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☆ Microsoft Says It Could Abandon Activision Deal if Judge Delays It
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Kellen Browning | David Mccabe | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

On Wednesday, it sued Amazon over allegations that the company tricked users into signing up for its Prime subscription service. has had setbacks: Its challenge to Meta’s purchase of a virtual reality start-up fell apart this year after a judge declined to stop the deal from closing. But that court does not have the legal authority to stop the deal. asked the federal court to step in this month, saying it feared Microsoft would try to complete the deal despite the legal challenges. would be a sign that its broader challenge has legs, and could put new pressure on Microsoft and Activision to reconsider the multibillion-dollar corporate marriage.

Persons: Wilkinson, ”, Jim Ryan, Meta, Microsoft’s, Corley’s Organizations: Microsoft, Activision, Nintendo, Nvidia, PlayStation, Sony, Amazon

☆ Everyone Says Social Media Is Bad for Teens. Proving It Is Another Thing.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Claire Cain Miller | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Research has not yet shown which sites, apps or features of social media have which effects on mental health. It’s also hard to prove that social media causes poor mental health, versus being correlated with it. Most studies measure time spent on social media and mental health symptoms, and many, though not all, have found a correlation. But other researchers say measuring time spent isn’t enough: In these studies, it’s unclear if time on social media is the problem, or if it’s time away from other things like exercising or sleeping. It has found that time spent on social media is less of a factor than teenagers’ moods while using it.

Persons: ”, Sophia Choukas, Bradley, It’s, Awesome Organizations: Teen, University of Pittsburgh, University of Amsterdam, Erasmus University Locations: Rotterdam

☆ F.T.C. Said to Plan to Sue to Stop Microsoft’s Activision Deal From Closing
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( David Mccabe | Kellen Browning | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The planned lawsuit would be the latest blow to Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision, which makes popular video games like Call of Duty and Candy Crush. sued to block the deal through an in-house court, arguing it would damage competition in various parts of the video game market. The agency plans to file the separate lawsuit on Wednesday because unlike the F.T.C.’s in-house court, a federal court can issue a restraining order to block a purchase from being completed. In April, the British Competition and Markets Authority also moved to stop the deal, though regulators in the European Union said in May that it could go forward. Governments around the world have been challenging the power of tech giants like Microsoft.

Persons: Meta Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, Activision, behemoth, British Competition, Markets Authority, European Union, Amazon, of Justice, Google

☆ The rivalry between Meta and Apple is moving to a new playing field: virtual reality
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

New York CNN —Months after Apple unveiled a privacy change that threatened Facebook’s core advertising business, the social networking company rebranded as Meta and shifted its focus to virtual reality. Apple (AAPL) on Monday unveiled its mixed reality headset, the Vision Pro, in one of its most ambitious product launches in years. On Thursday, just days before WWDC, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg tried to preempt the expected Apple headset announcement by teasing the Meta Quest 3. Apple on Monday unveiled its first-ever virtual reality headset, challenging Facebook-owner Meta in a market that has yet to gain widespread consumer adoption. Apple chose not to focus on the term “virtual reality,” nor did it show off disembodied avatars without legs inhabiting a virtual world, as Meta did initially.

Persons: Tim Cook, Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs, Meta, Josh Edelson, Morgan Stanley, “ We’re, ” Sheeva, ” Eric Alexander, Apple, ”, Julie, Forrester, Zuckerberg, that’s, Alexander, ’ ”, It’s, D.A, Davidson, Tom Forte, Forte, Blackberry, ” Forte Organizations: New, New York CNN, Apple, Meta, Vision, Microsoft, Google, VR, Facebook, Getty, Street, IDC, ” Sheeva Slovan, Reality Labs, CNN, Apple's, WWDC, Disney Locations: New York, AFP, ’

☆ Judge Dismisses D.C.’s Privacy Lawsuit Against Meta
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Cecilia Kang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The NewsA Superior Court judge on Thursday dismissed a privacy lawsuit against Meta by the District of Columbia, which had accused the company of deceiving consumers by improperly sharing their data with third parties, including the British political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica. The decision was a rare victory for Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, as it battles lawsuits filed by the federal government, states, foreign regulators and consumers in privacy, antitrust and consumer protection disputes. But Judge Ross said Facebook not only had adequately informed users of how data could be shared with third parties but had provided instructions on how to limit data sharing. He added that Facebook had taken adequate steps to investigate Cambridge Analytica and inform users after press reports about the activity emerged. “While the district may disagree with Facebook’s approach to the situation, there is no legal basis that required Facebook to act differently,” Judge Ross said.

