We’ve said it over and over again, if libraries did not exist today, there is no way publishers would allow them to come into existence. We know this, in part, because of their attempts to stop libraries from lending ebooks, and to price ebooks at ridiculous markups to discourage libraries, and their outright claims that Read more about Penguin Random House Demands Removal Of Maus From Digital Library Because The Book Is Popular Again after ban in the US[…]

At the same time car companies are fighting the right to repair movement (and the state and federal legislation popping up everywhere), they’re continuing the quest to turn everyday features — like heated seats — into something users have to pay a recurring fee for. In 2019, BMW had to abandon a plan to charge Read more about Automakers Can’t Give Up The Idea Of Turning Everyday Features Into Subscription Services With Fees[…]

[…] Knox describes herself as “one of the most outspoken sex workers, particularly for crypto.” Her interest kicked off in 2014, which is when she says several vendors, including PayPal, Square Cash, and Venmo, shut down her accounts because of red flags related to sex work. So Knox started accepting cryptocurrencies instead. Her first exchange Read more about Bitcoin a lifeline for sex workers, like ex-nurse making $1.3 million – banks and other payment providers refuse to process them[…]

The Dutch antitrust watchdog on Monday fined apple Apple (AAPL.O) 5 million euros ($5.72 million) for a third time for failing to allow software application makers in the Netherlands to use non-Apple payment methods for dating apps listed in the company’s App Store. The Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has been levying weekly fines Read more about Dutch watchdog fines Apple $5.7 million for 3rd weekly time in App Store dispute[…]

Developers reacted with astonishment and anger at Apple’s 27% commission policy as a minimal form of compliance with a new antitrust law regarding the App Store. One leading developer described the move as ‘vile,’ while another said Apple is deliberately ensuring it would cost developers more to opt-out of Apple’s payment system than it would Read more about Developers react to Apples 27% commission with astonishment, anger[…]

Intel Corporation no longer has to pay a €1.06bn ($1.2bn, £890m) fine imposed by the European Commission (EC) in 2009 for abusing its dominance of the chip market. On Wednesday, the General Court of the European Union annulled the EC antitrust penalty [PDF] after previously upholding it in 2014 [PDF]. After rival AMD complained in Read more about Intel’s $1.2bn EU antitrust fine cancelled by court 12 years after Intel didn’t pay up[…]

In January 2021, stock trading app Robinhood infuriated users when it responded to surging trades of so-called meme stocks, by halting trades—effectively preventing users from selling shares until the prices had collapsed. Congressional hearings, regulatory probes, and a deluge of regulatory complaints and lawsuits ensued, which was at least one cause of its initial public Read more about Robinhood Must Pay User $29,460 Over Meme Stock Trading Halt[…]

Apple will grudgingly allow dating app developers in the Netherlands to use alternative payment methods in the App Store, but it doesn’t like it, and the score hasn’t been settled yet. In an update on its developers’ blog on Friday, Apple said dating app developers will have two new optional “entitlements” in the App Store, Read more about Apple Lets Developers in the Netherlands Offer Payment Options, escape from the 30% squeeze[…]

Thieves operating for the North Korean government made off with almost $400m in digicash last year in a concerted attack to steal and launder as much currency as they could. A report from blockchain biz Chainalysis found that attackers were going after investment houses and currency exchanges in a bid to purloin funds and send Read more about North Korea made ‘$400m’ in cryptocurrency heists last year[…]

Yet another developer of open source software has tired of companies utilizing the code he helps maintain without giving anything back to support the project. On Tuesday, Christofer Dutz, creator of Apache PLC4X, said he will stop providing community support for the software if corporate users fail to step up and open their wallets. “The Read more about Open source maintainer PLC4X hits out at corporate freeloaders, stops offering free support[…]

The Federal Trade Commission’s antitrust complaint that Facebook, er, Meta operates as a monopoly will be heard by the courts after the US watchdog’s initial lawsuit was dismissed. In December 2020, the FTC accused Meta of “illegally maintaining its personal social networking (PSN) monopoly through a years-long course of anticompetitive conduct.” It threatened to break Read more about FTC’s latest monopoly lawsuit against Meta Facebook gets go-ahead[…]

The Dutch antitrust authority has found that Apple’s rules requiring software developers to use its in-app payment system are anti-competitive and ordered it to make changes, four people familiar with the matter said, in the latest regulatory setback for the iPhone maker. Apple’s app-store payment policies, in particular its requirement that app developers exclusively use Read more about EXCLUSIVE Dutch watchdog finds Apple app store payment rules anti-competitive – sources[…]

Game-making platform and fledgling metaverse Roblox made the news yesterday as the focus of a New York Times report about a ‘90s era tax cut that’s spun out of control. Originally created to foster investment in small businesses, the Qualified Small Business Stock, or Q.S.B.S., exemption has transformed into a way for ultra-wealthy businesses to Read more about Roblox and many other huge tech businesses Save Millions Taking Advantage Of A Massive Tax Dodge[…]

Norton antivirus’s inbuilt cryptominer has re-entered the public consciousness after a random Twitter bod expressed annoyance at how difficult it is to uninstall. The addition of Ncrypt.exe, Norton 360’s signed cryptocurrency-mining binary, to installations of Norton antivirus isn’t new – but it seems to have taken the non-techie world a few months to realise what’s Read more about Yes, Norton 360 has a built in cryptominer. Deletion is not easy.[…]

Google and Facebook have come a little unstuck in the cookie department as French watchdog Commission Nationale de l’Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL) slapped the pair with a €150m and €60m fine respectively. The CNIL kicked off its investigations after receiving complaints regarding the way cookies can be refused on facebook.com, youtube.com and google.fr. The Read more about France fines Meta, Google: Cookies must be as easy to reject as to accept[…]

Electric- and hydrogen-powered truck startup Nikola has agreed to a $125 million settlement over charges that it defrauded investors after misleading them about its products, technical advances and financial prospects. Nikola violated the antifraud and disclosure control provisions of the federal securities laws, the Securities and Exchange Commission said Tuesday. In July the founder and Read more about EV startup Nikola (who showed video of car rolling down hill as being powered) settles with U.S. for $125 million[…]

[…] According to court documents, Ishii switched the transfer address for a Sony Life transaction to use a Silvergate Bank account under his control.. Ishii later converted the stolen funds into more than 3879 bitcoins via A Coinbase set up to automatically transfer all added funds to an offline cryptocurrency cold wallet with a Bitcoin Read more about US returns $154 Million in bitcoins stolen by Sony employee[…]

First, come up with a catchy name for a cryptocurrency project. Next, convince the credulous to buy associated digital tokens. Finally, abandon the project and keep investors’ funds. This “rug pulling” scam lacks sophistication but evidently it works. According to Chainalysis, a blockchain data biz, separating cryptocoin buyers from their money in this manner has Read more about Cryptocurrency ‘rug pulls’ cheated investors out of ‘$8bn’[…]

[…] new research detailed in The Wall Street Journal suggests its inequality problems are worse than the United States’ disgraceful performance under the dollar. An incredible feat considering income inequality in 2020 America was the highest of all G7 nations according to data from Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development viewed by Pew Research. That Read more about Bitcoin’s Inequality Problem Is Putting the Dollar to Shame 0.01% owns 27% of all BTC[…]

Jeff Bezos’ rocket company, Blue Origin, became the subject of a federal review this fall after a group of 21 current and former employees co-signed an essay that raised serious questions about the safety of the company’s rockets — including the rocket making headlines for flying Bezos and other celebrities to space. But that review Read more about FAA says lack of federal whistleblower protections is ‘enormous factor’ hindering Blue Origin safety review[…]