U.S. Lifts Sanctions on Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Amid Shift in Brazil Relations 
U.S. Homeland Security Ends TSA Union Contract, Prompting Legal Challenge 
SpaceX Edges Toward Landmark IPO as Elon Musk Confirms Plans 
SoftBank Shares Slide as Oracle’s AI Spending Plans Fuel Market Jitters 
Mizuho Raises Broadcom Price Target to $450 on Surging AI Chip Demand 
Australia’s Under-16 Social Media Ban Sparks Global Debate and Early Challenges 
International Outcry Grows Over Re-Arrest of Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammadi in Iran 
Trump Claims Pardon for Tina Peters Despite No Legal Authority 
Federal Judge Orders Restoration of SEVIS Status for Tufts PhD Student Rumeysa Ozturk 
Apple App Store Injunction Largely Upheld as Appeals Court Rules on Epic Games Case 
Judge Orders Return of Seized Evidence in Comey-Related Case, DOJ May Seek New Warrant 
Taiwan Opposition Criticizes Plan to Block Chinese App Rednote Over Security Concerns 
IBM Nears $11 Billion Deal to Acquire Confluent in Major AI and Data Push 
Azul Airlines Wins Court Approval for $2 Billion Debt Restructuring and New Capital Raise 
California, 18 States Sue to Block Trump’s $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee 
Bolivia Orders Pre-Trial Detention of Former President Luis Arce Over Embezzlement Probe 
Evercore Reaffirms Alphabet’s Search Dominance as AI Competition Intensifies 
U.S. prosecutors have expanded charges against former Google (NASDAQ: GOOGL) software engineer Linwei "Leon" Ding, accusing him of stealing AI trade secrets to benefit Chinese companies. The federal grand jury in San Francisco charged Ding, a 38-year-old Chinese national, with seven counts of economic espionage and seven counts of trade secret theft.
If convicted, Ding faces up to 15 years in prison and a $5 million fine for each espionage charge, while each trade secret theft charge carries a maximum 10-year sentence and a $250,000 fine. Originally indicted in March, Ding is currently free on bond. His attorneys have not commented on the case.
Prosecutors allege Ding stole proprietary information related to Google’s AI infrastructure and supercomputing data centers, which were designed to compete with Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) while reducing dependence on Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) chips. Between May 2019 and May 2023, Ding allegedly uploaded over 1,000 confidential files and later shared a PowerPoint with employees of a Chinese startup he founded, highlighting China’s AI development policies.
The case was handled by the Disruptive Technology Strike Force, a Biden administration initiative aimed at preventing advanced U.S. technology from reaching China and Russia. Prosecutors revealed that Ding was approached by a Chinese tech company in 2022, around the time his thefts began.
While Google has not been charged, the company has fully cooperated with authorities. Court records from a December hearing indicate discussions of a potential resolution, though a trial remains likely.
The case, U.S. v. Ding, is being prosecuted in the Northern District of California under case number 24-cr-00141.
