Posts Tagged: rules

Apple will honor California’s ‘right to repair’ rules nationwide

“Right to repair” advocates probably couldn’t have imagined that Apple would be one of the biggest names on their side a mere five years ago. But that’s precisely what’s happening here: The tech giant has officially came out in support of having federal right to repair regulations at an event hosted by the Biden administration. Apple VP Brian Naumann proclaimed at the event that the company “supports a uniform federal law that balances repairability with product integrity, data security, usability, and physical safety.” He also said that the company intends to “honor California’s new repair provisions across the United States” even though national regulations have yet to be established. 

Apple has a lengthy history of opposing attempts at passing right to repair rules. The company once said that Nebraska was bound to become a “mecca for hackers” when a bill was introduced in the state. It changed its tune in the past few years, however, and started selling parts and tools to consumers, as well as offering them access to repair guides so they could fix their iPhones and Macs on their own. Apple also backed Senator Susan Talamantes Eggman’s right to repair bill in California in August before Governor Gavin Newsom signed it into law. 

Under California rules, device makers are required to stock replacement parts and tools and offer repair documentation for three years for gadgets that cost between $ 50 and $ 99. For devices that cost over $ 100, they’re required to provide parts, tools and documentation for seven years. Apple already sells parts and repair tools across the US, but if it’s following California provisions nationwide, that means those items and its repair guides would be available for years to anyone in the country.

In addition to promising to honor California’s right to repair provisions across the nation, Naumann also talked about what an ideal federal law should have. “We believe that a uniform federal repair law should do the following: Maintain privacy, data and device security features which help to thwart theft; Ensure transparency for consumers about the type of parts used in a repair; Apply prospectively, to allow manufacturers to focus on building new products that can comply with the proposals; And finally, create a strong national standard that benefits consumers across the US and reduces the confusion created by potentially conflicting state approaches,” he said. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-will-honor-californias-right-to-repair-rules-nationwide-062704819.html?src=rss

Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

Apple’s union-busting practices violated employee rights at NYC store, judge rules

Apple is once again in trouble for its union-busting practices. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) judge ruled Apple interfered with employees' organizing efforts at its World Trade Center store in New York City after workers, Bloomberg reported. Managers were found to have taken away pro-union flyers in the break room and attempted to dissuade employees from joining unions, which prosecutors argued had led employees to end the organizing campaign. A judge ordered Apple "cease and desist from coercively interrogating employees regarding their protected concerning activities and Union sympathies." 

The news broke in early 2022 that Apple store workers nationwide were quietly organizing in response to concerns that their wages didn't reflect the rising cost of living. However, Apple soon hired the anti-union law firm Littler Mendelson, which also represents Starbucks and McDonalds, among others. The company also instructed store managers to share anti-union sentiments, such as warning employees that joining a union could bring reduced pay, career opportunities and time off. That May, the Communications Workers of America filed Unfair Labor Practice charges for the Apple stores in the World Trade Center and Atlanta's Cumberland Mall. 

Union efforts are slowly gaining ground at Apple stores across the country. The NLRB previously found Apple had violated federal law in Atlanta, including daily mandatory anti-union meetings for employees and interrogating workers. Last year, employees at an Apple store in Maryland and another in Oklahoma voted to unionize. Yet, other locations like the St. Louis branch abandoned plans to unionize, blaming similar tactics by Apple. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-union-busting-practices-violated-employee-rights-at-nyc-store-judge-rules-115036323.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

Court rules Elon Musk broke federal labor law with 2018 tweet

Elon Musk broke US labor law in 2018 when he tweeted Tesla factory workers would forgo stock options if they chose to unionize, according to a federal appeals court. On Friday, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, in a decision spotted by Business Insider, upheld a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruling that found Musk made unlawful threats around employee compensation.

In May 2018, a Twitter user asked Musk about his stance on unions. “Nothing stopping Tesla team at our car plant from voting union. Could do so tmrw if they wanted,” he tweeted in response. “But why pay union dues & give up stock options for nothing? Our safety record is 2X better than when plant was UAW & everybody already gets healthcare.”

The tweet immediately drew the attention of labor activists, and in 2021, the NLRB, responding to a complaint from the United Auto Workers union, found Musk had threatened employees. Tesla has argued the tweet was Musk’s way of pointing out that workers at other automakers don’t receive stock options. NLRB chair Wilma Liebman saw it differently. "The employee is going to hear it as, 'If I vote to unionize, stock options will no longer be an option,'" she told Bloomberg in 2018.

