In recent years, lawsuits have surged over the use of AI in hiring decisions, spotlighting concerns about fairness and transparency. Erin Kistler, a seasoned product manager, applied to thousands of roles at big companies like PayPal, Microsoft, and Netflix, yet never landed an interview. Now, she is leading a class-action lawsuit against Eightfold AI, a Silicon Valley firm whose software screens applicants. The case argues that the software acts as a secretive evaluation tool, ranking candidates without allowing them to review or dispute their scores. This legal fight raises critical questions about how companies use automated tools to hire and fire, potentially impacting countless job seekers.
Investors recognize that as portfolio companies frequently shift strategies and enter competing markets, occasional conflicts of interest are an inherent challenge for prominent venture capital firms.
Apple is revamping its fee structure for the EU App Store by replacing the previous per-install fee with a straightforward 5% commission for apps distributed outside the App Store. The company is also streamlining the process for developers to create and manage alternative app stores within the region.
Twenty-nine US states are suing Meta, claiming that Facebook and Instagram were intentionally designed to be addictive. This echoes the historic 1994 legal battle against the tobacco industry, where over 40 states combined efforts to hold tobacco companies accountable for deceptive advertising and public health harm. That landmark case ended with a record financial settlement and states dropping many claims, setting a precedent for complex industry lawsuits.
Germany's Federal Cartel Office has mandated that Apple change its App Tracking Transparency consent prompts after finding that their design biases users toward favoring Apple's own apps. The original prompts, introduced with iOS 14.5, reportedly cost social media platforms nearly $10 billion by making data tracking opt-in rather than automatic. Now, under EU Digital Markets Act regulations, Apple faces increased scrutiny as a designated gatekeeper to ensure a level playing field for all app developers.
A groundbreaking shift in US cybersecurity policy now authorizes certain private firms to carry out offensive cyber activities, commonly known as 'hack back' attacks. This change overrides decades of previous regulations that forbade private sector involvement in such proactive cyber defense measures.
A month after a brief truce, Epic Games and Google returned to court where Judge James Donato mandated Google to simplify the process for installing competing app stores on Android devices. This follows a landmark jury ruling nearly three years ago that found Google maintained an illegal monopoly on Android app distribution. Judge Donato has ruled that Google must allow rival app stores to be accessed through the Google Play Store and provide comprehensive support to these competitors, aiming to dismantle Google's stronghold on Android app distribution.
A known extortion gang that frequently targets transportation and private equity sectors has claimed responsibility for a data breach at Uber Freight, prompting an ongoing investigation by the company.
Investors are still awaiting their portion of a $250 million payout after the collapse of a major acquisition. Vinayak Shrivastav, co-founder of VideoVerse, is now embroiled in several legal disputes involving accusations of fraud and forged signatures.
Security researcher Nightmare Eclipse has released a new zero-day vulnerability affecting Windows, despite Microsoft issuing public warnings of potential legal action. This latest disclosure highlights ongoing tensions between independent researchers and large tech companies over vulnerability reporting and disclosure.
