News of the Week; March 27, 2019

DIGITAL

1. Muslim Advocacy Group Files Suit Against YouTube, Facebook For Hosting Christchurch Shooting Videos
2. Microsoft calls for ‘industrywide’ moderation plan after New Zealand shooting: The company’s president calls for more coordination
3. New Zealand Censors Declare Christchurch Shooting Footage Illegal; Start Rounding Up Violators
4. Brutal Startup Is Using Eye Tracking to Force You to Watch Ads: It’s basically like “A Clockwork Orange.”
5. Social media platforms under increasing pressure to protect users from harm
6. Facebook and Instagram Finally Ban White Nationalism and White Separatism
7. Facebook’s new rules come down against white nationalism, separatism
8. Will Facebook’s New Ban On White Nationalist Content Work?
9. Facebook Settles Claims Alleging Discriminatory Ad Targeting 
10. Vice Media to Pay $1.9 Million to Settle Pay Discrimination Case
11. Music labels sue Charter, complain that high Internet speeds fuel piracy
12. RIAA Continues Its Legal War To Turn ISPs Into The Copyright Police: Sues Charter Communications
13. The Latest Pro-PewDiePie Hackers Locked Users’ Files Until They Subscribed
14. New Virus Steals Your Files Until PewDiePie Gets 100M Subscribers: Another ransomware variant encrypts your files unless you subscribe to PewDiePie – but even if you do, it deletes them anyway.
15. PewDiePie fans keep making junk ransomware: Please, YouTube! Just hide PewDiePie and T-Series’ followers count and put this competition to bed.
16. How Microsoft found a Huawei driver that opened systems to attack
17. New Huawei phone has a 5x optical zoom, thanks to a periscope lens
18. US Is Forcing A Chinese Firm To Sell Gay Dating App Grindr
19. HMD admits the Nokia 7 Plus was sending personal data to China
20. How Internet Mercenaries Do Battle for Authoritarian Governments
21. HTML email reborn, as Google brings AMP to your inbox
22. Google regrets ‘minor glitch’ that sent Ghanaian currency plummeting
23. U.S. Supreme Court Refuses to Search Google Settlement Agreement for Fairness  
24. SCOTUS Remands Google Case to the Ninth Circuit for Spokeo Standing Analysis 
25. Tenth Lawsuit Against Social Media Providers for “Materially Supporting Terrorists” Fails–Sinclair v. Twitter (Eric Goldman)
26. The echo of American Fair Use and of its boundaries, in the EU and Italian System. A comparative analysis in the wake of the Fox News victory over TVEyes
27. Nevada Judge Says Online News Publications Aren’t Protected By The State’s Journalist Shield Law 
28. Talking Cat App Should Keep Quiet on Advertising, CARU Recommends
29. A ‘Dark Day’: Copyright Law That Threatens the Internet as We Know It Passes Final EU Vote
30. EU parliament passes controversial copyright overhaul [Updated]
31. EU Puts An End To The Open Internet: Link Taxes And Filters Approved By Just 5 Votes
32. The European Parliament has voted in favour of Article 13: Critics argued that Article 13, and related legislation passed today by MEPs, risked infringing on freedom of speech
33. Article 13 – MEME Law is coming…
34. “Memes banned” – the European Parliament votes in the EU Copyright Directive including controversial Articles 11 and 13 
35. EU Parliament Passes Controversial “Meme Ban”: It’s a “dark day for internet freedom.”
36. Swedish MEPs Announce Support For Article 13, Demonstrate Near Total Ignorance Of What It Actually Entails
37. New Report: Germany Caved To France On Copyright In A Deal For Russian Gas
38. Enough MEPs Say They Mistakenly Voted For Articles 11 & 13 That The Vote Should Have Flipped; EU Parliament Says Too Bad
39. Tell The EU Not To Wreck The Internet
40. A Century Ago We Killed The Radio Commons; Don’t Let The EU Do That To The Internet
41. EU Commission Refuses To Explain Why It Published Medium Article Mocking The Public’s Concerns Over Article 13
42. EU Internet Companies Warn EU Parliament Not To Vote For Articles 11 & 13; Say They’ll Hand The Internet To Google 
43. MEPs Realizing How Bad Article 13 Could Be, Begin To Back Away From EU Copyright Directive
44. Independent Musician Dan Bull’s New Song, Robocopyright, Warns Of The Dangers Of Article 13
45. Sites Warn EU Users Of Just How Bad Article 13 Will Be
46. Huge Protests Across Europe Protest Article 13; Politician Lies And Claims They Were Paid To Be There
47. Supporters Of Article 13, After Denying It’s About Filters, Now Say It’s About Regulating Filters Which They Admit Don’t Work
48. After EU Copyright Reform Passes, Susan Wojcicki Says “This Is The Beginning” Of YouTube’s Fight
49. Most Advertisers Have Returned To YouTube After Comments Scandal, Google Exec Says 
50. YouTube Usage Comprises 37% Of All Mobile Web Traffic, Study Finds
51. YouTube Facing Lawsuit That Alleges Toy Unboxing Videos Are “Abusive Advertising Practices” Aimed At Children 
52. YouTube Disabled Comments On Thousands Of Creators’ Channels To Prevent Child Predation. Tech Startup Respondology Thinks It Has A Solution. 
53. YouTube Shutters ‘Fantastic Adventures’ Channel After Proprietor’s Arrest For Child Abuse
54. YouTube Millionaires: AR12Gaming Started Sharing His Love For Racecar Games On YouTube In 2012. Now, His Company Sponsors Real-Life Racers.
