United States Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice business and news from across the web.- Justice Department backs xAI in NAACP lawsuit over data center pollutionThe United States Department of Justice has backed AI company xAI in a lawsuit filed by the NAACP concerning pollution from data centers. The Department of Justice is urging the court to dismiss the NAACP's case against xAI.
- Meta took down over a million scam accounts in joint operation with Microsoft, SpaceX and DOJMeta, in collaboration with Microsoft, SpaceX, Coinbase, the Department of Justice, and international law enforcement, has taken down over a million scam accounts. The operation specifically targeted scam networks operating in Southeast Asia.
- The DOJ is backing xAI in its lawsuit against ColoradoThe Department of Justice is intervening in xAI's lawsuit against Colorado over a new AI law. The law requires developers of high-risk AI systems to disclose and mitigate algorithmic discrimination. The DOJ argues the law violates the Fourteenth Amendment by potentially forcing developers to discriminate based on protected characteristics.
Cybersecurity expert turns cybercriminal, pleading guilty to 'conspiracy to deploy ransomware'Three former cybersecurity professionals have pleaded guilty to deploying Blackcat/ALPHV ransomware, extorting victims for over $1.2 million in Bitcoin. One individual, while working as a ransomware negotiator, leaked confidential victim information to the attackers. The BlackCat/ALPHV group is reportedly defunct due to increased law enforcement efforts.- Sunday Legal BriefsA judge ruled in favor of the creators of banned ICE trackers, who claim the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice violated their First Amendment rights. The ruling addresses the legal battle over the trackers and their alleged infringement on constitutional protections.
- Judge sides with creators of banned ICE trackers who allege DHS and DOJ violated their First Amendment rightsA judge has ruled in favor of creators of ICE tracking apps, granting a preliminary injunction against the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice. The court found that the government likely violated the First Amendment by pressuring platforms like Facebook and Apple to remove the apps, which used publicly available information to monitor ICE activity.
- DOJ refuses to help French authorities in criminal probe of XThe US Department of Justice has refused to assist French authorities in a criminal probe against X, citing concerns that the investigation is an attempt to regulate the social media platform through prosecution. France's investigation into X, which began in July, includes accusations of algorithm manipulation, fraudulent data extraction, and potentially CSAM dissemination and Holocaust denial. X and xAI expressed gratitude for the DOJ's decision, calling the investigation baseless.
- Federal jury finds concert business Live Nation is a monopolyA federal jury has determined that Live Nation, which operates the Ticketmaster platform, is a monopoly and has violated antitrust rules. The ruling's practical implications, including potential remedies like the sale of Ticketmaster and monetary damages, are still to be determined by the judge. The Department of Justice and state attorneys general had sued Live Nation on monopoly claims, with a separate case also being waged by the Federal Trade Commission.
- IBM settles its DEI lawsuit with the DOJ for $17 millionIBM has agreed to a $17 million settlement with the US Department of Justice to resolve allegations of violating civil rights laws through its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) practices. The DOJ accused IBM of considering race, color, national origin, or sex in employment decisions, including altering interview criteria and using diversity modifiers for bonus compensation. IBM denies wrongdoing, stating the settlement is not an admission of liability.
Supermicro 'committed to protecting America’s advanced technologies and intellectual property' as investigation into former employees over alleged AI tech shipments to China beginsSupermicro is under investigation following charges against three former employees accused of illegally shipping AI servers containing GPUs to China. The company has stated its commitment to protecting advanced technologies and intellectual property, initiating an internal review of its global trade compliance program. The alleged scheme involved diverting approximately $510 million worth of servers to China.- Adobe agrees to pay settlement for making its subscriptions hard to cancelAdobe has agreed to a $75 million settlement with the US government to resolve a lawsuit alleging deceptive subscription practices. The company was accused of making it difficult to cancel subscriptions and obscuring early termination fees. Adobe denies wrongdoing but will provide free services and pay the settlement amount, while also stating it has streamlined its subscription processes.
- Teamsters urge DOJ to block Paramount's Warner Bros. mergerThe International Brotherhood of Teamsters is urging the US Department of Justice to block the proposed merger between Paramount Global, Skydance Media, and Warner Bros. Discovery. The union cites concerns that the consolidation will lead to job losses and harm domestic production and labor standards. They are requesting enforceable commitments from Paramount and Skydance to protect workers and production before the deal can proceed.
- Live Nation settlement avoids breakup with TicketmasterLive Nation has reached a settlement with the Department of Justice in its antitrust case, agreeing to pay $200 million to states and implement changes to its business practices, including creating a standalone ticketing system for third-party competitors. The company will also divest up to 13 amphitheaters and avoid retaliation against venues that choose other ticket sellers over Ticketmaster, thus avoiding a breakup with Ticketmaster.
One of the largest hacker forums in the world has been seized by the US DoJThe United States Department of Justice has seized LeakBase, a large global hacker forum with over a hundred thousand members that contained a vast archive of hacked databases and account credentials. The DoJ urges users of the site to contact the FBI, referencing past successful crackdowns on similar forums like RaidForums and BreachForums.