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Meta investors settle $8b lawsuit with Zuckerberg over Facebook privacy

Meta investors settle $8b lawsuit with Zuckerberg over Facebook privacy

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has agreed to settle an $US8 billion ($12 billion) lawsuit with a group of shareholders over how top executives and directors handled repeated privacy violations of Facebook users.
The settlement was announced on Thursday by a lawyer for the shareholders. The parties did not disclose how much they agreed to settle for nor on what terms.
Judge Kathaleen McCormick adjourned the trial just as it was to enter its second day in a Delaware court and congratulated the parties.
The plaintiffs' lawyer, Sam Closic, said the agreement just came together quickly.
Billionaire venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, a defendant in the trial and a Meta director, was scheduled to testify on Thursday.
Shareholders of Meta sued Mr Zuckerberg, Mr Andreessen and other former company officials — including former chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg — in hopes of holding them liable for billions of dollars in fines and legal costs the company paid in recent years.
The Federal Trade Commission fined Facebook $US5 billion in 2019 after finding it failed to comply with a 2012 agreement with the regulator to protect users' data.
The shareholders wanted the 11 defendants to use their personal wealth to reimburse the company. The defendants denied the allegations, which they called "extreme claims".
Facebook changed its name to Meta in 2021. The company was not a defendant and declined to comment.
On its website, the company has said it has invested billions of dollars into protecting user privacy since 2019.
A lawyer for the defendants declined to comment.
"This settlement may bring relief to the parties involved, but it's a missed opportunity for public accountability," said Jason Kint, the head of Digital Content Next, a trade group for content providers.
Mr Zuckerberg was expected to take the stand on Monday and Ms Sandberg on Wednesday. The trial was scheduled to run through the end of next week.
The case was also expected to include testimony from former Facebook board members Peter Thiel, Palantir Technologies co-founder, and Reed Hastings, co-founder of Netflix.
By settling, Mr Zuckerberg and other defendants avoid having to answer probing questions under oath.
Ms Sandberg was found during the litigation to have deleted what were likely her most sensitive emails and she was sanctioned, making it harder for her to tell her side of the story in court.
The settlement allows plaintiffs to avoid trying a very difficult case.
Meta investors alleged that former and current board members completely failed to oversee the company's compliance with the 2012 FTC agreement.
The lawsuit also claimed that Mr Zuckerberg and Ms Sandberg knowingly ran Facebook as an illegal data harvesting operation.
The oversight allegations are known as Caremark claims, considered the most difficult to prove under Delaware corporate law.
It was the first time Caremark claims went to trial, and even if the plaintiffs had gotten a judgement in their favour, the case would have been appealed to the Delaware Supreme Court.
That court has reversed major shareholder victories in recent years.
The case followed revelations that data from millions of Facebook users was accessed by Cambridge Analytica, a now-defunct political consulting firm that worked for Donald Trump's successful US presidential campaign in 2016.
Those revelations led to the FTC fine, which was a record at the time.
On Wednesday, an expert witness for the plaintiffs testified about what he called "gaps and weaknesses" in Facebook's privacy policies but would not say if the company violated the 2012 agreement that Facebook reached with the FTC.
Jeffrey Zients, a former board member, testified on Wednesday that the company did not agree to the FTC fine to spare Mr Zuckerberg legal liability, as shareholders alleged.
The defendants' legal team also showed the court notes that Mr Zients had taken when he was on the board that seemed to show he was urging the board to make user privacy a top priority, which would undercut plaintiffs' claims.
The trial settlement marks the second time Mr Zuckerberg avoided testifying in the court.
In 2017, Facebook abandoned a plan to issue a new class of stock as a way for Mr Zuckerberg to extend his control over the company while selling his shares.
The decision came a week before Mr Zuckerberg was expected to testify in the Court of Chancery to defend the stock plan.
"Facebook has successfully remade the Cambridge Analytica scandal about a few bad actors rather than an unravelling of its entire business model of surveillance capitalism and the reciprocal, unbridled sharing of personal data," Mr Kint said.
"That reckoning is now left unresolved."
Reuters
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Eugene Gligor police interview surfaces
Eugene Gligor police interview surfaces

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Eugene Gligor police interview surfaces

