Latest news with #Regnier
Chicago Tribune
22-07-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Charges dismissed against Kees Firearms owners
After more than two years in court, Will County prosecutors moved Monday to drop several criminal charges, first filed in 2023, against two New Lenox business owners, after a circuit court judge denied their request to reschedule the trial date. Jeffery Regnier, the owner of Kee Firearms and Training in New Lenox, and Greta Keranen, with Kee Construction, will not face charges of theft by deception, burglary, loan fraud, wire fraud or burglary fraud, unless the state decides to refile the charges. The Will County state's attorney's office did not respond Tuesday afternoon whether refiling is a possibility. Regnier and Keranen were first charged with several felonies for fraud and theft of COVID-19 pandemic relief funds in 2023. The state requested to continue the case, scheduled for a jury trial Monday, on another date due to the absence of several witnesses, including two special agents for the U.S. Secret Service and a former secret service agent now working with the IRS Southeastern District Analysis. The state said the agents were necessary to the case but were scheduled for field work the week of the trial. But Judge Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak said prosecutors had four months to ensure the witnesses presence, as the July court date was set in March, and denied the state's request. Previous judges in the case expressed frustration with prosecutor delays. The New Lenox business partners will still face a number of charges in Will County Circuit Court on Sept. 8, including money laundering and filing a fraudulent Illinois sales and use tax return. 'I'm relieved that they dropped the case at this point in time because of the time it's taken to go almost 30 months to prove that we're innocent,' Regnier said Monday. Regnier and Keranen won a case July 16 to recover seized property and securities under the Eighth Amendment's protection against excessive fines. The properties, including four vehicles and Fidelity Investment accounts valued at $5.5 million, were seized as a part of officials investigation of Regnier and Keranen for money laundering. Michael Ettinger, an attorney on the case, called the judgement 'historic' for how pretrial civil forfeiture is applied in the county. Previously, defendants had to wait 10 months to a year of trial proceedings before they could move to dismiss the forfeiture and get their property back, Ettinger said. 'They had no right to seize that property under the Constitution,' said Ettinger. 'Whatever alleged fraud, if it was $200,000, they could seize that amount of money, but you can't take the rest of their assets just because it's in the same account.' The business owners also filed a federal lawsuit in January 2025, claiming Will County authorities and the U.S. Secret Service targeted them and others with 'frivolous' civil forfeiture cases. Defendants in the lawsuit are the Will County sheriff's office, a U.S. Secret Service agent and unknown members of the Will County sheriff's office and U.S. Secret Service. The agent filed a request Monday to dismiss several motions. The lawsuit alleges the Will County state's attorney's office worked in conjunction with the secret service and the Will County sheriff's office to bring 'knowingly frivolous civil forfeiture claims targeting citizens of Will County to line the pockets of the Will County State's attorney and other Illinois government agencies.' Under Illinois law, 65% of forfeiture proceeds go to the arresting agency, which in this case is either Will County sheriff or U.S. Secret Service, 12.5% goes to the state's attorney, 12.5% to the state appellate prosecutor and 10% to Illinois State Police. The lawsuit claims those authorities, working together, created a 'de facto policy to overzealously pursue forfeiture opportunities' regardless of their legality 'in violation of the constitutional rights of the individuals whose assets they seek to forfeit.' The federal lawsuit also alleged the ongoing and widespread constitutional violations in civil forfeiture cases in Will County and across Illinois suggest a possible 'widespread conspiracy, understanding or policy' that leads to the overzealous and unconstitutional prosecution of forfeiture cases.
