14 – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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Law

These days, some of tech’s most important decisions are being made inside courtrooms. Google and Facebook are fending off antitrust accusations, while patent suits determine how much control of their own products they can have. The slow fight over Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act threatens platforms like Twitter and YouTube with untold liability suits for the content they host. Gig economy companies like Uber and Airbnb are fighting for their very existence as their workers push for the protections of full-time employees. In each case, judges and juries are setting the rules about exactly how far tech companies can push the envelope and exactly how much protection everyday people have. This is where we keep track of those legal fights and the broader principles behind them. When you move fast and break things, it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise when you end up in court.

The aftermath of the Supreme Court’s NetChoice ruling

Here’s what the SCOTUS decision might mean for everything from kids online safety laws to the TikTok ‘ban.’

Lauren Feiner
Wes Davis
Wes Davis
Does Airbnb protect its guests’ privacy?

A CNN investigation found that Airbnb routinely ignores or silences, through settlements and NDAs, guests who find hidden cameras in their rentals’ bedrooms and bathrooms.

In one case, Airbnb told guests who found a camera pointed at their bed it wanted to get the host’s side of the story. It allowed him to continue hosting for months, even after being told he was under police investigation. Police eventually raided his property:

Among the more than 2,000 recovered images, law enforcement identified more than 30 victims, including several children. Many guests – who booked the same property either through Airbnb or Vrbo – were captured in various stages of undress. Some were recorded having sex.

Update: Altered the text for clarity.

Elizabeth Lopatto
Elizabeth Lopatto
Tether truthers, start your engines!

Two former execs of a German AI data center company, Northern Data, say they were fired for raising concerns the company was “misrepresenting the strength of its financial condition,” in a wrongful termination lawsuit. Northern Data, which is backed by Tether, has been looking into an IPO in the US.

Elizabeth Lopatto
Elizabeth Lopatto
“A willingness to kiss without paperwork is now a form of chivalry.”

A look at the era of the non-disclosure agreement, subject of pop songs and nearly as common as water in Silicon Valley. Paradoxically, though, being as loud as possible makes it harder for the likes of Jeff Bezos to come after you.

Wes Davis
Wes Davis
iPhone 7 owners still have time to claim part of a microphone lawsuit settlement.

If you owned an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus between September 16th, 2016 and January 3rd, 2023 and met certain requirements, you may be eligible to claim part of a settlement after a class action lawsuit over issues with the Apple devices’ microphones.

The deadline was originally June 3rd, 2024, but it was extended earlier this month to July 3rd instead.

Sarah Jeong
Sarah Jeong
Someone at SCOTUS pushed the wrong button and accidentally published a draft opinion in a pending abortion case.

A draft opinion for Moyle v. US — a still-undecided abortion case — was briefly published to the Supreme Court website today. According to Bloomberg, the draft would allow emergency abortions in Idaho.

The court is behind schedule with ten decisions left to go, including the NetChoice cases.

The RIAA versus AI, explainedThe RIAA versus AI, explained
Jordan Pearson
Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
Julian Assange’s ‘criminal matter’ concludes.

The Department of Justice announced that, as expected, the WikiLeaks founder entered a guilty plea today in the U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands.

At today’s proceeding, Assange admitted to his role in the conspiracy to violate the Espionage Act and received a court-imposed 62-month time-served sentence, reflecting the time he served in U.K. prison as a result of the U.S. charges. Following the imposition of sentence, he will depart the United States for his native Australia. Pursuant to the plea agreement, Assange is prohibited from returning to the United States without permission.

US-COURT-ASSANGE
Photo by YUICHI YAMAZAKI/AFP via Getty Images
TikTok makes its First Amendment caseTikTok makes its First Amendment case
Lauren Feiner
Jess Weatherbed
Jess Weatherbed
Arm’s dispute with Qualcomm might interfere with Copilot Plus PC rollout.

Reuters reports that executives are concerned shipments of their new AI-powered laptops could be halted if Arm wins the two-year legal battle against Qualcomm. The trial is scheduled to begin in December, but only if they can’t agree to licensing terms first.

As D2D Advisory CEO Jay Goldberg noted to the publication:

“There is a degree of absurdity of Arm suing its second-biggest customer, and Qualcomm being sued by its largest supplier.”

Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
Epoch Times CFO arrested on money laundering charges.

A few years ago, Facebook accused Epoch Media Group of laundering pro-Trump posts using networks of fake accounts. Today, prosecutors announced the arrest of The Epoch Times CFO Bill Guan and accused him of laundering at least $67 million for himself and the company using gift cards and crypto.

The “media company” allegedly claimed the money came from donations, profits, or subscriptions, as NBC News reported last year.

3. Members of the MMO Team and other scheme participants moved the crime proceeds into the Media Entities’ accounts through tens of thousands of layered transactions utilizing, among other things, prepaid debit cards and financial accounts that were opened using stolen identification information, including the personal identification information of U.S. residents.
Image: USAO - New York, Southern
Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
E*Trade reportedly “considers” shutting down Roaring Kitty’s account after new GameStop posts.

Keith Gill, the same Redditor who sparked a frenzy in 2021 has returned, and the stock is spiking again. The WSJ reports that in addition to E*Trade’s discussions, SEC officials are having “internal discussions” about whether the new posts amount to manipulation.

Meanwhile, Gill posted another screenshot this afternoon showing an account with shares and options now worth $260 million.

Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
Here’s how BBL Drizzy set a precedent for sampling AI-generated music.

As Drake attempts to flip taunts by Kendrick Lamar, Rick Ross, and Metro Boomin on Sexyy Red’s “U My Everything,” the beat transitions into a sample of the AI-generated song “BBL Drizzy.”

While the Udio-generated master recording is public domain, creator King Willonious’ lyrics are copyright protected, so he could get paid for a writer credit, as Billboard reporter Kristin Robinson explains.