Don't miss out on the headlines from World. Followed categories will be added to My News. The display put on by a cold-case killer confronted with evidence of his horrific crimes is perhaps best described as 'squirming'. Eugene Gligor's police interview, 23 years after he murdered Leslie Preer in her home in the US state of Maryland, resurfaced this week. First published by The Washington Post, 24-minute interrogation shows Gligor pretending to be shocked when told his DNA was found at scene of the grisly murder. In the recording, filmed in June last year, Gligor is told: 'Well honey, your DNA was in the crime scene.' Having escaped scrutiny for the murder that took place in 2001, Gligor replies: 'I don't remember. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know.' He says he is 'confused' and 'at a loss', adding 'I don't have any recollection of being involved with any of this'. Sat on a metal chair across from two detectives from the Montgomery County Police Department, Gligor tries to plead his case. His attempt at feigning ignorace includes fake tears. But police are having none of it. 'If somebody was not involved it would be an adamant, (saying) 'I didn't do it.',' one of the officers tells the then-44-year-old. 'Oh, I didn't do it,' he says. 'I definitely didn't do it.' 'There's no tears coming out of your face,' an officers tells him. 'I'm very dry right now,' Gligor says. 'You want me to drink water so I can tear? What are you trying to say?' 'I'm just trying to say that this seems a little put on,' an officer tells him. The police interview was the culmination of years of work including a breakthrough in the way DNA was analysed. Montgomery County Police Department has released footage of Eugene Grigor's police interview. DNA breakthrough that solved cold-case In the days after the murder, police took as much evidence as they could, which included processing the scene for fingerprints, swabbing suspected blood samples, taking photographs, and vacuuming the foyer area for hairs and other artefacts. DNA evidence was also able to be extracted from underneath Leslie's fingernails — a sign she tried to fight off her attacker — and was matched an unknown male suspect. However, due to limited technology at the time, they were unable to match it to anyone. Detectives spoke to a handful of potential suspects, including Leslie's husband, Carl. However, DNA soon ruled him out. With no other leads, the case went cold. Despite the odds, Lauren said she had always held out hope that one day her mum's killer would be brought to justice. Finally, earlier this month, this dream seemed like it might become a reality. Back in 2022, hard-working cold case investigators sought to use genetic genealogical analysis in a bid to close in on who murdered Leslie. The technique is relatively new, and involves taking an unknown suspect's DNA from a crime scene and comparing it to millions of DNA samples that customers have submitted to ancestor research companies. This can help detectives potentially track down family-tree connections to the perpetrator's DNA, hugely narrowing down the suspect pool. In this case, genetic genealogical analysis was able to yield one common surname: Gligor. While it did not mean much at first, this clue would end up the vital clue needed to find Leslie's alleged murderer. On June 4, 2024, police uncovered an old tip off submitted back in 2002 about someone called Eugene Gligor. The caller, who is understood to be a neighbour, had been suspicious of him and decided to share their thoughts with detectives. While it did not amount to much at the time, it ended up being the smoking gun that lead police to Eugene. Eugene Grigo pleaded guilty to murder in May and faces 30 years in prison. The only thing detectives needed was a sample of his DNA to see if it was a match for that left at the crime scene. And so the hunt began. Plain-clothed detectives tracked him down at Dulles International Airport, where they waited and watched as he finished off a bottle of water and disposed of the plastic bottle in a nearby bin. After he walked away, they pounced. With the fresh evidence in their clutches, forensic labs were able to extract his DNA from saliva left on the bottle. It was a match. Gligor was charged with first-degree murder. The crime that tore a family apart Leslie Preer worked at a popular advertising firm in Chevy Chase called Specialities Inc., and was a beloved employee, known for her dedication and punctuality. So when she failed to show up for her shift, her colleagues knew something just wasn't right. Leslie's boss called her husband and the pair went to her home just before midday. There they found blood spattered and smeared on the walls before discovering her body in an upstairs bathroom. She was face down inside the shower and it was clear her death had been horrific. She had multiple lacerations to her head and bruising to her neck which indicated strangulation. It would be 23 years of waiting for Leslie's family. In May, Gligor pleaded guilty to murder. 'It doesn't bring Leslie back, but now they know who did it to her,' Montgomery County State's Attorney John McCarthy said at a press conference. 'There's no such thing as closure, but I'm proud of what we do together, and I'm proud of our continuing search to find creative ways to make people in this community safer.' He faces up to 30 years in prison. — with Jasmine Kazlauskas Originally published as Footage emerges of cold-case killer Eugene Gligor's police interview

Footage emerges of cold-case killer Eugene Gligor's police interview
Footage emerges of cold-case killer Eugene Gligor's police interview