55. How YouTube is changing toys
56. YouTube cancels two original series but denies moving away from original content
57. YouTube Content Head Susanne Daniels Denies Eyeing Exit Amid High-End Series Cancellations
58. Kim Kardashian’s Daughter North West Entering YouTube Fray In Collab With JoJo Siwa
59. Influencers Allegedly Run Roughshod Over FTC Warnings
60. Influencer Law 101: influencer exclusivity
61. Law School Exam Part 5: Am I An Influencer?
62. #InfluencerMarketing: What advertisers need to know about disclosure
63. Lil Miquela, Shudu, Bermuda and Sophia The Robot: CGI and Robot IT Girls Who Will Become the Influencers of the Future 
64. Studio71 Launches Weekly Reaction Series With Tal Fishman, Caylus Cunningham On ‘Caffeine’
65. Ryan ToysReview’s Nickelodeon Series To Premiere On April 19
66. YouTube’s FaZe Clan Inks Sponsorship, Content Pact With Automaker Nissan
67. Liza Koshy Will Return To Her YouTube Channel After Yearlong Absence
68. Liza Koshy Returns To YouTube With A Glitzy Musical For Her Dollar Store Shenanigans
69. Creators Going Pro: Elle Mills’ YouTube Channel Is Becoming A Diary About The Raw, Vulnerable Parts Of Her Life
70. Priyanka Chopra Launches YouTube-Funded Inspirational Special ‘If I Could Tell You Just One Thing’
71. Admitted Meme Thief F-Jerry Sued for Allegedly Stealing a Meme 
72. Popular Meme Account Sued For Copyright Infringement and Other Claims
73. Expansion of the Madrid System 
74. Ruling in Emoji Beach Ball IP Case Left Me Confused: Kangaroo v. Amazon (Eric Goldman)
75. March Madness! Court Dismisses Lawsuit Over Massive Cyberattack After Basketball Game Loss–Higgins v. Kentucky Sports Radio (Eric Goldman)
76. Amazon Will Soon Launch Mobile Ads In Search Results
77. To rival Amazon, UPS enters healthcare—with doorstep nurse delivery
78. StyleHaul Notifies Employees Of Layoffs, Shutdown Of U.S. Operations (Exclusive) 
79. Here’s Why Netflix Launched ‘Love, Death & Robots’ With A Different Episode Order For Certain Users
80. Netflix Reaches Tipping Point As Originals Now Outpace Acquired Titles – Study
81. Netflix Asks Court To Dismiss Chooseco’s Lawsuit For All The Obvious Reasons
82. Here’s How Apple’s Spending Its Massive $1 Billion Original Content Budget Ahead Of Streaming Service Launch
83. Here’s the Full Rundown on Apple TV and the New Apple TV+
84. Apple finally enters TV streaming space with new Apple TV+ service
85. Here’s all the TV+ shows Apple flew out celebrities for
86. Apple’s New Genre Shows Are Still Mysterious, But Here’s What We Learned Today
87. Apple’s Streaming Service Apple TV+ To Launch This Fall, Will Have Zero Third-Party Content — But Plenty Of Add-Ons
88. Liveblog: Apple unveils its TV service and more at the March 25 “It’s show time” event
89. Apple promises its new credit card is a privacy-protecting beast
90. Apple debuts its own credit card with a physical version to complement the app
91. The Apple Card Is Great at Privacy but Mediocre Overall
92. Everything that’s happening with Apple’s News+ subscription service
93. Apple News+: A newsstand of 300 glossy magazines for $9.99/month
94. Apple Used Its Oprah Moment to Pull One Over on Us
95. Apple Designates Amazon As an Authorized Reseller of Apple – Highlighting the Importance of Online Sales Control for Even the World’s Most Powerful Brand
96. Clippy briefly resurrected as Teams add-on, brutally taken down by brand police
97. Microsoft ships antivirus for macOS as Windows Defender becomes Microsoft Defender
98. Microsoft exec bans company from pulling any dumb April Fools’ pranks 
99. Streaming Powers U.S. Latin Music Market to 18% Growth
100. eMarketer claims Spotify US will overtake Pandora by 2021
101. AI-music startup Endel to release albums through Warner Music
102. A Survey Of The EU’s AI Ecosystem
103. Expert views on the frontiers of AI and conflict  
104. How to develop a successful IP strategy for AI
105. Can AI Be A Fair Judge In Court? Estonia Thinks So
106. How Artificial Intelligence Is Changing Science
107. Artificial Intelligence: A Potential Cybersecurity Safeguard or Viable Threat to the Healthcare Industry? 
108. Algorithmic Accountability: A Primer
109. Inside Google’s Rebooted Robotics Program
110. Study shows complexity and uncertainty of IoT regulation in Europe 
111. New York City Apartment Residents Sue Landlord Over New Smart Locks [Updated]
112. US computer science grads outperforming those in other key nations
113. Rethinking the rights of children for the internet age
114. Disruptive Developments @20EssexStreet: What is the difference between a cryptocurrency trading platform and a kitchen blender? 
115. What’s in a (User)Name? 
116. Freetown Man Arrested for Keeping Flat-Screen TV Delivered to Him by Accident With Amazon Order 
117. This Truck Spilled 40,000 Pounds of Printer Ink In a Crash That Probably Cost a Gazillion Dollars
118. Man Steals $122 Million From Google And Facebook By Just Asking Them For Money
119. Digital Business in Canada
120. Internet Platform Governance, Part 1: What’s the Problem?
121. Cloud computing in the United States
122. Federal Prosecutors Recommend Paul Hansmeier Spend The Next 12 Years In Prison

