In mid-2025, multiple U.S. states, including Kentucky, Nebraska, Arkansas, Illinois, and New York, filed lawsuits against the Chinese-owned e-commerce platform Temu, alleging widespread data privacy violations, malware-based surveillance, and intellectual property theft. These cases represent a significant shift in cybersecurity enforcement, with state attorneys general stepping into territory traditionally managed by federal agencies.

Who’s Leading the Legal Front?

Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman filed a lawsuit on July 17, 2025, accusing Temu of unlawfully collecting user data (Wi-Fi, GPS, camera), sharing it with the Chinese government, and infringing on iconic Kentucky brands, including Buffalo Trace Distillery and Churchill Downs.

Nebraska AG Michael Hilgers filed a suit on June 12, 2025, alleging Temu installs malware that extracts personal data (including from minors), employs deceptive marketing tactics, and supports counterfeit product listings. The lawsuit argues Nebraska consumers lose control over their data once they install the Temu app.

Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin previously sued Temu, calling its app “dangerous malware” and accusing it of bypassing device controls to harvest personal data and contact information from Temu users’ phones.

Other states, such as Illinois and New York, have filed similar complaints, echoing allegations of privacy violations and cybersecurity threats.

Core Allegations Against Temu

Malware & Data Exfiltration

Lawsuits claim that Temu’s app contains hidden code that functions like spyware, recording location, communications, camera activity, and even contact lists without user consent. Experts warn it may evade detection by security tools.

Foreign Data Access Risks

By design or regulation under Chinese law, Temu’s parent company PDD Holdings may allow the Chinese government access to sensitive user data. Kentucky’s suit specifically emphasizes unauthorized data transmission to Chinese authorities.

Counterfeit & IP Violations

Kentucky’s complaint also alleges Temu sells counterfeit versions of famous state brands. Nebraska’s lawsuit includes claims of copycat products and deceptive marketing that harm local creators and businesses.

Broader Implications & Context

State Governments Assume National Cyber Roles

These cases mark a crucial shift: U.S. states are assuming enforcement responsibilities historically held by federal cybersecurity and intelligence agencies. Experts note that while some states lack forensic and legal resources for high-level cyber threats, the trend is clear.

Response from Temu

Temu categorically denies the allegations, calling them misinformation, often tied to short-seller reports. It has attempted to counter concerns by relocating its principal executive office to Dublin and signing data hosting deals with U.S. providers like Oracle, Google, and Microsoft to store user data domestically.

TikTok Parallel

Temu’s crisis echoes that of TikTok—another Chinese app under scrutiny for data sharing with Beijing. While Temu’s Oracle cloud deal is seen as a privacy-preservation effort, critics say such strategies have done little to appease regulators in TikTok’s case.

What This Means for Consumers & Businesses

• Consumers: If allegations hold, users may face unauthorized surveillance, loss of privacy, and data misuse.
  
• State Legislatures: These enforcement actions could accelerate new data protection laws or tighten consumer privacy statutes at state level.
  
• E-commerce Brands: Sellers using Temu or similar platforms may face increased compliance scrutiny and liability risks.
  
• Companies with China Ties: All foreign-owned apps must now consider deeper transparency and domestic data storage strategies to maintain trust and regulatory goodwill.
  

Legal actions in Kentucky, Nebraska, and Arkansas, along with emerging filings in Illinois and New York, spotlight Temu as a focal point in U.S. cybersecurity law. Key allegations include the use of surreptitious malware, unauthorized data transfers to China, and counterfeit product practices. These suits illustrate how state-level enforcement is evolving — with significant implications for digital privacy, regulatory policy, and e-commerce operations.

The post State-Level Legal Action Targets Temu Over Privacy and Cybersecurity appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

More than 30 European media companies have filed a €2.1 billion damages claim against Google over its ad tech practices. This is Google latest European lawsuit, but it is not the first, and might not be the last.