Euractiv
16-07-2025
- Business
- Euractiv
Meta's pay-or-consent ad model could still face fresh DMA fines
The European Commission is still considering whether to impose further fines on Meta over its advertising model under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) following a €200 million decision against the social media giant's pay-or-consent ad practices earlier this year. Meta was fined €200 million under the EU's DMA in April over an advertising model that offers Facebook and Instagram users a binary choice of paying to access an ad-free version of the services or agreeing to be tracked for Meta's ad targeting. The Facebook and Instagram owner tweaked the pay-or-consent ad model in November 2024, offering users a lower price to access an ad-free version of its services and claiming it would reduce the amount of personal data used for ad targeting free users. But the Commission fine handed down in April was for Meta's practices prior to those changes. On Wednesday, the Commission confirmed to Euractiv that it has sent a letter to Meta related to the ongoing DMA proceeding – on what the Commission's spokesperson, Thomas Regnier, described as "the remaining issues". The Commission would not confirm exactly what these are or whether Meta's subsequent changes to the ad model are sufficient to rectify the company's non-compliance. "We are considering the next steps, including the possible application of periodic penalty payments in case of continuous non-compliance, as already indicated in the non-compliance decision," Regnier added. In June, Meta confirmed to Euractiv that it had introduced limited changes to its advertising model, primarily tweaking the wording and design flow of the text that its app users see. Separately, the social media giant also announced that it would be appealing the Commission's decision and fine. Under the DMA, each day of non-compliance after a deadline has passed can lead to penalty payments of up to 5% of a gatekeeper's average daily worldwide turnover. (nl)
India Today
07-07-2025
- Business
- India Today
No stop the clock, no pause: EU rejects calls from Alphabet, Meta and others to stall AI regulation
The European Union has firmly rejected mounting calls from major tech companies, including Alphabet, Meta to delay the implementation of its Artificial Intelligence Act. Many big tech companies and even the several European AI firms such as ASML and Mistral asked the commission to hold on the implementation, citing high compliance costs and complex regulatory requirements. However, the EU has now made it clear that the legal timeline for rolling out the AI Act will remain seen, indeed, a lot of reporting, a lot of letters and a lot of things being said on the AI Act. Let me be as clear as possible: there is no stop the clock. There is no grace period. There is no pause,' said EU Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier at a press conference via Reuters. The Commission also emphasized the upcoming law is being adopted to ensure responsible AI development and carries legally binding deadlines which will be enforced tech companies want delay in AI ActTech and AI companies are resisting the implementation of AI rules by the EU, following concerns that the law could stifle innovation and increase costs. US-based tech giants, including Google's parent Alphabet and Facebook owner Meta, have joined European firms in urging Brussels to consider a delay. But the Commission is resolute, and has even warned the companies that delays in implementation would compromise public trust and safety. 'We have legal deadlines established in a legal text,' Regnier noted, outlining that the Act's provisions are staggered and will take effect in phases starting this EU is also planning to simplify some digital rules later in 2025, which could potentially reduce reporting obligations for smaller companies. However, the Commission has clarified that these simplifications will not affect the rollout or enforcement timeline of the AI Act itself. With the Act, the Commission wants to place guardrails around AI, which is currently a rapidly advancing technology touching nearly every sector of the is the EU AI ActThe EU Artificial Intelligence Act is described as the world's first comprehensive regulatory framework for AI. It officially entered into force on 1 August 2024. The Act includes guidelines for AI companies to follow a risk-based approach, categorising AI systems based on the level of harm they could pose. The most dangerous uses—such as manipulative behavioural prediction tools or untargeted facial recognition scraping—are outright banned under the will the AI Act be enforcedThe first set of regulations was enforced from 2 February 2025, targeting the most harmful AI practices. By 2 August 2025, obligations for general-purpose AI (GPAI) models will come into effect. For models that were already on the market before this date, providers have until August 2027 to ensure compliance. Meanwhile, rules governing high-risk AI systems—such as those used in employment, education, healthcare, or critical infrastructure—will come into force on 2 August 2026.- Ends
Time of India
04-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
European Commission spokesperson sends message to Google, Facebook and other tech giants on AI rules: ‘Let me be as clear as possible…'