CREATIVITY

1. Photographer loses lawsuit over use of her photo in political mailer
2. $35 billion in research funding “now at stake” after Trump executive order
3. New waves in the battle against piracy of sports rights
4. Copyright Ownership DJ Claim Must Plead Disputed Ownership 
5. What do Bruce Springsteen and Venus and Serena Williams all have in common?
6. Counterfeiting and the importance of brand protection in beauty
7. Fashion and cultural expressions
8. Dutch Golden Age painting returned to heirs of Nazi Spoliation victims
9. Intellectual Property Law Year in Review – March 2019

MEDIA, COMMUNICATIONS & NET NEUTRALITY

1. Cable Industry Embarrassed By The Word ‘Cable,’ Stops Using It
2. FCC has to pay journalist $43,000 after hiding net neutrality records
3. FCC (Read: Taxpayers) Forced To Pay Journalist’s Legal Bills After Tap Dancing Around FOIA Requests
4. T-Mobile’s $50 home Internet service has no data cap, but plenty of limits
5. AT&T’s “5G E” is actually slower than Verizon and T-Mobile 4G, study finds
6. Another Study Finds Verizon’s 5G Is Barely Available, Not Scaleable
7. Current Telecom Developments
8. Bill To Restore Net Neutrality Moves Forward, And The Public Is Still Angry
9. The regulators are coming: New EU online Platforms Regulation
10. Five Minutes On… The EU Electronic Communications Code
11. Comcast’s New Rented Streaming Box Is A Flimsy Attempt To Remain Relevant

