federal

Thu
21
Nov
Dennis Faas's picture

Digital Wallets to Face Oversight Under New CFPB Rule

Silicon Valley tech giants and financial technology companies that collectively process over 13 billion financial transactions annually will now face enhanced government oversight. On Thursday, the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ... finalized a new rule aimed at subjecting digital wallets and payment apps to the same scrutiny as traditional banks. This move is designed to safeguard consumer data, prevent fraud, and address unauthorized account closures. (Source: reuters.com ) Why the New Rule Matters Digital payment platforms like Apple Wallet, Google Pay, and Venmo have become ... (view more)

Mon
07
Feb
John Lister's picture

Court: States Can Enforce Net Neutrality

Californian laws requiring "net neutrality" have been found lawful by an appeals court. As so often on the topic, the legal argument is as much about who has the power to make laws as it is the legal measures themselves. While precise definitions ... vary between people with different viewpoints, the most common definition of net neutrality is the principle that all Internet traffic (except that carrying illegal material) should be treated equally. One of the key issues for that principle in practice is whether Internet carriers can give priority to connections to specific sites or intentionally ... (view more)

Tue
03
Aug
John Lister's picture

Phone, Gadget Repair 'Rules' to be Enforced by FTC

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has voted unanimously to enforce "right to repair" laws. The rules should make it harder for manufacturers to maintain monopolies over fixing gadgets such as phones. The FTC follows an executive order from the ... President that covered economic competition issues in general but included a specific reference to smartphones. (Source: theverge.com ) The moves aim to tackle companies such as phone makers which either block or restrict third-party companies or device buyers from carrying out repairs. This involves a range of tactics such as refusing to supply ... (view more)

Wed
03
Mar
John Lister's picture

California Net Neutrality Law to Take Effect

A federal judge says California can begin enacting a controversial law on net neutrality. Broadband companies who are suing to have the law thrown out had argued it should be put on hold until that case is complete. Net neutrality is a broad ... principle that all Internet traffic should be treated in the same way. Translated into practical effects that could mean barring broadband carriers from blocking otherwise legal content or charging extra to access specific services (such as Netflix). Federal rules on net neutrality have been a particularly contentious issue. At the moment that Federal ... (view more)

Tue
20
Sep
John Lister's picture

Law Change Could Let Feds Spy On Malware Victims

Opponents of proposed changes that could make government surveillance of computers easier have warned time is running out. The changes will take effect on December 1 unless Congress passes a law to stop them. The debate involves the Federal Rules of ... Criminal Procedure, which is effectively the rulebook of the judicial system. Rule 41 sets out how search warrants work in federal cases. Earlier this year the Supreme Court agreed to a request from the Justice Department for three changes to Rule 41. The first is an exception to the usual principle that a local judge can only issue a search ... (view more)

Wed
01
Dec
Dennis Faas's picture

US Gov't Shuts Down 82 Pirate Websites

The United States government has shut down a total of 82 websites accused of selling pirated goods, including music and movies. But these aren't just torrents: amongst the targeted pages are those that sell clothing, sunglasses, and even handbags. ... The seizure orders came from the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement ("ICE") agencies and apply to eight states in addition to Washington, D.C. A selection of the sites includes Torrent-finder.com, DVDscollection.com, Sunglasses-mall.com, and NFLjerseysupply.com. ( ... (view more)

Mon
02
Nov
Dennis Faas's picture

FCC's Net Neutrality Powers Remain Questionable

It remains unclear whether the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will be able to bring its proposed net neutrality rules into force. Another politician has launched a bid to block the FCC from further regulating the net, while an Internet ... carrier claims the commission doesn't have the legal power to bring the rules into force. Last week, the FCC voted unanimously to adopt plans for new rules enforcing the existing principle of net neutrality. The overall idea is that Internet carriers should treat all traffic equally. In practice that could mean cable firms and ISPs would not be allowed ... (view more)

Fri
16
Jan
Dennis Faas's picture

Are Bush Admin Computers a Crime Scene?

David Gewirtz, author of 'Where Have All the Emails Gone?' reportedly wrote an open letter to President-elect Obama asking that his administration please treat the White House computers like crime scene evidence. By failing to preserve official ... emails, the Bush White House has technically committed a federal crime by violating the Presidential Records Act and The Federal Records Act. The first few weeks of the Obama Administration taking office are going to be critical in preserving that information. Forensic evidence needs to be gathered before it's lost in the flurry of incoming activity. ( ... (view more)

Wed
02
May
Dennis Faas's picture

Far East Spies Target U.S. Fed Computers

International hackers have reportedly been targeting American federal agency computers, stealing as much data as possible, and assuming control of PC files. While this appears to be a very difficult and sophisticated endeavor to accomplish, ... international spies are simply using the same method that domestic hackers implement on a smaller scale: corrupt Microsoft Office files. The actual virus is sent via email attachment and when government officials unwittingly open these Word, Excel or PowerPoint files, they relinquish control of their entire PC. The attacker then uses the PC as a base from ... (view more)

Wed
14
Mar
Dennis Faas's picture

More Federal Agencies Delay Migration to Vista

Last week we reported how the Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration imposed a moratorium on users migrating to Windows Vista, Internet Explorer 7 and Office 2007 citing no compelling reasons to upgrade at this time. ... Federal Computer Week is reporting that more Federal Agencies are delaying the migration to Windows Vista. The Interior Department, including the Army and the Transportation Department are developing implementation policies and say they need to complete their testing of Vista before switching over from older working systems already in place. A draft ... (view more)

Pages

Subscribe to RSS - federal