The plaintiffs, which include the German group Axel Springer, the Norwegian multinational Schibsted, and Prensa Ibérica and Grupo Godó from Spain, are demanding compensation from the Mountain View company, claiming that they have suffered losses due to Google's digital advertising practices.

"The media companies involved in the lawsuit have incurred substantial losses in recent years by operating in a less competitive marketplace, which is a direct result of Google's misconduct," reiterated Geradin Partners and Stek, the law firms representing the plaintiffs.

A collective claim against the Internet titan 

Damien Geradin, founding partner of Geradin Partners, said, "We are proud to represent the 34 publishers in bringing this claim. Enough time has been spent getting to the heart of Google's ad tech irregularities that it is now out in the open for all to see. It is time for Google to be held accountable for its abuses and compensate the victims, Europe's diverse and vital media sector."

"Many publishers have suffered harm due to Google's unlawful actions. It is important to take action not only to ensure that publishers' damages are fully compensated but also to ensure that Google's anti-competitive conduct is prevented in the future. We are glad that 34 major media companies have decided to take action. Others should do the same," said Jan Bart van de Hel, a partner at Stek in Amsterdam.

Google has already been sentenced by ‘abuse of dominant position’ 

In June 2021, the French competition authority found that Google's conduct constituted an ‘abuse of dominant position’. Following this, the European Commission (EC) opened proceedings against Google and issued a statement of objections in June 2023. Now, this European media group is suing Google for damages suffered as a result of the company's abuses. The case was filed in the Amsterdam District Court on February 28, 2024.

Google answers, ‘it is speculative’ 

The class action lawsuit against Google comes at a time when the company's advertising business is facing an existential threat from the transition from conventional search engines to generative AI chatbots.

Google has already spoken out in opposition to the lawsuit, calling it "speculative and opportunistic": "Google works constructively with publishers across Europe. Our advertising tools adapt and evolve in collaboration with these publishers".

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Amazon could get the EU antitrust approval for its $1.4 billion acquisition of robot vacuum cleaner maker iRobot, as advanced by Reuters.

Antitrust authorities worldwide have scrutinized acquisitions of smaller competitors by tech giants, concerned about a few companies amassing vast amounts of data and big players leveraging their dominance to enter new markets.

The European Commission, which acts as the EU's competition regulator, warned Amazon in July that the deal could reduce competition in the robot vacuum cleaner sector and strengthen the U.S. company's dominant position as a provider of online marketplaces.

The commission, due to rule on the deal by Feb. 14, declined to comment. Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The deal announced in August would add iRobot's Roomba robot vacuum cleaner to U.S. online retail giant Amazon's portfolio of smart devices, which includes the Alexa voice assistant, smart thermostats, security devices, and intelligent wall-mounted displays.

The British antitrust agency cleared the deal without conditions following a preliminary review.

EU antitrust doesn't trust Amazon 

Earlier this year, Europe had given the first signs that an in-depth investigation might be underway. It was initially intended to elucidate whether the acquisition could adversely affect the privacy of user data. Specifically, the European Commission wanted to know whether Amazon planned to combine the information recorded by iRobot's robot vacuums with that obtained through Alexa.

In July, meanwhile, European regulators opened an in-depth investigation to determine whether the purchase of iRobot would strengthen Amazon in a way that would be anticompetitive for the online retail sector. As indicated, the verdict was to be known this month but was finally delayed until February next year.

The European Commission's go-ahead would not mean the end of scrutiny over the iRobot purchase. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is conducting its own investigation. However, Amazon also remains optimistic about gaining approval in North America. As it became known in the middle of the year, Andy Jassy's firm had already certified "substantial compliance" with the requirements set by the agency headed by Lina Khan.

The post Amazon could get the EU antitrust approval for iRobot acquisition appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

By Laura de Blas Ballester - Nowadays is of vital importance to take into account the regulations applicable to our website and, therefore, the legal texts that must be implemented on-site.

When users browse your website, you must convey trust and transparency. In this way, we demonstrate, in addition to compliance with applicable regulations, respect for the rights of the users of our website.

