial new app, available only in third-party app stores, has Apple spitting fire. The company cites the app, which allows users to browse adult content, as an example of harmful software it is forced to allow under the EU's Digital Markets Act.

While not using the country as its main base of operations in Europe, DeepSeek still has to comply with local data protection regulations. As a consequence, the Chinese AI company needs to provide all the details on how it handles Irish users' data to the local Data Protection Commission (DPC).

NordVPN announced a new VPN protocol today. Dubbed NordWhisper, NordVPN claims the new protocol can better mimic standard internet traffic, circumventing measures that attempt to identify and block Internet activity funneled through a VPN.

A recently revealed exploit in the Starlink system used in Subaru vehicles allowed hackers to access any connected Subaru car in the United States, Canada, or Japan and add themselves as an authorized user. With this access, hackers could discover personal data of vehicle owners, remotely unlock and start or stop a car, and download a vehicle's location history over an entire year.

Google has agreed to pay a fine of $12.25 million for knowingly failing to report that its Fitbit Ionic smartwatch had a battery overheating defect that could cause severe burns to users. In total, 78 burn injuries were reported to the company from 2018 to 2020, before it finally recalled the product in March, 2022.

PowerSchool, one of the largest student management software providers, was hacked earlier this month. Details of the hack have surfaced, with the malicious actor claiming they stole personal data for over 62 million students and 9.5 million teachers.

The AI assistant Humphrey, named after the sitcom "Yes, Minister," aims to enhance secure document storage, including digital driving licenses. Although it will be launched in months, Humphrey has already been subjected to accusations that its name makes it not trustworthy due to the negative traits of the TV character.

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order blocking the enforcement of the TikTok ban by the United States for a period of 75 days.

The US Supreme Court upheld a law signed into power in March 2024, requiring TikTok sell its US operations to an American buyer or leave the US market. Millions of US TikTok users potentially face a blackout on Sunday, January 19. Update: TikTok has been shut down.

PayPal subsidiary Honey is now being sued by the influential PC hardware review group GamersNexus. It is taking legal action as a response to claims made by YouTube channel MegaLag concerning the browser extension's “deceptive trade practices”. GamersNexus editor-in-chief Steven Burke asserts that Honey needs to be taken to account in this manner given the damage done to content creators and consumers alike.

Social media age restrictions are coming to Indonesia as soon as possible, according to the country's officials. This temporary measure aims to protect children while the government is working on a law to set a minimum age for using such platforms, similar to Australia's recent under-16 social media ban.