
US judge in Facebook data privacy case rejects class action bid
Jan 27 (Reuters) - A federal judge in California has refused to allow millions of Facebook users to band together as a class in a lawsuit accusing the social media company of duping them about its privacy safeguards in order to maintain market dominance.
San Francisco-based U.S. District Judge James Donato on Friday rejected, opens new tab key evidence that the plaintiffs presented to justify certifying the case as a class action against Facebook parent Meta Platforms (META.O), opens new tab.
The judge ruled that the consumers could not rely on an expert's findings that Meta would have paid its users $5 a month for their personal data in a competitive market. The expert estimated nationwide damages of more than $52 billion.
Meta had called, opens new tab the expert's analysis 'junk science' and had urged Donato to bar the plaintiffs from using it. The company has denied any wrongdoing.
In a statement, Meta welcomed Donato's ruling and said the company 'faces fierce competition for the time and attention of people and businesses.'
The consumers' lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Granting class action status can place extra pressure on a corporate defendant to settle, especially in cases where a company faces claims of billions of dollars.
Donato is presiding over a consolidated lawsuit that was first filed in 2020.
The consumers told the court, opens new tab that Facebook users trusted the company's "abundant (and false) assertions that Facebook respects their privacy and gives users full control over what data it collects and who uses their data and how."
The consumer plaintiffs had asked Donato to certify a class of Facebook users between 2016 and 2020.
Meta in a court filing said the named plaintiffs in the lawsuit 'found personalized value' and enjoyment in using Facebook, and did not base their decision to use the platform on alleged misstatements about its privacy protections.
The case is Maximilian Klein et al v. Meta Platforms, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 3:20-cv-08570-JD.
For plaintiffs: Shana Scarlett of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro and Kevin Teruya of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan
For Meta: Sonal Mehta, David Gringer and Ari Holtzblatt of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr
Meta must face shuttered photo app's antitrust lawsuit, US appeals court rules

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The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
Trump is going after LGBTQ rights and big companies have responded by shunning Pride Month
Every June, like clockwork, multinational corporations — from banks to fashion houses to petrochemical giants — would suddenly don their Pride-themed logos on social media. Many LGBT+ people found it shallow, and mocked the phenomenon as a cynical exercise in "rainbow-washing". But just a few years since the wash of rainbow feeds, even this skin-deep show of support is conspicuous by its absence. Of the ten major U.S. corporations documented by journalist Hunter Schwarz to have adopted a Pride avatar or banner on Twitter in 2023 — including ExxonMobil, Bank of America, and Freddie Mac — just one, the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, is still flying its rainbow flag on the social network today. Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, the National Basketball Association, and the National Hockey League have also abandoned it since 2023. "A lot of people have hesitations around 'rainbow capitalism', and I'm definitely one of those people," Maybe Burke, a 32-year-old gender inclusion consultant in Philadelphia, tells The Independent. "But to not see anything makes you miss when you did, you know?" Multicolor logos aren't the only things disappearing. Pride marches across the nation have lost corporate sponsorships, from big city extravaganzas to small town celebrations. New York City's Pride organizers reportedly lost roughly one quarter of their corporate donors this year; Kansas City Pride lost half its annual budget; even San Francisco Pride was down $200,000. Some ties, such as that of Budweiser brewer Anheuser-Busch to St Louis PrideFest, were decades old. LGBT+ non-profits have also reported severe drops in their funding. The newsletter Popular Information found 19 examples of companies that appeared to have scaled back their support for Pride, including Dyson, Nivea, UPS, Mastercard, and Citi. The hardware chain Lowe's reportedly also backed out of a regular Human Rights Campaign survey and shut down an LGBT+ employee resource group. Another report by NBC News named Nissan, Comcast, and drinks maker Diegeo. "The scale of the retreat in the U.S. is dramatic and telling," Fabrice Houdart, executive director of the Association of LGBTQ+ Corporate Directors, tells The Independent. "We're not witnessing a mere dialing down — we're witnessing withdrawal, with a few exceptions... the exuberant displays of support we saw five years ago have been replaced by passivity, silence, or strategic invisibility." 