After reviewing the decision, the Fifth Circuit Court sided with the NLRB. "Because stock options are part of Tesla's employees' compensation, and nothing in the tweet suggested that Tesla would be forced to end stock options or that the UAW would be the cause of giving up stock options, substantial evidence supports the NLRB's conclusion that the tweet is as an implied threat to end stock options as retaliation for unionization," the panel wrote.

The court ordered Musk to delete the tweet. As of the writing of this article, the message is still live. The Fifth Circuit Court also upheld an order from the NLRB that Tesla reinstates Richard Ortiz, a worker the automaker fired for organizing employees at its Fremont factory in California.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/court-rules-elon-musk-broke-federal-labor-law-with-2018-tweet-195420903.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

Jury rules Elon Musk is not liable for shareholder losses after ‘funding secured’ tweets

Elon Musk is off the hook for his 2018 tweets claiming he had “funding secured” to take Tesla private for $ 420 a share. A jury found that Musk was not liable for Tesla investors’ losses, following a weeks-long trial in San Francisco.

The verdict is a major victory for Musk, who could have been liable for billions of dollars in damages. Musk had testified in federal court that just because he tweets something, it "does not mean people believe it or will act accordingly." He also argued that he could have used his shares of SpaceX to fund the deal.

The shareholders who brought the class action suit had argued that Musk’s statements about funding were false, and that they lost vast amounts of money due to stock fluctuations in the aftermath of Musk’s tweets. But while the judge in the case concluded that the tweets were "objectively false and reckless," the jury didn’t find that Musk had deliberately misled the public.

While the verdict ends the years-long saga of the “funding secured” tweets, the posts weren’t entirely without consequences for Musk. He settled with the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2018, and stepped down from his role as Tesla board chair as a condition of the settlement. Musk has long decried the SEC settlement and has said he was “forced to admit I lied to save Tesla’s life.”

In a statement to Bloomberg following the verdict, Musk's lawyer, Alex Spiro, said "the jury got it right." Musk also weighed in — naturally, via tweet — saying he was "deeply appreciative." 

Update 2/3 7:19 PM ET: Added Elon Musk's tweet about the verdict.

Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

Google employees who don’t comply with COVID-19 vaccine rules will reportedly be fired

Google is giving employees until December 3rd to declare their COVID-19 vaccine status. And according to CNBC, if they fail to comply with the tech giant's vaccine mandate, they'd have to apply for a medical or religious exemption and convince Google that it's warranted if they don't want to eventually lose their job. Google will approve exemptions on a case-by-case basis. 

In its report, the publication said that it has seen an internal memo warning personnel of the consequences if they still haven't complied with the company's vaccine rules by January 18th. Those who refuse to be vaccinated or who have failed to secure a valid exemption will be placed on paid administrative leave for 30 days. Google will then put them on unpaid personal leave for up to six months and will ultimately fire them if they truly don't want to be inoculated against COVID-19. 

The tech giant reportedly explained in the memo that it's implementing its vaccine mandate to comply with the administration's executive order. Under that order, all US companies with more than 100 workers must be fully vaccinated by January 18th. While the order is in limbo after courts had blocked its implementation, Google may have simply chosen to push through with its plans to ensure that it's compliant in case the order suddenly takes effect.

"We expect that almost all roles at Google in the US will fall within the scope of the executive order. Anyone entering a Google building must be fully vaccinated or have an approved accommodation that allows them to work or come onsite… frequent testing is not a valid alternative to vaccination," the memo reportedly reads.

Earlier this month, CNBC also reported that Google delayed workers' return to office and will no longer require personnel to come in a few times a week starting on January 10th. However, it still encouraged employees to come into the office "where conditions allow, to reconnect with colleagues in person and start regaining the muscle memory of being in [one] more regularly."

While it will strictly enforce its rule for all employees that fall within the scope of the order, Google did give those who don't want to get vaccinated an option. If they can't secure a valid religious or medical exemption, they can "explore" other roles within the company that don't conflict with the order. If they can find such a role and it doesn't require in-office work, they can also permanently work remotely going forward.

Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

China’s new AI trade rules could hamper a TikTok sale

TikTok’s attempt to sell itself and avert a possible US ban may run into some complications. The Wall Street Journal reports that China has unveiled new restrictions on AI technology exports that could affect TikTok. The new rules bar the exports of…
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Google Rules adds Tasker-like automations to Pixel phones, starting to roll out now

Smartphone automation has always been a thing in the enthusiast world of Android, going as far back as Tasker in the early Android days. While it’s still probably the de facto automation app, this kind of thing hasn’t really blown up with your average consumer. That’s starting to change, however, with Apple launching Siri Shortcuts […]

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Trump admin blocks expanded rules against inefficient lightbulbs

On Friday the Department of Energy announced it will not allow amended standards for incandescent lamps to go into effect. Following the passage of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 there was talk of a "ban" on incandescent lights, but…
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Justice Department sets rules for using genealogy sites to solve crimes

Investigators have used genealogy sites to solve a string of cold cases in recent years, but the US hasn't really had a firm stance on how and when to use those sites. There's now a basic framework in place, however. The Justice Department has esta…
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French court rules Steam games must be able to be resold

In a court decision that could fundamentally change how Steam operates, European Union consumers have won the right to resell their Steam titles through Valve's digital marketplace. French website Next Inpact reports the Paris Court of First Instance…
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DOJ launches probe of automakers that agreed to California emissions rules

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched an antitrust investigation into BMW, Ford, Honda and Volkswagen, the four automakers that came to a voluntary agreement with California to follow stricter fuel efficiency standards. After The Wall Stree…
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House Democrats will introduce bill to reinstate net neutrality rules

Now that the Democrats have the majority in the US House of Representatives, net neutrality is back on the table. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has revealed that Democrats will introduce a bill to restore Obama-era net neutrality rules on March 6th. T…
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Canada adopts strict rules for drone flights

It's Canada's turn to implement rules for drone flights, and those in the pipeline could make the American approach seem lenient. Transport Canada has adopted new regulations that will require the registration of any drone weighing between 250g and…
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Lab-grown meat is not meat, Missouri state rules

What's the definition of "meat"? Once upon a time that would have been an easy enough question to answer, but the advent of meat-substitute products such as the Impossible Burger and the arrival of cultured meat — aka lab-grown meat — has given reg…
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Twitter relaxes the rules for customer service DMs

Twitter's bot crackdown is great for improving the quality of the service, but might make it harder for businesses to use it effectively. That's why the company is tweaking its system to enable companies to better deal with bulk communications. In th…
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Twitter’s new rules prohibit bulk tweeting to fight spam

Twitter's spam bot issue isn't new, but it came to a head when it was revealed that thousands of Russian troll accounts used the platform to influence the 2016 Presidential elections. Now, the company has announced a set of changes and new developer…
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Democrats call for tougher online ad spending rules

Politicians aren't just asking Facebook to testify on how suspicious Russia-linked ads allegedly reached its social network — they want some political reform to prevent this from happening again. A mix of House and Senate Democrats have written a l…
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Microsoft’s design rules push Windows ‘beyond mere rectangles’

Microsoft's Fall Creators Update for Windows 10 might have an ironically uncreative name, but the upgrade itself is flush with artistic potential and useful features. It will give users a timeline to manage complex work sessions, APIs that tie all of…
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That was quick! Verizon to install adware on phones after privacy rules repealed

Verizon’s AppFlash, a new app rolling out to the carrier’s customers in the coming weeks, can track app usage and use it to target ads. The Electronic Frontier Foundation notes that it could, too, be used by hackers as a common point of attack.

The post That was quick! Verizon to install adware on phones after privacy rules repealed appeared first on Digital Trends.

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Sex and sexuality: The Jane Austen game breaking the MMO rules

Ever, Jane is an online role-playing game set in the dramatic, romantic worlds of Jane Austen. It invites players to attend sophisticated dinner parties and fancy balls, share gossip, keep secrets, fall in love, get married and climb the ribbon-lined…
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Airbnb sues San Francisco over new short-term rental rules

Short-term rental service Airbnb is suing the city of San Francisco over a recently passed amendment to a rental law. The new law is scheduled to go into effect sometime next month, with the lawsuit hoping to block it.

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Win for Apple as NY judge rules tech firm doesn’t have to unlock iPhone for FBI

Apple’s ongoing battle with the FBI over phone privacy received a boost Monday when a New York judge said the government cannot force the tech firm to access data on a locked iPhone that may provide evidence in a drug-related criminal case.

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