News.com.au

time7 hours ago

  • News.com.au

Footage emerges of cold-case killer Eugene Gligor's police interview

The display put on by a cold-case killer confronted with evidence of his horrific crimes is perhaps best described as 'squirming'. Eugene Gligor's police interview, 23 years after he murdered Leslie Preer in her home in the US state of Maryland, resurfaced this week. First published by The Washington Post, 24-minute interrogation shows Gligor pretending to be shocked when told his DNA was found at scene of the grisly murder. In the recording, filmed in June last year, Gligor is told: 'Well honey, your DNA was in the crime scene.' Having escaped scrutiny for the murder that took place in 2001, Gligor replies: 'I don't remember. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know.' He says he is 'confused' and 'at a loss', adding 'I don't have any recollection of being involved with any of this'. Sat on a metal chair across from two detectives from the Montgomery County Police Department, Gligor tries to plead his case. His attempt at feigning ignorace includes fake tears. But police are having none of it. 'If somebody was not involved it would be an adamant, (saying) 'I didn't do it.',' one of the officers tells the then-44-year-old. 'Oh, I didn't do it,' he says. 'I definitely didn't do it.' 'There's no tears coming out of your face,' an officers tells him. 'I'm very dry right now,' Gligor says. 'You want me to drink water so I can tear? What are you trying to say?' 'I'm just trying to say that this seems a little put on,' an officer tells him. The police interview was the culmination of years of work including a breakthrough in the way DNA was analysed. DNA breakthrough that solved cold-case In the days after the murder, police took as much evidence as they could, which included processing the scene for fingerprints, swabbing suspected blood samples, taking photographs, and vacuuming the foyer area for hairs and other artefacts. DNA evidence was also able to be extracted from underneath Leslie's fingernails — a sign she tried to fight off her attacker — and was matched an unknown male suspect. However, due to limited technology at the time, they were unable to match it to anyone. Detectives spoke to a handful of potential suspects, including Leslie's husband, Carl. However, DNA soon ruled him out. With no other leads, the case went cold. Despite the odds, Lauren said she had always held out hope that one day her mum's killer would be brought to justice. Finally, earlier this month, this dream seemed like it might become a reality. Back in 2022, hard-working cold case investigators sought to use genetic genealogical analysis in a bid to close in on who murdered Leslie. The technique is relatively new, and involves taking an unknown suspect's DNA from a crime scene and comparing it to millions of DNA samples that customers have submitted to ancestor research companies. This can help detectives potentially track down family-tree connections to the perpetrator's DNA, hugely narrowing down the suspect pool. In this case, genetic genealogical analysis was able to yield one common surname: Gligor. While it did not mean much at first, this clue would end up the vital clue needed to find Leslie's alleged murderer. On June 4, 2024, police uncovered an old tip off submitted back in 2002 about someone called Eugene Gligor. The caller, who is understood to be a neighbour, had been suspicious of him and decided to share their thoughts with detectives. While it did not amount to much at the time, it ended up being the smoking gun that lead police to Eugene. The only thing detectives needed was a sample of his DNA to see if it was a match for that left at the crime scene. And so the hunt began. Plain-clothed detectives tracked him down at Dulles International Airport, where they waited and watched as he finished off a bottle of water and disposed of the plastic bottle in a nearby bin. After he walked away, they pounced. With the fresh evidence in their clutches, forensic labs were able to extract his DNA from saliva left on the bottle. It was a match. Gligor was charged with first-degree murder. The crime that tore a family apart Leslie Preer worked at a popular advertising firm in Chevy Chase called Specialities Inc., and was a beloved employee, known for her dedication and punctuality. So when she failed to show up for her shift, her colleagues knew something just wasn't right. Leslie's boss called her husband and the pair went to her home just before midday. There they found blood spattered and smeared on the walls before discovering her body in an upstairs bathroom. She was face down inside the shower and it was clear her death had been horrific. She had multiple lacerations to her head and bruising to her neck which indicated strangulation. It would be 23 years of waiting for Leslie's family. In May, Gligor pleaded guilty to murder. 'It doesn't bring Leslie back, but now they know who did it to her,' Montgomery County State's Attorney John McCarthy said at a press conference. 'There's no such thing as closure, but I'm proud of what we do together, and I'm proud of our continuing search to find creative ways to make people in this community safer.' He faces up to 30 years in prison.

Gwyneth Paltrow becomes Astronomer 'spokesperson' after Coldplay concert saga
Gwyneth Paltrow becomes Astronomer 'spokesperson' after Coldplay concert saga

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Gwyneth Paltrow becomes Astronomer 'spokesperson' after Coldplay concert saga

Tech company Astronomer has poked fun at its recent Coldplay concert scandal by hiring band frontman Chris Martin's ex-wife, Gwyneth Paltrow, as a "temporary spokesperson". The company made headlines last week when its married CEO, Andy Byron, and HR chief, Kristin Cabot, were captured together on the kiss cam at a Coldplay concert. Martin was heard saying: "Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy." Both of them later resigned from their positions at Astronomer and the fallout made global headlines and led to a string of internet memes. Now, the company appears to be using its newfound internet fame as a promotional tool. A company video captioned "thankyou for your interest in Astronomer" opens with actor Paltrow saying: "Astronomer has gotten a lot of questions over the last few days and they wanted me to answer the most common ones." A title on the screen reads: "OMG what the actual F." "Unifying the experience of running data, ML and AI pipelines at scale," she answers. "We've been thrilled so many people have a newfound interest in data automation. As for the other questions we've received — yes! There's still room available at our Beyond Analytics event in September. Paltrow then goes on to talk about the company and its upcoming events. "Thank you for your interest in Astronomer." Astronomer was a previously obscure tech company based in New York. It provides companies with a platform that helps them organise their data. Before Ms Cabot and Mr Byron resigned, the company posted a statement on its LinkedIn and X accounts saying it would conduct a formal investigation into the pair's actions. "Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding," it said. "Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability. "The board of directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional details to share very shortly. "[Astronomer senior director, people] Alyssa Stoddard was not at the event and no other employees were in the video. "Andy Byron has not put out any statement, reports saying otherwise are all incorrect." The company did not mention the Coldplay concert in its statement. It instead referred to an "event" and used careful, vague wording like "this matter". Now, it appears the company has embraced the reason for its sudden fame and, perhaps in an intentional move, picked Paltrow because she is Martin's ex-wife.

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