Bloomberg

Huawei Frightens Europe's Data Protectors. America Does, Too

As the US pushes ahead with the “Cloud Act” it enacted about a year ago, Europe is scrambling to curb its reach. Under the act, all US cloud service providers from Microsoft and IBM to Amazon -- when ordered -- have to provide American authorities data stored on their servers regardless of where it’s housed. With those providers controlling much of the cloud market in Europe, the act could potentially give the US the right to access information on large swaths of the region’s people and companies. The US says the act is aimed at aiding investigations.

Rift Between US and European Carriers Opens Over Huawei

CTIA, a trade group representing top US wireless providers, disagreed with European and Asian counterparts over alleged security threats from Chinese equipment maker Huawei. A Feb 14 release from GSMA, a London-based wireless industry group, urged European lawmakers not to ban Huawei as a supplier.

Facebook Privacy Lapses Are the Target of More Probes in the US

Apparently, Facebook has become the target of at least three more state probes into the alleged mishandling of user data, expanding the number of government agencies investigating privacy-violation claims against the company. The state probes are coalescing into two main groups scrutinizing the social-media company’s data-protection practices. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro and Illinois counterpart, Kwame Raoul, have joined forces with Connecticut’s William Tong, apparently. That group is focused on investigating existing allegations.

Google Urged the US to Limit Protection for Activist Workers

Google has been quietly urging the US government to narrow legal protection for workers organizing online. During the Obama administration, the National Labor Relations Board broadened employees’ rights to use their workplace email system to organize around issues on the job. In a 2014 case, Purple Communications, the agency restricted companies from punishing employees for using their workplace email systems for activities like circulating petitions or fomenting walkouts, as well as trying to form a union.

2019 Outlook: Net Neutrality ‘Ping Pong’ Battle to Rage On

The network neutrality fight will continue playing out in federal court and the states in 2019, against the backdrop of a divided Congress that’s unlikely to settle the debate. The DC Circuit is likely to rule in Mozilla Corp. v. Federal Communications Commission in late spring or summer. The court may decide the fate of the repeal of Obama-era rules, and whether states can enact net neutrality laws in defiance of the FCC. Four states have enacted laws reinstating net neutrality protections since the FCC’s repeal. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai says the state laws are illegal.