HACKERS
Quora: The Q&A website said that an unknown third-party was able to access virtually every data point the company keeps on its 100 million users, including names, email addresses, passwords, and data imported from linked networks like Facebook and Google. (Gizmodo)
NRCC: The FBI is investigating a cyber breach at the National Republican Congressional Committee--the House GOP campaign arm--that took place during the recent midterm races. The email accounts of four senior aides at the NRCC were spied on for several months, party officials said. (Politico)
Marriott: Investigators have found clues that suggest that the Chinese government may have supported the hackers behind the massive breach at the hotel chain. Although analysts cautioned that multiple hacking groups could have been inside the company’s networks for years. (Reuters)
COURTS
China: As soon as this week, U.S. prosecutors could unseal criminal charges against hackers linked to the Chinese government who are suspected of engaging in a multiyear scheme to break into U.S. technology companies. Federal officials have described the cyberespionage campaign as one of the most damaging orchestrated by Beijing to date. (WSJ)
Assange: Ecuador is putting more pressure on the WikiLeaks founder to leave its embassy in London, where he has sought refuge since 2012. President Lenín Moreno said the UK has provided sufficient guarantees that Assange would not be extradited to face the death penalty abroad. Assange faces sex crimes charges in Sweden that he believes are a ploy to have him extradited to the United States. (NYT)
ON THE HILL
Google: CEO Sundar Pichai is set to testify on Tuesday before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, where analysts say he will face tough questions from Democrats about Russia’s online misinformation efforts and the growing power of U.S. tech giants. (NYT)
PRIVATE SECTOR
Facebook: British lawmakers released hundreds of internal Facebook emails that reportedly show executives discussing ways to undermine competitors, obscure their collection of user data, and ensure corporate profit growth. The documents were seized by a British parliamentary committee as part of a larger investigation into Facebook’s practices. (NYT)
Amazon: The online retailer has fired several employees in the U.S. and India suspected of having helped supply disreputable merchants with inside information. The move follows a Wall Street Journal report in September that Amazon was investigating suspected data leaks and bribes of its employees. (WSJ)
Microsoft: The company called for world governments to regulate the use of facial recognition, and has put out its own ethical principles for the use of the technology, including a ban on unlawful discrimination. (Reuters)
THE WORLD
Australia: Lawmakers passed a controversial encryption bill requiring tech companies to provide law enforcement and security agencies with access to encrypted communications. Critics say the law will erode the public’s privacy and is written in a vague way that will lead to abuses. (NYT)
EU: Member governments approved draft rules allowing states to access electronic evidence on suspected criminals from telecom providers across borders. Telecoms would have to comply within 10 days or face steep fines. Some governments, including Germany, opposed the measure saying that some states with little civil rights protections could abuse the mechanism. Before it can come into force, the directive will be subject to further negotiation. (FT)
