Zuckerberg's leadership questioned as Meta privacy trial gets underway
The fallout led to Facebook agreeing to pay a $5.1 billion penalty to settle FTC charges. The social media giant also faced significant fines in Europe and reached a $725 million privacy settlement with users. Now shareholders want Zuckerberg and others to reimburse Meta for the FTC fine and other legal costs, which the plaintiffs estimate total more than $8 billion.The first trial witness, privacy expert Neil Richards, testified Monday morning for the shareholders.'Facebook's privacy disclosures were misleading,' said Richards, a professor at Washington University Law School.In later testimony, Jeffrey Zients, who served on Facebook's board from 2018 to 2020, testified that consumer privacy and user data were priorities for both management and the board.Nonetheless, he supported settling with the FTC as it investigated potential violations of the 2012 consent order, so the company could move forward.'It was difficult because this was a lot of money, but I think it was better than the alternative,' Zients said.Asked if the board considered making its founder a party to the settlement, he said Zuckerberg was 'essential' to running the company.And, Zients, who served in both the Obama and Biden administrations, said, 'there was no indication that he had done anything wrong.'The case is expected to run through late next week and include testimony from both Zuckerberg and former Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg. Other witnesses expected in Delaware Chancery Court, where Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc. is incorporated, include board member Marc Andreessen and former board member Peter Thiel. The judge is not expected to rule for several months.Meta had hoped the Supreme Court would dismiss the case. Justices heard arguments in November before deciding they should not have taken it up. The high court dismissed the company's appeal, leaving in place an appellate ruling allowing the case to go forward.- EndsTrending Reel
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The Hindu
19 minutes ago
- The Hindu
U.S. House ending session early as Republicans clash over Epstein vote
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson is rebuffing pressure to act on the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, instead sending members home early for a month-long break from Washington after the week's legislative agenda was upended by Republican members who are clamouring for a vote. Mr. Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, said Tuesday (July 22, 2025) morning that he wants to give the White House 'space' to release the Epstein information on its own, despite the bipartisan push for legislation that aims to force the release of more documents. Editorial | Republican rumblings: on Trump and the Epstein files 'There's no purpose for the Congress to push an administration to do something they're already doing,' Johnson said at his weekly press conference, his last before lawmakers depart Washington on Wednesday for their traditional August recess. The Speaker's stance did little to alleviate the intra-party turmoil unfolding on Capitol Hill as many of President Donald Trump's supporters demand that the administration meet its promises to publicly release a full accounting of the sex trafficking investigation into Epstein, who killed himself in his New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial. Under pressure from right-wing online influencers, as well as voters back home, rank-and-file Republicans are demanding that the House intervene in the matter. 'The public's not going to let this die, and rightfully so,' said Rep Ralph Norman, a South Carolina Republican. Johnson's control of the House is under threat The dynamic left Johnson with slipping control of his Republican conference and several crucial committees. Even before Mr. Johnson spoke Tuesday morning, a Republican-controlled subcommittee of the House Committee on Oversight was advancing a resolution to subpoena Epstein's former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, for a deposition. Mr. Johnson decided to end the House's legislative business early this week after he essentially lost control of the powerful House Rules Committee, which sends bills to the floor for debates and votes. Late Monday evening, business on that panel ground to a halt when the Republicans on the committee abruptly recessed proceedings rather than risk more proposals from Democrats pushing them to release Epstein files. Republicans had teed up votes on legislation to increase penalties for migrants who enter the country illegally, to ease permitting for water infrastructure and to rollback several Biden-era regulations. But all of those bills were put on hold at least until after the August recess. Frustration in the House has been running high since last week, when Republican leaders signaled possible support for a vote on the Epstein files as they raced to pass a $9 billion package of spending cuts. GOP leader unveiled a resolution that has no legal weight but would urge the Justice Department to produce more documentation. Mr. Trump, meanwhile, has asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek the release of testimony from secret grand jury proceedings in the case, though that effort is unlikely to produce new revelations. Echoing Mr. Trump's position, Mr. Johnson insisted he, too, wants the files released, but only those that are 'credible'. Mr. Johnson, who has relied heavily on Mr. Trump to hold onto leadership in the House, cast the President's reticence to release information as out of concern for the victims of Epstein. 