Mar 2, 2019

Facebook files lawsuit, cracking down on fraudulent activity in China

Gigi Sukin

Photo: SOPA Images/Getty Images

Facebook and Instagram filed a lawsuit late Friday in U.S. federal court against 4 companies and 3 people based in the People's Republic of China for the production and promotion of fake accounts, likes and followers on both platforms.

Details: The company's lawsuit also aims to prevent trademark infringement on its sites, and the use of Facebook branded domain names to operate on their websites — a practice called cyber squatting. Ultimately, the motivation for the suit is to stress that such fraudulent actions are unacceptable.

Go deeper: Facebook removes fake accounts linked to Russian news outlet Sputnik

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Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 10 p.m. ET: 1,014,673 — Total deaths: 52,973 — Total recoveries: 210,335 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 10 p.m. ET: 244,678 — Total deaths: 5,911 — Total recoveries: 9,058 — Map.
  3. 2020 updates: The Democratic National Committee said its July convention will be postponed until August because of the coronavirus. A federal judge declined to delay Wisconsin's April 7 primary election.
  4. Jobs latest: Coronavirus unemployment numbers are like a natural disaster hitting every state.
  5. Public health latest: Anthony Fauci called for all states across the U.S. to issue stay-at-home orders. The FDA will allow blood donations from gay men after 3-month waiting period, citing "urgent need."
  6. Business latest: Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said oil companies are eligible for aid from new lending programs the Federal Reserve is setting up, but not direct loans from his department.
  7. U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt: Navy removes captain of aircraft carrier who sounded alarm about coronavirus.
  8. 1 future thing: In developing countries, consequences of COVID-19 could be deeper and far more difficult to recover from.
  9. What should I do? Answers about the virus from Axios experts — What to know about social distancing — Q&A: Minimizing your coronavirus risk.
  10. Other resources: CDC on how to avoid the virus, what to do if you get it.

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