SURVEILLANCE & PRIVACY

1. Facebook apps logged users’ passwords in plaintext, because why not
2. Facebook stored hundreds of millions of passwords in plain text
3. Facebook Screws Up Again
4. Vigilant And Its Customers Are Lying About ICE’s Access To Plate Records
5. Thomas Goolnik Again Convinces Google To Forget Our Story About Thomas Goolnik Getting Google To Forget Our Story About Thomas Goolnik
6. Illinois Appeals Court Says Fifth Amendment Protections Apply To Cellphone Passwords
7. California and European Privacy FAQs: Does the GDPR require that a company obtain consent from a website user before placing cookies on its browser?
8. The privacy risks of unchecked facial-recognition technology
9. The Government Is Using the Most Vulnerable People to Test Facial Recognition Software
10. Having Privacy in Public: Limits to Unwanted Surveillance in Public Spaces
11. Hijacked ASUS software updates installed backdoor on at least 0.5 million PCs
12. Asus Goes Mute As Hackers Covertly Install Backdoors Using Company Software Update
13. Reckless VII: Wife of Journalist Slain in Cartel-Linked Killing Targeted with NSO Group’s Spyware
14. Critical flaw lets hackers control lifesaving devices implanted inside patients
15. A rogue’s gallery of bad actors is exploiting that critical WinRAR flaw
16. Telegram Goes Nuclear With New Message Deletion Feature
17. Preparing for Compliance with the California Consumer Privacy Act 
18. Casino Screwup Royale: A tale of “ethical hacking” gone awry