'We are seeing the unravelling of conditional support' Burke, who earns much of her living training organizations to be more welcoming to trans and non-binary people, noticed conditions beginning to change after the Trump administration's flurry of executive orders targeting DEI programs — one of which threatened to investigate companies, non-profits, universities, and other institutions that maintain them. "No new inquiries were coming in, and people I had been planning and talking with for months were ghosting me," Burke says. "June has always been my busiest month of the year. June has funded the rest of my summer. In recent years I've had at least two gigs a week in June with different clients; as of right now, I have two gigs for the entire month.' One client, she adds, told her straight up that the company's legal department had intervened and warned that hiring her for a gig might violate Trump's decrees. That's just one symptom of the sudden chill that has descended over corporate America about openly standing up for LGBT+ rights. Some companies pulled back earlier, as a new anti-LGBT+ hate movement gathered steam between 2021 and 2024. But the presence of an openly authoritarian president in the White House, backed by a movement seemingly hellbent on driving queer people back underground, has drastically raised the stakes. "Companies are afraid of backlash, boycotts, and being 'called out' by the administration. But the real issue is that many never developed the courage of their convictions," says Houdart from the Association of LGBTQ+ Corporate Directors. "We're seeing the unraveling of conditional support: the second Pride stopped being universally popular or profitable, many brands quietly exited." Ron deHarte, co-president of the Pride organizers' association USA Prides, says there has indeed been a "noticeable decline" in national-level brand sponsorships, especially in the biggest advertising markets (mostly large cities such as New York and Los Angeles). Yet he stresses that there are other factors at play too. "The broader economic climate", he argues, especially "uncertainty around tariffs", is making companies reticent about spending on events and marketing across the board. Whatever the cause, the lost money will have an impact. Sponsorship money, deHarte explains, is "crucial not only for the flashy decorations and entertainment but also for essential aspects like security, insurance, porta-jons, and maintaining free entry for many events." At least smaller Pride events, which is most of them, will be less impacted on average, because they "traditionally rely more on community fundraising and local business support". 'This is a wake-up call to reclaim our power' Of the nine companies that ditched their Twitter drag since 2023, ExxonMobil, McKesson, Cencora, Cardinal health, Centene, Bank of America, Freddie Mac, and UPS, all either did not respond or declined to comment to The Independent. Citi did respond, though it declined to answer our specific questions. A spokesperson said the company's LGBT+ employee group is 'excited about sponsoring a range of Pride celebrations' worldwide, and will be marching with the LGBT+ elders' charity SAGE in New York City. To be fair, few companies seem to have completely cut all support, instead either scaling down their commitments or simply undertaking them more quietly. Yet that still sends a bitter message to a community that has spent decades fighting not to have to live in hiding. There is, after all, a reason that nobody dubs it LGBT+ Sensible Modesty Month. "In the short term, it's unpleasant. It reinforces the sense that LGBTQ+ dignity is still negotiable and that we never really accumulated any political or economic power," says Houdart. There will, he argues, be lasting damage to companies' reputation: "Many queer people will not forget who stood up and who disappeared." Yet in the long term, deHarte and Houdart are both hopeful that good things will come of this. To deHarte, it's an opportunity for the movement to diversify its funding and prioritize sponsors who demonstrate a real, year-round commitment to LGBT+ equality all year round "It could be a pivotal moment — a forced reckoning,' says Houdart. 'We have been too dependent on institutional validation from parties, governments, and corporations that never honestly shared our long-term vision. "This is a wake-up call to reclaim our power and stop renting our liberation from others... it's a painful moment, but it's also clarifying. Our future depends on solidarity and organizing, not sponsorship."


