Neowin News Feed for: Regulations

Big Tech fined billions in 2025, and it hurt them less than a speeding ticket would hurt you

Ivan Jenic — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 10:14:01 +0000

Here's how much Big Tech companies paid in fines in 2025 alone and how long it took them to pay it off: Read more...

GM responds to FTC's proposed five-year ban on selling customer data

David Uzondu — Fri, 17 Jan 2025 13:40:01 +0000

Last year, it was reported that GM was selling user data to insurance companies without consent. The FTC has now proposed an order banning this practice, prompting a response from GM. Read more...

Elon Musk's X fined over $400,000 for failing to address child abuse content on the platform

Karthik Mudaliar — Fri, 04 Oct 2024 09:24:01 +0000

An Australian court has fined X A$610,500 (approximately $418,000) for failing to comply with regulatory inquiries regarding child abuse content. Read more...

OpenAI adds new compliance and admin tools to ChatGPT Enterprise

Paul Hill — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 08:36:01 +0000

OpenAI has updated ChatGPT Enterprise to help businesses that use the service comply with regulations for their respective sectors. One regulation it specifically helps with is GDPR. Read more...

Apple challenges EU's €2 billion fine arguing lack of evidence

Karthik Mudaliar — Thu, 23 May 2024 06:16:02 +0000

Apple is formally challenging the European Commission's €1.8 billion fine for unfair trade practices related to music streaming services, stating that there's no evidence of any such behaviour. Read more...

Microsoft is reportedly asking hundreds of Chinese employees to relocate out of the country

Karthik Mudaliar — Thu, 16 May 2024 08:04:01 +0000

Microsoft is asking hundreds of employees who are working in China across cloud and machine learning divisions to relocate out of China to the U.S., Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand Read more...

U.K. regulator Ofcom probes OnlyFans for failure to protect minors from explicit content

Karthik Mudaliar — Wed, 01 May 2024 12:26:01 +0000

U.K. media regulator Ofcom has launched an investigation into adult content-sharing platform OnlyFans regarding the platform's insufficient age-verification measures that failed to restrict minors. Read more...

FCC hits top US carriers with nearly $200 million fine for sharing user location illegally

Karthik Mudaliar — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 04:24:01 +0000

The FCC has fined major U.S. wireless carriers, including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon, nearly $200 million for illegally sharing customers' location data without consent despite knowing. Read more...

Apple given six months to align iPad with EU's Digital Markets Act Regulations

Karthik Mudaliar — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 12:46:01 +0000

The European Commission has expanded DMA's scope to now include Apple's iPad, requiring the company to ensure its tablet ecosystem complies with the DMA's regulations within the next six months. Read more...

Mark Zuckerberg calls Apple's DMA compliance policies "onerous" and "difficult to entertain"

Anushe Fawaz — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 15:46:02 +0000

Apple introduced new policies allowing app sideloading and third-party app stores to comply with the DMA. It also added a new fee for apps which is being criticized by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Read more...

Microsoft chief urges AI needs "real clarity" to prevent "sci-fi movie scenarios"

Omer Dursun — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 10:54:02 +0000

Microsoft's president calls for a regulatory blueprint to control AI, emphasizing transparency, standards and coordination across sectors. He suggests knowing how to use AI and setting standards. Read more...

Spotify has been fined $5.4 million due to GDPR violations

Steve Bennett — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 18:44:01 +0000

Spotify has fallen foul of the EU's General Data Protection Regulations and has been fined SEK 58 million (equivalent to $5.4 million) by a Swedish regulator due to how it handles personal data. Read more...

Microsoft-backed BSA calls for federal rules and guidelines on AI

Karthik Mudaliar — Tue, 25 Apr 2023 06:46:01 +0000

The Business Software Alliance (BSA), which represents companies like Microsoft, Adobe, IBM, and Oracle, is urging Congress to establish guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence. Read more...