GAMES

1. Blog: How games software and hardware could top $200 billion by 2023
2. Opinion: After Christchurch – What we owe our game communities
3. “If we make room for them, then there is no room for anyone else”: IGF Award host Meg Jayanth calls for devs to reject fascists, demand better treatment for themselves and their colleagues
4. #1ReasonToBe: “Inclusivity is a battle we can win”: Rami Ismail’s final stint hosting the panel shares the stories of a refugee turns games developer, an Egyptian woman who refused to let a visa rejection silence her, and more
5. Overwatch saw 40% less disruptive behavior with the endorsement system
6. PUBG Corp and NetEase settle Battlegrounds lawsuit
7. PUBG Corp, NetEase settle copyright lawsuit: After suit alleging Knives Out, Rules of Survival copied PUBG and countersuit against “shameless attempt” at genre monopoly, companies now dismissing cases
8. Madden Litigation Sputters Out With Settlement
9. EA Lays Off 350 People In Marketing, Publishing, And More
10. EA lays off 350 staff in marketing, publishing, and operations 
11. EA closes Japan and Russia offices amid mass layoffs
12. EA lays off 350 amid major organizational changes: Company reorganizing marketing, publishing, operations teams, decreases presence in Japan and Russia
13. Electronic Arts closes Japan office as part of mass layoffs: Russian division also appears to be shuttering with operations moving to larger, regional office
14. EA signs publishing deal with Vicarious Visions founders
15. Sega removing actor from Western version of Judgmentafter drug scandal
16. Judgment has sold through 97% of stock following controversy
17. “Hard Rock” Hamilton Says Microsoft Can’t Leave Gears of War Lawsuit
18. Judgement sales surge following voice actor drug charge controversy: There was “no correct way to deal with the situation,” says Sega chief creative officer
19. Labor organizers share insight and tips on unionizing the game industry
20. Roblox on creating kinder communities
21. Game source code is a teaching tool, not a trade secret, argues VGHF founder
22. Apple Finally Jumps Into Games with Subscription Service Featuring 100+ Exclusives
23. Apple announces its own game subscription service, Apple Arcade
24. Apple unveils Apple Arcade subscription service for iOS, Mac, Apple TV games
25. Apple Arcade Games Subscription Service Announced
26. Apple reveals game subscription service Apple Arcade: Program to launch this fall with focus on new, premium titles
27. KO_OP, ustwo games announce Apple Arcade exclusives
28. Opinion: A closer look at the strategy behind Apple Arcade
29. Google Stadia Streaming Platform Launch, Game, And Feature Details Revealed
30. Google Exec On Stadia’s Internet Speed Requirements
31. Hands-On With Google Stadia
32. Google Claims Stadia Is More Powerful Than PS4 And Xbox One Combined – GDC 2019
33. Google’s Stadia Could Take Video Games Out of Your Hands: The new streaming service could make owning a video game a thing of the past
34. In Wake Of Google Stadia, Reports Suggest Walmart Is Exploring A Game Streaming Service
35. Report: Walmart is looking to enter the game streaming business
36. Walmart exploring its own game streaming service – Report: Retail giant began talking to developers and publishers about its plans earlier this year
37. Phil Spencer Reportedly Says Stadia Announcement Had ‘No Big Surprises’, Says Xbox Will ‘Go Big’ At E3
38. Xbox will reportedly “go big” on streaming at E3 2019: Internal email from Phil Spencer says Google Stadia is a “validation” and notes “no big surprises” in Google reveal
39. Report: Microsoft’s disc-less Xbox One S gets name and launch date
40. Microsoft unveils new indie game showcase calledID@Xbox Game Pass
41. Another World designer Eric Chahi sets up indie studio Pixel Reef
42. Blog: My full time indie developer life – Year 2
43. Blog: The colonial, non-colonial, and decolonial in video games
44. All the Game Streaming Services Google Stadia Is Up Against
45. Would a Google Stadia subscription service be bad news for the industry?: Analysts discuss Stadia’s potential to drive “a major downward trend” on prices, and what subscriptions mean for developers and diversity of games
46. Google Stadia will support the Xbox Adaptive Controller: Microsoft’s accessible device included among third-party controllers Google’s platform will support
47. Google tries to reassure gamers about Stadia speed and latency concerns
48. How id Software went from skeptical to excited about Google Stadia streaming
49. Slow Broadband, Usage Caps Could Mar Google Stadia’s Game Streaming Ambitions
50. Google Stadia can succeed if it follows Fortnite’s footsteps | Opinion
51. Nav promoted his new album in Fortnite stream with Ninja
52. In-venue streaming and broadcasting of live sporting events – key legal issues for sports clubs and leagues
53. Valve stays the course despite intensifying competition
54. Valve Software dreams of analyzing your brainwaves to tailor in-game rewards: “We can figure out what kinds of rewards you like, and the kinds you don’t.”
55. Valve is pushing new social features for Steam later this year 
56. Standalone Vive Focus Plus will cost $799 when it arrives in April
57. Valve Psychologist: Brain-computer Interfaces Are Coming & Could Be Built into VR Headsets