Scottish Sun
3 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Tesco shoppers reveal why they ALWAYS ask for receipts – and it's not for pricing errors
Tesco shoppers have shared a little known trick to bag discounts SHOP TO IT Tesco shoppers reveal why they ALWAYS ask for receipts – and it's not for pricing errors Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TESCO shoppers are sharing the savvy reason they always check their receipts One customer took to social media to reveal the trick and shoppers were left stunned. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Eagle eyed customers have managed to bag bargains Credit: Getty 3 Shoppers are urged to check their receipts for offers and freebies at the checkout Credit: Facebook/ Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK Tesco customers aren't checking their receipts for errors but so they can claim free items and discounts. Money off and even free items can sometimes be claimed from receipts from Tesco and other big retailers. One customer recently managed to bag kilograms of rock salt for almost nothing after spotting an impressive discount offer on their receipt. They shared their bargain on social media so other customers could use the trick to claim their own freebies and discounts. 3 The shopper went home with tens of kilograms of rock salt costing them just £2 Credit: Facebook/ Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK In the past Eagle eyed customers have managed to nab free nappies just by properly checking their receipt. If you spot a freebie on your receipt you can hand it over to a member of staff to claim the item. Sometimes to get the free items on offer you need to be a Clubcard holder. The free loyalty program allows members to earn points for money off shopping at Tesco. Free items on receipts will be clearly displayed in plain writing and should be easy to spot. The free items come from personalised coupons for targeted promotions, usually awarding Clubcard holders. Offers will usually have an expiry date so it is important to check that the discount or freebie is still valid before trying to claim it. Other supermarkets offer similar money saving deals and loyalty programmes to customers. M&S shoppers could not believe their luck after learning they could pick up a packet of their Outrageously Chocolatey Milk Chocolate Biscuits for nothing. Savvy shopper reveals the secret way to get epic discounts and hundreds of points for 'no reason at all' in Tesco The biscuits would usually cost customers a whopping £6 at M&S stores. To qualify for the offer customers need to be a Sparks Member, which is M&S's free loyalty scheme and also signed up to its parenting club. Sainsbury's has also given vouchers to its Nectar Card holders to pick up free items such as fabric softener. Vouchers for freebies and discounts print out at the till alongside your receipt. Shoppers have been urged to keep an eye out for the deals when they're paying for their shop. Social media users were left stunned after discovering they had been missing out on freebies and discounts. One user shocked them all when they revealed the reason they always took their receipt.


Scottish Sun
3 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
B&M shoppers rush to buy HUGE furniture scanning for just £1 instead of £80
One shopper saved a huge £79 on the "lush" furniture BARGAIN HUNT B&M shoppers rush to buy HUGE furniture scanning for just £1 instead of £80 Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SHOPPERS are rushing to bag a bargain after discovering an £80 B&M item is scanning for just £1. The stunning piece of furniture is selling for a huge discount with one lucky shopper picking it up from their local B&M. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 The item was described as "lush" by one shopper Credit: Facebook/ ExtremeCouponingAndBargainsUK 3 The customer only paid £1 Credit: Facebook/ ExtremeCouponingAndBargainsUK They shared the massive discount to social media with others rushing to stores to snap up one of their own. The two door sideboard is usually priced at £80, B&M have not announced or advertised a discount for the product. Despite this the price of the item appears to have been reduced by a whopping £79 with shoppers racing to stores to snap up the bargain item. Social media users quickly tagged friends and pals in the post to share the massive savings on offer. The sideboard has a rustic oak finish and boasts plenty of storage space. The seemingly secret sale had shoppers clamouring to get to their local store to pick up one of the "lush" sideboards themselves. After sharing their bargain buy online the lucky shopper who spotted the discount was congratulated by others. One social media user said: "Absolute bargain. I've had this for ages and paid £40. It's lush." Another commented: "Good for you, a bargain and then some." Shoppers hoping to get their hands on the discounted furniture will have to be quick and will need to download the B&M scanner. 'Why is no-one talking about this-' woman says about B&M buy that'll transform her bathroom for 'less than a Domino's' The scanner lets you see if an item is cheaper than its advertised price. Discounts are sometimes applied to seasonal items or old stock with B&M trying to shift it quickly. The scanner lets the customer check if items are being sold at lower prices and saves them a bunch of money. Using the scanner is completely free, bargain hunters just need to download the B&M app. If items scanned by the app show lower prices than advertised shoppers need to take them to the cash desk in store where they will automatically scan at the lower price. 3 The cabinet offers stylish storage at a massively discounted price Credit: B&M Brits up and down the country have bagged massive bargains at B&M using the method. Using the app could help you score plenty of bargains on your next shopping trip. Any item could be discounted so it is always worth checking with the scanner before paying full price. The side board is no longer selling on the B&M website, suggesting it has had its price slashed so dramatically as part of a clearance sale getting rid of old stock. Amazon said the piece of furniture, which they are selling for £89.99, offers: "Convenient hidden storage space behind two doors with a rustic wood finish. "With its rectangular shape and metal legs, this storage cabinet can serve well in entryways, hallways, or dining rooms for organizing shoes, books, toys and more. "The standout feature of this cabinet is the chevron detailing on the doors, adding a stylish and contemporary touch to its design."