'We have a moral responsibility to expose the evil of Epstein and everybody who was involved in that — absolutely — and we're resolved to do it,' Mr. Johnson said. 'But we also have an equal moral responsibility to protect the innocent, and that is a fine needle to thread.' A political wedge Even with the month-long break, the pressure on Mr. Johnson is unlikely to end. Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican whose contrarian stances are often a thorn in the side to leadership, is gathering support for a legislative maneuver to force the bipartisan bill to a House vote, even without leadership's consent. 'Now, there are a lot of people here in the swamp who think that, Oh, well, if we spend five weeks on vacation, the pressure for this will dissipate. I don't think it's going to dissipate',' Mr. Massie told reporters Monday evening. Democrats have watched it all unfold with glee and worked to inflame the conflict among Republicans by making their own calls for transparency on the Epstein investigation. They have repeatedly tried to force votes on the matter, casting it as an issue of trust in the government. 'It's about transparency in government. It's about whose side are you on? Are you on the side of the rich and powerful, protecting men? Or are you on the side of young girls and America's children?' said Rep Ro Khanna, the California Democrat who put forward the legislation alongside Massie. Epstein sexually abused children hundreds of times over more than a decade, exploiting vulnerable girls as young as 14, authorities say. He couldn't have done so without the help of Maxwell, his longtime companion, prosecutors contend. Mr. Massie said the case is palpable enough to carry significant political consequences. 'This will be an issue that does follow Republicans through the midterms, and it will follow each individual Republican through the midterms. It will follow people into their primaries. Did you support transparency and justice, or did you come up here, get elected and fall into the swamp?' he told reporters. He added, 'I think it is a watershed moment for the speaker of the House and the president."
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an hour ago
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Threads launches new analytics dashboard to help creators track engagement
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News18
2 hours ago
- News18
Texas lawmakers begin review of catastrophic floods that killed at least 135
Last Updated: Austin (Texas), Jul 23 (AP) Texas lawmakers on Wednesday were set to begin reviewing the July 4 floods that killed at least 135 people, a disaster that put local officials under scrutiny over why residents along the Guadalupe River did not receive more warnings. The catastrophic floods in the Texas Hill Country and a partisan redrawing of US House maps, aimed at giving Republicans more winnable seats in the 2026 elections, are two major issues in a 30-day special session that is already off to a combative start. Democrats want to address flood relief and new flood warning systems before taking votes on new congressional maps sought by President Donald Trump. They have not ruled out a walkout in a bid to derail the redistricting, which they have slammed as a partisan power grab. State and county emergency response officials are scheduled to testify on Wednesday, but no officials from Kerr County, the area most hard-hit by the floods, are expected to appear. Lawmakers have filed bills to improve early warning systems and emergency communications and to provide relief funding. Kerr County, where 27 campers and counsellors, most of them children, were killed at Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp, does not have a warning system along the river after several missed opportunities by state and local agencies to finance one. Three people remain missing. At one point, county officials said more than 170 people were unaccounted for. Lawmakers are scheduled to visit Kerrville on July 31 to hear from residents. Democrats have left open the possibility of filibusters or walking out in the coming weeks to block the proposed congressional map redraw. On Monday, most of the party's members in the House signed a letter to the speaker stating that they would not engage in any work before addressing flood relief. But Democrats have few paths to resistance as the minority party in both chambers. Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton has threatened to arrest those who attempt to walk out on top of the USD 500 a day fines lawmakers face for breaking a quorum. (AP) SKS NPK NPK view comments First Published: July 23, 2025, 15:30 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