Persons: Maurice A . Ross of, Karl Racine, Cambridge Analytica, Racine, Judge Ross, ”, Gabriel Shoglow, Rubenstein, “, ” Meta Organizations: Meta, District of Columbia, Cambridge, Maurice A . Ross of Superior Court, Facebook, Cambridge Analytica, ” Locations: District

☆ Meta slapped with record $1.3 billion EU data privacy fine over transfer of Facebook data to US
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The European Data Protection Board announced the fine in a statement Monday, saying it followed an inquiry into Facebook (FB) by the Irish Data Protection Commission, the chief regulator overseeing Meta’s operations in Europe. The fine is the largest ever levied under Europe’s signature data privacy law, known as the General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR. Meta has also been ordered to cease the processing of personal data of European users in the United States within six months. Meta’s infringement is “very serious since it concerns transfers that are systematic, repetitive and continuous,” said Andrea Jelinek, chair of the European Data Protection Board. EU and US policymakers were on a “clear path” to resolving this conflict under a new transatlantic Data Privacy Framework.

☆ Meta becomes cross-border tech mascot
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Anita Ramaswamy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, May 22 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Meta Platforms (META.O) is acting as a Big Tech mascot in a cross-border decision about the transfer of data. The $1.3 billion fine is a drop in the bucket for Meta, which has over $40 billion in its cash coffers. The decision, handed down from the Irish Data Protection Commission, gives Meta until October to completely cease moving data from Europe to the United States. Rather, the tension between data and the cross-border watchdogs can become more troubling for U.S.-based Big Tech. The decision gives Meta five months to stop transferring users’ data to the United States.

☆ Meta Fined $1.3 Billion for Violating E.U. Data Privacy Rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Adam Satariano | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Meta on Monday was fined a record 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion) and ordered to stop transferring data collected from Facebook users in Europe to the United States, in a major ruling against the social media company for violating European Union data protection rules. The penalty, announced by Ireland’s Data Protection Commission, is potentially one of the most consequential in the five years since the European Union enacted the landmark data privacy law known as the General Data Protection Regulation. The ruling announced on Monday applies only to Facebook and not Instagram and WhatsApp, which Meta also owns. Meta said it would appeal the decision and that there would be no immediate disruption to Facebook’s service in the Europe Union. Several steps remain before the company must cordon off the data of Facebook users in Europe — information that could include photos, friend connections, direct messages and data collected for targeting advertising.

☆ Montana’s TikTok ban throws users into new era of uncertainty
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Keri Williams wouldn’t have her business without TikTok. But earlier this week, Montana Gov. Now, Williams, who lives near Montana’s largest city — Billings — is scrambling to figure out the future of her business. The law, set to take effect in January, has already been the subject of a lawsuit by a group of TikTok users who allege it infringes on their First Amendment rights. TikTok said in March that it has 150 million monthly active users in the United States, up from 100 million users in 2020, when the Trump administration first threatened to ban the service.

☆ Twitter Criticized for Allowing Texas Shooting Images to Spread
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Benjamin Mullin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Like other social media companies, Twitter has once again found itself in a position akin to that of traditional newspaper editors, who wrestle with difficult decisions about how much to show their audiences. Unlike newspaper and magazine publishers, however, tech companies like Twitter must enforce their decisions on a huge scale, policing millions of users with a combination of automated systems and human content moderators. Other tech companies like Facebook’s parent, Meta, and YouTube’s parent, Alphabet, have invested in large teams that reduce the spread of violent images on their platforms. Twitter, on the other hand, has scaled back its content moderation since Mr. Musk bought the site late last October, laying off full-time employees and contractors on the trust and safety teams that manage content moderation. Graphic content was never completely banned by Twitter, even before Mr. Musk took over.

☆ F.T.C. Seeks ‘Blanket’ Ban on Meta’s Use of Young Users’ Data
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Natasha Singer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The Federal Trade Commission escalated its fight with the tech industry’s biggest companies on Wednesday as it moved to impose a “blanket prohibition” on the collection of young people’s personal data by Meta, Facebook’s parent company. The commission wants to significantly expand a record-breaking, $5 billion consent order with the company from 2020 and said that Meta had failed to fully meet the legal commitments it made to overhaul its privacy practices to better protect its users. Regulators also said Meta had misled parents about their ability to control whom their children communicated with on its Messenger Kids app and misrepresented the access it gave some app developers to users’ private data. The proposed changes mark the third time the agency has taken action against the social media giant over privacy issues.