Legal aspects to considered

Some of the fundamental legal reasons and aspects you need to consider while we deal with texts for your website are the following. 

• Legal compliance: Using legal texts, you comply with applicable laws and regulations, avoiding possible lawsuits or sanctions by the authorities or affected third parties.

• Protection of users' rights: You will comply with current data protection regulations, guaranteeing users' rights, transparency, and accessibility.

• Trust and credibility: Complying with legal rules and regulations on your website is a sign of seriousness and commitment to your users, which can improve confidence in your brand and increase the chances of conversion.

It is essential to comply with the regulations when creating a web page, as this ensures legality, security, and trust in the site, in addition to protecting users' rights.

Wich legal text should you include?

The core texts that any online business should include in their website, according to the current European legislation, should be the following - keep in mind these are the ones referenced by the Spanish legislation; if you live in any other country, you should search the corresponding equivalent - : 

• Legal Notice: It must be included based on Article 10 of Law 34/2002, of July 11, 2002, on information society services and electronic commerce (hereinafter, "LSSI"). This would include all the Entity's identification data. 

• Privacy Policy: It must be included based on the RGPD and the LOPDGDD, regulating the purposes of the processing of personal data of users of the Platform by the Entity. 

• Cookies Policy: In accordance with the LSSI, for the use of cookies, it will be mandatory to have a Notice (Banner) and a Cookies Policy to obtain the informed consent of the users of the website. 

• General terms and conditions of contracting: In the case of being able to purchase products or services through the website must be included all the information about the purchase process, payment methods, guarantees, and returns... among others.

All these documents should be available and easily accessible on your website for all visitors.  Please remember that the aforementioned texts should be written in the corresponding legal format by a lawyer or by any other professional with the certifications required to guarantee a proper legal redaction of such content. 

For these reasons, we strongly advise all business owners to search for professional legal counsel such as the one we provide for our clients in Spain. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about this text or any other legal-related issue. 

About the Author: Laura de Blas Ballester is a lawyer at Blas Legal, specializing in several areas, such as Intellectual Property, Personal Data Protection, Digital Law, and New Technologies.

The post Why Is it Important to Include Legal Texts and Disclaimers on Your Website? appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

The National Commission for Markets and Competition from Spain (CNMC) has initiated a disciplinary proceeding against Google and its parent company, Alphabet, for abuse of Google's dominant position concerning publishers of press publications and news agencies established in Spain.

According to the institution, these practices consist of "the possible imposition of unfair commercial conditions on publishers of press publications and news agencies established in Spain to exploit their content protected by intellectual property rights".

On the other hand, they also point out that "the investigated conducts would also include practices that would constitute acts of unfair competition that could distort free competition affecting the public interest."

The opening of this case does not prejudge the outcome of the investigation. Now a maximum period of 18 months will be opened for the investigation of the case and for its resolution by the CNMC.

Disciplinary proceedings 

The sanctioning proceedings opened by the CNMC were launched after the institution received a complaint from the Spanish Center for Reprographic Rights (CEDRO). Google would have infringed laws related to the Defense of Competition and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

Google told the newspaper El País that it "works constructively with publishers in Spain and in Europe. We make significant investments through our products, programs, and financing. We will analyze the details of this case and answer the CNMC's questions.

The post The Spanish CNMC initiates disciplinary proceedings against Google and Alphabet appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

The Belgian Federation of Trade and Services, Comeos, has commented on the new regulation, stating that it is insufficient to get the sector up to speed. While the new regulation makes it possible to work between midnight and 5 a.m. priority should be on the 8 p.m.-midnight timeframe. These are the most important hours Belgian merchants want to continue to work. The main problem with changing regulation for this period is that a new agreement has to be made with all labor unions. The same goes for working on Sundays.

Currently, one in two Belgian e-commerce orders is placed on an international shop selling in Belgium. According to president Dominique Michel, this will not change anytime soon.

The post New Belgian regulations for enabling working at night are disapproved by e-commerce sector appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.