sanctions
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Apple pulls Russia's biggest social media network from the App Store
Russia has removed all iOS apps from VK, the second largest tech company in Russia.
US imposes sanctions on cryptocurrency mixer that allegedly laundered over $7 billion
The US has sanctioned Tornado Cash, a cryptocurrency mixer that reportedly helped North Korea launder stolen funds.
The US Treasury is investigating Kraken for enabling crypto trading in sanctioned countries
It's rough seas for crytpocurrency exchanges these days and the latest to be buffeted is one of the world's largest, Kraken.
US Treasury issues first-ever sanctions against a cryptocurrency mixer
The US Treasury has issued its first sanctions against a digital currency mixer, accusing Blender of helping North Korea launder crypto.
US sanctions against Russia will limit its access to technology from overseas
The measures will make it hard to export a range of goods that include semiconductors, telecoms parts and aircraft components to Russia.
Mobile World Congress will ban some Russian companies from 2022 show
Mobile World Congress organizers are banning some Russian companies from exhibiting following the country's invasion of Ukraine.
Microsoft says SolarWinds hackers may have breached 14 more companies
Nobelium attempted 23,000 attacks since July but had a low success rate, according to Microsoft.
Senator Ted Cruz asks DOJ to investigate Twitter over Iran sanctions
Senator Ted Cruz is asking the Justice Department to investigate Twitter for allegedly violating Iran sanctions by refusing to ban a leader.
US is reportedly investigating ZTE over new bribery allegations
Just when it seemed that Chinese telecom manufacturer ZTE was in the clear, it is once again being investigated by the Justice Department. In March 2017, ZTE agreed to pay $1.19 billion and submit to a three-year probation period as punishment for violating US trade sanctions with Iran and North Korea. That probation period ended Saturday, and now, the Justice Department is reportedly looking into new and separate bribery allegations, sources tell NBC News.
Leaked documents suggest Huawei violated Iran sanctions
Internal documents reviewed by Reuters show that Huawei shipped computer equipment made by Hewlett-Packard to Iran's largest mobile operator in 2010. The documents provide strong evidence that Huawei was involved in alleged trade sanction violations. They could potentially be used to strengthen the United States' multifaceted case against Huawei.
Instagram removes posts backing slain Iranian leader to obey US sanctions
Instagram appears to be caught in the crossfire of international politics. Facebook has confirmed to CNN that it pulled posts and accounts supporting slain Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani in order to obey US sanctions against the country's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its leaders. The International Federation of Journalists noted that some of the accounts had been restored, but the pro-Soleimani posts were still gone -- and some of the accounts that were offline included whole news agencies. As Instagram is one of the few social media services that isn't blocked in Iran, this limits both the outside world's ability to see Iranian perspectives (even if they're dictated by the state) and the country's ability to disseminate news on less contentious topics.
Crypto expert arrested for allegedly helping North Korea evade sanctions
North Korea has long been accused of using cryptocurrency to avoid sanctions, but the US is now accusing a man of giving the country some help American law enforcement has arrested crypto expert and Ethereum project member Virgil Griffith for allegedly providing North Korea with information on how cryptocurrency and blockchain tech could help the isolated nation evade US sanctions. He presented at a crypto conference in Pyongyang despite being denied permission to travel to North Korea, and reportedly discussed how the country could "launder money" and otherwise skirt trade barriers. There were several North Korean officials in the audience who asked him questions, according to the Justice Department.
US sanctions two Russians for meddling in 2018 midterm elections
Today, the US Treasury sanctioned two Russian nationals accused of working for the Internet Research Agency (IRA) and attempting to meddle in the 2018 US midterm elections. The US has already sanction the IRA and a handful of its members. Now, Igor Nesterov, 34, and Denis Kuzmin, 28, have been added to the list.
Huawei's US ban may cost $30 billion, but it vows to rebound
If you were wondering what the short-term cost of America's war with Huawei was, then your estimates can begin at the $30 billion mark. That's the figure Huawei chief Ren Zhengfei mentioned earlier today when discussing the hit his company will take in the next two years. Since Huawei is being hounded out of both the network and smartphone businesses, you can expect that figure to keep going up.
Huawei delays the launch of its foldable phone until September
If you were thinking about ditching the Galaxy Fold in favor of the Mate X after the former was delayed, think again. Huawei has told CNBC that is also pushing back the release of its folding phone to spend more time testing the hardware. The launch, originally pencilled in for this summer, will now take place in September. That will enable Huawei to ensure its mechanism is more reliable, and focus on other matters, like app compatibility.
EU approves cyber-attack sanctions ahead of election
The European Union has agreed to an automatic set of sanctions to punish any future cyber attackers. Just a week ahead of the EU Parliament elections, officials in Brussels on Friday approved a cyber sanctions regime that would impose asset freezes and travel bans on individuals. While no specific targets have been named yet, the EU hopes the new system will make it easier for the 28 member nations to act quickly in the event of a cyber attack.
MIT suspends its research partnerships with Huawei and ZTE
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is putting its funding and research ties with Huawei and ZTE on hold due to US investigations against the Chinese companies. The university will also add extra layers of scrutiny to projects and funding linked with China, Russia and Saudi Arabia.
Huawei pleads not guilty to stealing US trade secrets
In a US federal court in Seattle, Chinese tech firm Huawei pleaded not guilty to several charges that allege the company engaged or attempted to engage in theft of trade secrets, the Associated Press reported. US District Judge Richardo S. Martinez, who presided over today's hearing, has set a trial date for March 2020 for the case. If Huawei is found guilty, it could face a fine of up to $5 million.
FBI reportedly carried out a sting operation on Huawei at a burger joint
The makers of a super-hard smartphone glass made partially of synthetic diamonds took part in an FBI sting on Huawei, according to a new Bloomberg report. The operation apparently took place at a Prime Burger joint in Vegas during CES last month, while a Businessweek reporter watched from a nearby gelato stand. The embattled Chinese company had ordered samples of the "Miraj Diamond Glass" from US startup Akhan Semiconductor in 2017, only to return them badly damaged. Suspecting Huawei of intellectual property theft, Akhan's founder Adam Khan reportedly contacted the FBI, which drafted him and COO Carl Shurboff to take part in its Huawei investigations.
Huawei denies US sanctions and trade secret charges
Huawei isn't taking kindly to the US' charges of sanction violations and trade secret theft. A spokesperson told Engadget the company was "disappointed" to hear of the charges and flatly "denies" it or an associated company (namely Skycom) committed any of the crimes in the indictments. It's also "not aware of any wrongdoing" by CFO Meng Wanzhou, according to the statement (available below). Huawei went so far as to suggest the US was unfair and trying to revive a dead case.