New York CNN —Facebook’s parent company Meta announced Wednesday that it has taken down a network of more than 100 China-based accounts that posed as organizations in the US and Europe and pushed pro-Beijing talking points. The network, which had more than 15,000 followers on Meta’s platforms, appears to have had some financial resources behind it. The fake accounts also posted “negative commentary about Uyghur activists and critics of the Chinese state,” it said. “We’re keeping a close eye” on the Chinese influence operations heading into the 2024 election, the official said. Ahead of the 2022 US midterm election, FBI officials expressed concern that Chinese operatives appeared to be engaging in “Russian-style influence activities” that stoke American divisions.

☆ There's been 'an aggression' from FTC on large mergers, says fmr. FB general counsel Chris Kelly
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailThere's been 'an aggression' from FTC on large mergers, says fmr. FB general counsel Chris KellyChris Kelly, Kelly Investments founder and Facebook’s former chief privacy officer and general counsel, joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the fallout from the Microsoft-Activision blocked merger, what it means for the FTC and dealmaking in the U.S., and more.

☆ Federal appeals court tosses state antitrust suit seeking to break up Meta
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The decision is a blow to regulators who have cited Meta as a prime example of the way tech giants have allegedly abused their dominance. And it casts a shadow over a parallel antitrust case against Meta that was brought by the Federal Trade Commission at around the same time. The states’ original complaint had sought to unwind Meta’s past acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp, accusing the company of a “buy-or-bury” approach that violated antitrust laws. In addition, Randolph wrote, state allegations claiming that Meta’s — then Facebook’s — policies placing restrictions on app developers were anticompetitive didn’t hold up. Last year, the same federal judge who dismissed the state suit, James Boasberg, allowed the federal suit to proceed.

Companies Meta Platforms Inc FollowWASHINGTON, April 27 (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Thursday refused to revive a lawsuit filed by states against Meta's (META.O) Facebook that alleged the company had broken antitrust law. Dozens of states led by New York asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia last year to reinstate the lawsuit, which U.S. District Judge James Boasberg of the District of Columbia rejected, saying they had waited too long to file. The three-judge unanimous appeals court panel said it agreed that "the states unduly delayed in bringing suit." Both were publicized," Circuit Judge A. Raymond Randolph wrote, noting that the FTC had investigated both transactions. Neither the New York attorney general's office nor Facebook immediately responded to a request for comment.

Meta Platforms Inc. CEO Mark Zuckerberg told employees that the company expects to wrap up most layoffs for 2023 in May. Photo: john g mabanglo/ShutterstockMeta Platforms Inc. Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg told employees that he won’t rule out future layoffs and said he doesn’t expect the social-media company to hire as quickly as it did before the layoffs that began late last year. Preview SubscribeMr. Zuckerberg addressed employees in a virtual Q&A session on Thursday, a day after the company completed its latest round of layoffs. Mr. Zuckerberg told employees that approximately 4,000 employees, primarily in the company’s tech divisions, were affected by the latest cuts, according to a recording of the employee town hall. Since November, Facebook’s parent company has said it would lay off 21,000 employees, or nearly a quarter of its workforce.

☆ How to Claim Your Share of Facebook’s $725 Million Privacy Settlement
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Jenny Gross | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

If you used Facebook in the United States between May 2007 and December 2022, you can apply to claim your share of a $725 million settlement that Facebook’s parent company agreed to pay to settle a class-action lawsuit, according to a claims website set up by a settlement administrator. Users can enter their information on facebookuserprivacysettlement.com to get their payment through their bank account, Venmo or other methods. The payout will be divided among claimants, with more given to those who have used the site longer. Facebook’s parent company, Meta, agreed last year to settle a class-action lawsuit that accused the company of sharing user data or making it accessible to third parties, including the data and political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica, without users’ permission. The long-running lawsuit was filed after revelations in 2018 that Cambridge Analytica used private information from the Facebook profiles of millions of users without their permission in one of the largest data leaks in Facebook’s history.

☆ Facebook’s parent company Meta is doing layoffs again. But there’s one ‘safe’ team that could actually benefit from the job cuts.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Netflix is ending its DVD-rental service that started the company over two decades ago. Gaming is 'safe' at Facebook's parent company Meta. But multiple people told my colleague Kali Hays that gaming within Meta's Reality Labs division will likely remain immune — and perhaps actually benefit — from the job cuts. One person told Kali that after the layoffs are done, the team will be able to start hiring again. The hit Netflix reality show captivated US audiences.