European Union flags flap in the wind outside of EU headquarters in Brussels (AP) The European Union (EU) has dismissed the calls by tech giants like Google, Facebook-parent Meta and others to delay the region's landmark artificial intelligence (AI) act, saying that the European Commission will proceed with the implementation as previously scheduled. This means that the authority firmly rejects recent pleas from major tech companies and some nations to postpone the implementation of the AI Act, news agency Reuters reported. 'No Pause,' says European Commission spokesperson Companies including Google's parent Alphabet, Meta, and European firms like Mistral and ASML have recently urged the Commission to delay the AI Act by several years, citing concerns over compliance. However, Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier was unequivocal during a press conference. 'I've seen, indeed, a lot of reporting, a lot of letters and a lot of things being said on the AI Act. Let me be as clear as possible, there is no stop the clock. There is no grace period. There is no pause,' Regnier stated. He emphasised that the legal deadlines are fixed within the legislation. 'The provisions kicked in February, general purpose AI model obligations will begin in August, and next year, we have the obligations for high risk models that will kick in in August 2026,' he clarified. EU hints at simplification ahead, but says rules remain While some companies have expressed worries about the costs and stringent requirements of the AI rules, which aim to set crucial guardrails for a technology currently dominated by the US and China, the Commission remains steadfast. The Commission does plan to propose steps to simplify its broader digital rules later this year, potentially reducing reporting obligations for smaller companies, but this will not affect the AI Act's timeline. The AI Act is designed to regulate a technology that is becoming central to numerous economic sectors, ensuring its responsible development and deployment across the EU. Google Pixel 9 Pro After 1 Year: Still a Flagship Worth Buying in 2025? | Long-Term Review
Canada Standard
01-07-2025
- Business
- Canada Standard
Canada backs down, EU holds firm as U.S. tariff deadline looms
Shipping containers are stacked on container ships at the Port of Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 25, 2025. /VCG The United States has restarted trade negotiations with Canada following Ottawa's decision to scrap its digital services tax, a move welcomed by the White House. But across the Atlantic, the European Union is taking a starkly different stance, refusing to put its digital legislation on the table in ongoing trade talks with Washington. The development on Monday came as a July 9 deadline approaches for the U.S. to reimpose tariffs of up to 50 percent on several trading partners unless trade deals are reached. Canada scraps digital tax, talks with U.S. restart The trade talks between the United States and Canada will resume immediately following Canada's cancellation of the digital service tax (DST), said White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett on Monday. Hassett said U.S. President Donald Trump asked Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to "take the DST tax off" at the G7 meeting in Canada earlier this month. "It's something that they've studied, now they've agreed to. And for sure, that means that we can get back to the negotiations," Hassett said in an interview with Fox News. Canada's Minister of Finance and National Revenue Francois-Philippe Champagne announced Sunday that Canada will rescind its DST as it prepares for a broader trade agreement with the United States. The tax, which was designed to take effect on Monday, would impose a 3-percent levy on the revenue of U.S. multinational companies like Amazon, Google and Meta earned from Canadian users. Trump announced Friday that the United States would terminate all trade talks with Canada due to Canada's digital services tax on U.S. tech companies. EU digital legislation 'not on table' The digital legislation is not on the table in the trade negotiations between the European Union and the United States, European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier told a briefing Monday. Regnier emphasized that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has made it clear that EU legislation is not up for negotiation, "and this also includes, of course, our digital legislation," he said. "We're not going to adjust the implementation of our legislation based on the actions of third countries. If we started to do that, then we would have to do it with numerous third countries," Regnier added. Nevertheless, the spokesperson said that the Commission remains committed to reaching a trade deal with the United States by July 9. The United States has repeatedly criticized the EU's digital regulations, including the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the Digital Services Act (DSA), as unfair and has urged the EU to ease oversight of American tech giants. In February, the White House warned in a memo that it would consider retaliatory measures if EU regulators targeted American tech firms under the DMA or the DSA. Just two months later, in April, the European Commission found that U.S. companies Apple and Meta violated the DMA and issued significant fines against both firms. European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic announced Monday that he will travel to Washington on July 1 to continue efforts toward a U.S.-EU trade deal. Bloomberg reported Monday that the EU is willing to accept a trade arrangement with the U.S. that includes a 10 percent universal tariff on many of the bloc's exports but wants the United States to commit to lower rates on key sectors such as pharmaceuticals, alcohol, semiconductors and commercial aircraft. The EU is also pushing the United States for quotas and exemptions to effectively lower Washington's 25 percent tariff on automobiles and car parts as well as its 50 percent tariff on steel and aluminum, according to Bloomberg. (With input from Xinhua) Source: CGTN