58. PlayStation VR headset sales have topped 4.2 million
59. ‘No Man’s Sky’ is Getting Full VR Support for PSVR, Rift, and Vive
60. Sony Announces 4.2 Million PlayStation VR Units Sold
61. Putting Sony’s 4.2 million PSVR sales in context
62. Sony is pulling digital PS4 games from sale at GameStop, other retailers
63. Sony stops selling digital game codes at physical retailers
64. Sony pulls full game download codes from all stores: PlayStation confirms to GamesIndustry.biz new strategy starts April 1, cards for DLC and virtual currency will still be available
65. Devil May Cry 5 shipped 2m units in two weeks
66. Devil May Cry 5 has sold 2 million copies in first two weeks
67. 6 years in, Warframe nears 50 million lifetime players
68. Fallout 76 and a handful of upcoming Bethesda titles now headed for Steam
69. Metro Exodus on Epic Store outsells its predecessor on Steam — but what does that tell us?: “It’s about the game, and not the store you sell on,” suggests Epic
70. Observation will be an Epic Games Store exclusive, Steam page pulled
71. Epic offers support for third-party key sales — but not for exclusives
72. Sweeney commits to human moderators & quality filters for Epic’s Games Store
73. Epic Games Store is making the industry better but “gamers don’t see that”: CEO Tim Sweeney addresses backlash against exclusivity deals, promises human curation to block “shock controversy games” like Rape Day
74. Report: Nintendo Is Releasing Two New Switch Models
75. Report: Nintendo planning two new Switch models
76. Nintendo Allegedly Set To Release Two New Switch Models
77. Report: Nintendo to release two new Switch models in 2019
78. Stardew Valley is the best-selling indie game on Nintendo Switch
79. Dead Cells has passed 1 million sales, and Switch leads the way on consoles
80. Nintendo’s Labo VR Kit Is Its Wildest Cardboard Adventure Yet
81. This Might Be the Least Fun Switch Accessory
82. Oculus Founder: Rift S Suitable for Only About 70% of Population Due to IPD
83. eSports and Copyright between choreographies and UGC 
84. GameStop moving into esports with new events venue 
85. GameStop partners with three esports organisations: Games retailer signs deals with Houston Outlaws, Envy Gaming, and OpTic Gaming
86. Comcast plans to build a $50 million esports arena in Philadelphia
87. SuperData: Apex Legends’ $92m launch month the best ever for a free-to-play game
88. Mobile strength pushed Tencent past $19bn games revenue in 2018
89. WarDucks raises $3.8 million to expand studio and create location-based AR game
90. WarDucks raises €3.3 million for location-based AR mobile game
91. I played 11 Assassin’s Creed games in 11 years, and Odyssey made them all worth it
92. UK Charts: Sekiro Shadows Die Twice is the seventh new No.1 of the year – Activision and From Software title narrowly beats The Division 2
93. Kabam acquires Montreal-based mobile studio Riposte Games & Co
94. GAME revenue dips but profits jump on ‘relentless’ cost savings
95. Indies clean up at GDC Awards 2019: God of War takes home yet another Game of the Year gong, and Return of the Obra Dinn wins $33,000 in IGF prizes
96. GDC 2019 attendance sets new record at 29,000
97. GDC celebrates record-breaking attendance and locks in 2020 dates!
98. Blog: The best slides I saw at GDC 2019
99. GDC 2019, as told through livetweets 
100. Video Game Deep Cuts: The Game Developers Conference Aftermath
101. A dev trained robots to generate “garbage” slot machine games—and made $50K
102. Intel and Spirit AI are working on machine learning-powered voice chat moderation
103. Video: Systemic AI design in Just Cause 3
104. Get a job: DeepMind is hiring a Games Designer
105. Deep Dive: Flexiscope, the play-time aware dungeon generator in Book of Demons
106. Don’t Miss: Devs weigh in on the best ways to write and design characters
107. Relinquishing Control: Remedy’s paradigm shift – Game director on leaving behind the tightly controlled experiences of Alan Wake and Quantum Break for, “a world that can support many stories, not just one story”
108. Daedalic: “If we do this right, no one else will be able to make a Gollum game” – CEO discusses plans for the iconic character, who will star in the first of many Lord of the Rings games
109. Critical Consensus: Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 –  Critics lament the lack of political heft in its story, but The Division 2 gets much right that BioWare’s Anthem got wrong
110. ‘Buddy pass’ will let Wolfenstein: Youngblood players share with friends
111. Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt spent heavily on R&D in 2018
112. Boyfriend Dungeon dev examines why game fashion sucks, and what to do about it
113. First-person digger: Stanley Black & Decker’s game controller for excavators
114. The next generation starts with you | Opinion: Game Dragons’ Philip Oliver offers advice on how to better work with academia to improve the quality of graduates
115. Twitch Launches ‘Squad Stream’ Feature, Enabling Four-Person Multiplay
116. Ninja Is Getting His Face On A Red Bull Can
117. Building a ‘homebrew’ video game console
118. Niantic announces second Pokémon GO Earth Day event
119. Obituary: Take-Two founder Ryan Brant has passed away
120. Take-Two founder Ryan Brant dies: Publisher expresses condolences, gratitude to Brant for his vision and contributions

Jon