☆ Tech layoffs raise new alarms about how platforms protect users
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Some also formed ethical AI teams and invested in oversight groups. And Facebook-parent Meta suggested that it might cut staff working in non-technical roles as part of its latest round of layoffs. “With that outsourcing, I feel like they had this comfort level that they could cut some of the trust and safety team, but Twitch is very unique,” the former employee said. It invested heavily in content moderation, public policy and an oversight board to weigh in on tricky content issues to address rising concerns about its platform. Tech leaders may also be grappling with the fact that even as they built up their trust and safety teams in recent years, their reputation problems haven’t really abated.

☆ Google giggles at China tech’s shrinking act
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Pete Sweeney | Thomson Reuters | Asia Economics Editor Pete Sweeney Joined Reuters Breakingviews In Hong Kong In September Previously He Served As Reuters' Chief Correspondent For China Economy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HONG KONG, March 31 (Reuters Breakingviews) - As an $18 trillion economy home to 1.4 billion people, China is a natural font of statistical superlatives. The country’s internet giants, however, are dwarfed by American colossi like the $1.3 trillion Google owner Alphabet (GOOGL.O). Access to cheap capital helped founders like Alibaba’s Jack Ma quickly diversify and build sprawling empires with global ambitions. Meanwhile, the top eight U.S. tech names, led by Apple (AAPL.O), Microsoft (MSFT.O) and Alphabet, are worth $8 trillion today. The American tech giants already generate three times more revenue and nearly five times more free cash flow than their aspirant Chinese challengers, Refinitiv Eikon data shows.

☆ Social Media Platforms Are Asking Users for Money. They Probably Don’t Mean You.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Laura Forman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Social-media companies are finally asking users to pay up. As of last month, the option to pay for Facebook’s new subscription service will run you nearly $12 a month in some countries despite co-founder Mark Zuckerberg’s 2010 declaration that his social-media network will always be free. Facebook parent Meta Platforms is also rolling out an optional subscription service for its photo sharing app, Instagram. Snap Inc. has added a subscription service for Snapchat. Elon Musk’s Twitter, bleeding cash, recently upgraded its legacy subscription service, Blue, and LinkedIn has had subscription offerings for well over 15 years.

☆ Key lawmakers say upcoming hearings on bank failures aim to boost U.S. confidence in banking sector
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of lawmakers overseeing the recent turmoil in the banking sector said Wednesday that they aim to increase Americans' confidence in the banking industry after Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank collapsed over the last two weeks. Regulators and lawmakers are also trying to contain further damage to the economy and reinforce confidence in the banking system. Sen. Tim Scott, a South Carolina Republican and ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee, also said writing new laws should take a back seat at the hearings to investigating what happened. We can't legislate that either in the financial sector or among financial institutions management, nor with the regulators." Sen. Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat and chairman of Senate Banking Committee, compared the SVB collapse to the devastating train crash in East Palestine, Ohio.

☆ Facebook tests bringing back in-app messaging features as it competes with TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

In an interview with CNN, Facebook head Tom Alison said the platform is testing bringing messaging capabilities back to the Facebook app so users can more easily share content without having to use the Messenger app. The test comes as Facebook looks to beat back competition from TikTok by bolstering its position both as a platform to discover new content and discuss it. The goal was clear: to keep users engaged longer and help the platform better compete with TikTok and its steady stream of recommended content. The platform last month reported that it hit 2 billion daily active users in the December quarter. For some creators, for example, Facebook has become a place to create groups of fans and hold conversations beyond the content they share to Instagram and TikTok, Alison said.

☆ Elon Musk is currently working for Tesla for free. That could be about to change
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —For the moment at least, Elon Musk is working at Tesla for free. And last month the company disclosed Musk received the last remaining block of options granted under an even more lucrative 2018 pay package. Tesla stock closed Friday at $208.31. Still, some believe that the Tesla board could soon announce a new pay package for Musk. Some Tesla shareholders challenged the 2018 deal in a Delaware court, even though it was overwhelmingly approved by shareholders at that time.

☆ Silly Meta, Roblox isn’t just for kids
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, Feb 15 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Video-game and social-media hub Roblox (RBLX.N) isn’t playing around when it comes to expanding its audience. The company behind MeepCity and Royale High has been racing alongside Meta Platforms (META.O) to turn the metaverse into more than just a vague buzzword. Despite being unprofitable and considerably smaller than Facebook’s owner, it is putting up a solid fight. Meta is mulling ways to attract younger users, including maybe opening the game up to minors older than 13. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

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