The Swiss National Council approved the controversial Federal Law on the Prohibition of Concealing the Face Wednesday by a vote of 151-29. The law implements a referendum passed in March 2021, in which 51% of Swiss voters approved a ban on concealing one’s face in public. The initiative was brought by the right-wing Swiss People’s [...]
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California AG announces $93M settlement with Google over collection of users' location data
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a $93 million settlement with Google, Inc. on Thursday in a lawsuit over the company’s location tracking practices. The lawsuit initially arose when Bonta accused Google of violating that several California Business and Professions Code (BPC) provisions regarding the company’s statements about their use and collection of users’ location [...]
US federal appeals court temporarily blocks California law that bans marketing of guns to minors
The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit temporarily blocked a California law on Wednesday that bans firearm advertising that is “attractive to minors.” The case is an appeal from the US District Court for the Central District of California, which denied Junior Sports Magazines, Inc. and several gun rights groups’ motion to block [...]
Myanmar junta detains Swiss national over alleged insult to Buddhism in film
The government-affiliated Myanma Alinn newspaper reported Saturday that Myanmar’s military junta took 13 Myanmar citizens, including a 12-year-old girl, and a Swiss national into custody over their alleged involvement in a film deemed to be offensive to Buddhism. The Swiss citizen, 52-year-old Didier Nusbaumer, was alleged to have produced the film, “Don’t Expect Anything,” where a young [...]
Germany cabinet approves draft recreational cannabis legalization bill
The German cabinet approved a draft bill Wednesday named “Act on the Controlled Use of Cannabis and Amending Other Regulations” that would legalize the controlled use of recreational cannabis. The legislation, based on a paper presented by Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach and Federal Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir, seeks to address the limitations [...]
Canada news outlets file competition complaint against Meta over response to Online News Act
Canadian news publishers and broadcasters represented by News Media Canada, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters and CBC/Radio-Canada filed an application with the Competition Bureau of Canada Tuesday requesting an investigation into Meta’s conduct relating to the implementation of the Online News Act. The complaint centers around Meta’s recent decision to block news content from its [...]
Norway data protection authority to fine Meta amid legal challenge
Norwegian data protection agency Datatilsynet told Reuters on Monday that Meta will be fined 1 million kroner per day starting from August 14 if it does not comply with the agency’s requests. This comes after Norway’s public broadcaster reported that Meta Platforms (Meta) is seeking to block a forthcoming fine from the agency, which was [...]
Hong Kong petition against bill reducing seats on top university council receives 1500 signatures
The Hong Kong Free Press reported Saturday that at least 1,500 people have signed a petition opposing a bill that would restructure the Council of the Chinese University of Hong Kong by reducing the number of seats and increasing the proportion of Hong Kong Legislative Council members on the university council. The bill at issue [...]
Kazakhstan dispatch: new law seeks to regulate online platforms and restrict fake information
Aidana Tastanova is a Kazakhstan national and a 3rd year law student attending the Moscow State Institute of International Relations under a Kazakh government scholarship. Aitylğan sõz – atylğan oq (translation: ‘A word once spoken can never be recalled’) – Kazakh proverb On July 10, the lower house of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, the Majilis, [...]
The past few years have seen a proliferation of online misinformation, accompanied by the growth of the fact-checking industry. This industry has evolved into a matured sector with its own funding sources and investments from major companies, which may have their own agendas. These companies are actively seeking to influence and control the industry, highlighting [...]