China takes steps to curb deepfakes with new regulations

Karthik Mudaliar — Mon, 12 Dec 2022 06:14:01 +0000

China has issued regulations on the use of deepfakes in order to curb the potential risks associated with their use, as well as to promote the healthy development of the industry. Read more...

European Central Bank wants to introduce urgent regulations in the crypto sector

Karthik Mudaliar — Wed, 07 Dec 2022 16:30:01 +0000

A member of the European Central Bank board, Fabio Panetta, stated an urgent requirement for regulations in the crypto sector. This comes after the collapse of FTX and rising volatility for crypto. Read more...

The U.S. could regulate social media to protect troubled teens, suggests Instagram chief

Alap Naik Desai — Thu, 09 Dec 2021 20:02:01 +0000

Instagram chief suggests U.S. lawmakers should create laws that govern or regulate social media platforms to address teen mental health issues, perhaps because they themselves aren't doing enough? Read more...

China will allow minors to play video games only for one hour per day on the weekends

Usama Jawad — Mon, 30 Aug 2021 14:40:01 +0000

China has announced a new rule under which people below the age of 18 can only play video games one hour daily from Friday to Sunday. Real-name registration systems will also be implemented. Read more...

Microsoft highlights IDC report showcasing significant benefits for Azure customers

Hamza Jawad — Mon, 07 Oct 2019 19:02:01 +0000

A Microsoft-sponsored IDC report shows that customers using Azure as a compliance platform can reap major benefits, including a five-year ROI of 465 percent, six-month payback on investment, and more. Read more...

EU to enforce new regulations making it necessary for electric vehicles to emit noise

Namerah Saud Fatmi — Sun, 30 Jun 2019 20:58:01 +0000

The EU is soon going to enforce new rules which will make it compulsory for all new electric vehicles to emit noises as a safety measure for other road-going citizens such as cyclists and pedestrians. Read more...

Apple CEO hopes apps pulled from China store will one day return

John Keefer — Wed, 06 Dec 2017 17:16:01 +0000

Without quite as much certainty as The Terminator, Tim Cook has said that he hopes apps that have disappeared from China's app store because of cyber regulations will be back in the near future. Read more...

Drink-drive rules might change if you are in an autonomous car

Richard Tyr Blewitt — Fri, 06 Oct 2017 11:22:01 +0000

The Australian National Transport Commission has released a report discussing what rules to come up with in relation to driverless vehicles, it suggests that drink-driving rules might have to change. Read more...

Uber is suspending its services in Quebec on October 14th

Richard Tyr Blewitt — Wed, 27 Sep 2017 10:36:02 +0000

The ride-hailing service is willing to negotiate but currently, will not renew its license, as it feels new regulations from the local authority are too rigorous and unsuitable for the company. Read more...

China's bitcoin withdrawal freeze ends, could lead to further price boom

Paul Hill — Thu, 01 Jun 2017 14:48:01 +0000

OKCoin has resumed offering bitcoin withdrawals in China following a freeze instituted at the start of the year by Chinese regulators. Another exchange, Huobi, is expected to resume withdrawals soon. Read more...

Microsoft, Google, Amazon and 100 other companies come out in support of Net Neutrality

Vlad Dudau — Thu, 08 May 2014 10:02:06 +0000

A large number of internet companies have sent a letter to the FCC in support of net neutrality, a founding principle of the internet which is now in danger thanks to new proposed regulation. Read more...

Chinese law for real-name internet registration passed

Paul Ferson — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 20:58:01 +0000

Chinese laws forcing real-name registration to use the internet have been passed, with further revisions likely to come. The legislation could allow removal of "illegal" posts within the country. Read more...

New Regulations to Make Porn Sites Warn at Every Page

Daniel Fleshbourne — Mon, 24 Apr 2006 09:34:54 +0000

Every page on a commercial website that contains sexually explicit material will be required to include a warning label to protect web users inadvertently finding it, under proposals announced by US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales... Read more...