Social media platforms must act quickly to counter fake news or face possible regulation, the European Commission said Wednesday. It announced a plan against disinformation aimed at protecting democratic systems and public debate before 2019 national and local elections, including a "rapid alert system" among EU institutions and countries to make it easier to share data and assess disinformation campaigns, and close monitoring of a self-regulatory code of practice signed in October by Facebook, Google, Twitter and Mozilla. Signatories "should swiftly and effectively implement" commitments, focusing on actions urgent for elections, the EC said. That includes ensuring transparency of political advertising, ramping up efforts to shutter fake accounts, labeling non-human interactions, and cooperating with fact-checkers to detect disinformation campaigns and make fact-checked content more visible. The plan seeks better detection via more specialized staff and data analysis tools, backed by a funding increase from 1.9 million euros ($2.2 million) to 5 million euros ($5.8 million); and for promoting media literacy among Europeans. Platforms have until the end of 2018 to update the EC on compliance, and must report monthly January-May. Without satisfactory progress, the EC may propose further measures, including regulation, it said. Asked at a news briefing whether 5 million euros was enough to counter the massively financed activities of Russia Today, Sputnick and Russian trolls, EC Digital Single Market Vice-President Andrus Ansip said the goal isn't to recreate the kind of propaganda machine Russia has but to detect disinformation, find out who's behind it and use facts to debunk lies. Asked whether the EC has faith that Facebook will tackle disinformation given that the platform allowed Russian bots to access its services -- discovered in a U.K. parliamentary inquiry -- Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova said everything the EC does concerning self-regulatory measures affecting information and technology companies is based on "trust and check." Google and Facebook didn't comment. Twitter's "No. 1 priority is improving the health of the public conversation," a spokesperson said. "Tackling coordinated disinformation campaigns is a key component." He said Twitter is working on a partnership with UNESCO on online media and information literacy.
Russia export controls and sanctions
The use of export controls and sanctions on Russia has surged since the country's invasion of Crimea in 2014, and especially its invasion of Ukraine in in February 2022. Similar export controls and sanctions have been imposed by U.S. allies, including the EU, U.K. and Japan. The following is a listing of recent articles in Export Compliance Daily on export controls and sanctions imposed on Russia:
Eight people with ties to Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan were indicted for “causing tens of millions of dollars in losses in digital advertising fraud,” DOJ said Tuesday. Charges included wire fraud, computer intrusion, aggravated identity theft and money laundering. Three defendants arrested abroad await extradition, and the others remain at large, DOJ said. The FBI was authorized to seize 31 internet domains and “information from 89 computer servers, that were all part of the infrastructure for botnets engaged in digital advertising fraud activity,” Justice said.
James Billington, who retired as librarian of Congress in 2015, died Tuesday. He was 89. President Ronald Reagan appointed him to the Library of Congress in 1987. In bringing the LOC online, Billington initiated the National Digital Library Program. Other electronic services created under his watch included Congress.gov, eCo online copyright registration and National Jukebox, providing free streaming access to out-of-print music and spoken-word recordings. A few months before Billington announced his retirement, a GAO report criticized him and other LOC leaders for not modernizing critical LOC IT systems (see 1503310046). Before joining the LOC, Billington was a Russia scholar and taught at Princeton and Harvard before heading the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington. Survivors include his wife, Marjorie, four children and 12 grandchildren.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen repeatedly cited the need for “relentless resilience” Friday, lauding launch of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. President Donald Trump signed legislation Friday restructuring the National Protection and Programs Directorate into CISA, a new DHS agency.
Commissioners split on the FCC's role in orbital safety and congestion issues caused by the satellite mega constellation boom and growth of new satellites, but agreed there's a problem. Approving the orbital debris NPRM Thursday, Jessica Rosenworcel and Mike O’Rielly described parts as “timid.” Rosenworcel and Commissioner Brendan Carr staked out different stances on the agency's role and authority on tackling orbital debris. At the meeting, which included a variety of space-related items, members voted 4-0 to update wireless handset hearing-aid compatibility rules (see 1811150033).
Signing off on U.S. nonfederal devices accepting signals from Europe's Galileo system will bring the FCC in line with where global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receivers have been for years, experts told us. The FCC "is really playing catch-up" with the draft order on Thursday's agenda (see 1810240030), said Bradford Parkinson, vice chairman of the Space-Based Positioning, Navigation and Timing National Advisory Board. "Industry is way ahead."
Telecom equipment provider CommScope's purchase of consumer electronics company Arris for about $7.4 billion is expected to face smooth regulatory sailing. CommScope is getting a $1 billion minority ownership investment assist from the Carlyle Group, which used to own a stake, the equipment maker announced Thursday. CommScope CEO Eddie Edwards said the deal would position the two companies to take advantage of the rise of 5G and the IoT. Edwards will remain chief of the combined company (see the personals section).
Apple’s decision to stop reporting unit sales figures quarterly led to analyst speculation the iPhone peaked, sending shares closing down 6.6 percent Friday at $207.48. It was Apple's best September quarter, revenue growing 20 percent year on year to $62.9 billion.
Twitter released datasets for 3,841 accounts affiliated with Russia’s Internet Research Agency and 770 other accounts potentially linked to Iran. The data collection included more than 10 million tweets and more than 2 million images, GIFs, videos and Periscope broadcasts, the platform said Wednesday. Some activity dated to 2009.
ThePirateBay.org, an illicit torrent indexing service, remains a prominent target for the music, film and video game industries, show comments to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative posted this week. USTR collected comments through Monday for its Special 301 report on countries and groups that infringe U.S. intellectual property.