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Super Micro Launches Probe After Export Violation Case

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Super Micro Computer has initiated an independent investigation following criminal charges against individuals linked to the firm over alleged export-control violations.

The U.S. Department of Justice has charged co-founder Yih-Shyan Liaw, sales manager Ruei-Tsang Chang and contractor Ting-Wei Sun with orchestrating a scheme to bypass export restrictions on U.S.-made servers.

According to authorities, the group allegedly routed servers through Taiwan to Southeast Asia, where they were repackaged and ultimately shipped into China. The case involves at least $2.5 billion in AI-related technology, including hundreds of millions of dollars in shipments over a short period.

Super Micro stated it is not a defendant in the case but has taken internal action. Liaw and Chang were placed on leave, while Sun was terminated. Liaw has also resigned from the company’s board.

The company has launched a parallel internal review of its global trade compliance systems. The investigation is being overseen by independent board members and supported by law firm Munger, Tolles & Olson and consulting firm AlixPartners for forensic analysis.

The case highlights ongoing concerns around export controls on advanced computing technology, particularly AI chips, and the challenges companies face in enforcing compliance across complex international supply chains.

The investigation’s findings will be reported to the board, though no timeline has been set for completion.

TikTok Collected Sensitive Data on Canadian Children, Probe Reveals

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TikTok has pledged to strengthen safeguards to keep children off its platform after a Canadian investigation concluded that the company failed to adequately block underage users and protect their personal information.

The inquiry, led by Canada’s federal privacy commissioner Philippe Dufresne along with privacy watchdogs in Quebec, British Columbia, and Alberta, found that hundreds of thousands of Canadian children used TikTok annually despite the platform’s minimum age requirement of 13.

Investigators also determined that TikTok collected sensitive personal data from “a large number” of children and used it for marketing and content-targeting purposes. “TikTok collects vast amounts of personal information about its users, including children. This data is being used to target the content and ads that users see, which can have harmful impacts, particularly on youth,” Dufresne said at a press conference.

In response, TikTok agreed to adopt stricter age-verification systems, improve transparency about how user data is used, and prevent advertisers from directly targeting anyone under 18, except through broad categories such as language or approximate location. The company also expanded the privacy information available to Canadian users.

A TikTok spokesperson said the company was pleased regulators accepted several of its proposals to “further strengthen” protections for Canadian users, while noting disagreement with some of the findings. The spokesperson did not specify which ones.

The case comes amid growing global scrutiny of TikTok due to concerns about its ties to China. TikTok is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, and governments worldwide—including the EU and the U.S.—have taken steps to restrict or ban the app on official devices.

In Canada, the government launched a review of TikTok’s planned expansion in 2023, which ultimately led to an order demanding the company shut down its Canadian operations over national security risks. TikTok is challenging that order.

EU Accepts AliExpress Commitments to Combat Illegal Online Products

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The European Commission announced on Wednesday that it has accepted binding commitments from Alibaba’s AliExpress to tackle the spread of illegal and pornographic materials on its platform. This follows a March investigation into AliExpress’s alleged failure to adequately address these concerns, which could have resulted in significant fines.

Despite the acceptance of these commitments, AliExpress may still face penalties. The Commission noted that the company underestimated the risks of disseminating illegal goods and failed to enforce sanctions against traders posting illicit content. AliExpress has the opportunity to respond to these preliminary findings.

AliExpress stated it has cooperated proactively with the Commission and remains confident that ongoing dialogue will lead to a compliant resolution.

The commitments include improvements to monitoring systems for illegal products, such as unapproved medicines, food supplements, and adult content. They also enhance transparency around advertising and recommendation algorithms, and facilitate trader traceability on the platform.