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☆ Google Reaches $391.5 Million Settlement With States Over Location Tracking Practices
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( John D. Mckinnon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Google uses the data it collects on consumers to develop user profiles and target ads to them. WASHINGTON—Forty state attorneys general on Monday announced a $391.5 million settlement with Google over its location tracking practices for mobile and other devices. The attorneys general found that Alphabet Inc.’s Google violated state consumer protection laws by misleading consumers about its location-data practices, tracking consumers even when their location history setting was turned off.

☆ Google will pay $391.5 million to a settle a lawsuit on accusations of misleading users on its location-tracking practices
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Google agreed to pay $391.5 million settle accusations of misleading location tracking practices, reported the New York Times. The decision comes after Google announced that it will limit Android's ad-tracking practices. The accusations also comes in the wake of an ongoing debate between Democrats and Republicans on how far federal privacy laws should go to limit businesses like Google from collecting personal user data. Google, in particular, collects user geolocation data and uses it to sell targeted ads which can be beneficial for retailers to sell their products. In October, Google settled a similar $85 million lawsuit with the state of Arizona.

☆ D.C. Attorney General Sues NFL and Dan Snyder, Alleging Cover Up of Commanders’ Problems
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Louise Radnofsky | Andrew Beaton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Washington, D.C.’s attorney general filed a consumer-protection lawsuit against the Washington Commanders and its owner Dan Snyder, as well as the National Football League and commissioner Roger Goodell , over the team and league’s response to allegations that dozens of team employees had been sexually and verbally harassed. The attorney general, Karl Racine , said the complaint alleges that the team and the league colluded “to deceive residents of D.C. about their investigation into a toxic workplace culture that impacted employees, especially women.” His office said the complaint filed Thursday seeks a court order forcing the NFL to release the findings from that investigation, which was initiated by the Washington football team before being taken over by the league.

☆ SEC, DOJ Investigating Crypto Platform FTX
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Paul Kiernan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Trading platforms such as FTX should follow the same regulations that apply to traditional stock exchanges, according to the SEC chairman. The Securities and Exchange Commission and Justice Department are investigating cryptocurrency platform FTX following its sudden implosion this week, a person familiar with the matter said. Staff at the two law-enforcement agencies were in close contact Wednesday, the person added. The Justice Department prosecutes criminal violations such as fraud, while the SEC enforces civil investor-protection laws.

☆ Bosch agrees to pay $25 mln to settle California diesel emissions probe
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A Bosch company sign is seen at the Appliance and Electronics World Expo (AWE) in Shanghai, China March 23, 2021. REUTERS/Aly SongNov 7 (Reuters) - German auto supplier Bosch (BOSH.NS) has agreed pay $25 million to resolve California's probe into the company's role in the diesel emissions scandals at Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) and Fiat Chrysler (STLA.MI), state Attorney General Rob Bonta said on Monday. The settlement, which is subject to court approval, resolves allegations Bosch participated in misconduct by "providing hardware, software, and software programming or calibration services to Volkswagen and Fiat Chrysler when it knew or should have known that these auto manufacturers were violating environmental and consumer protection laws," Bonta said. Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/3] A man rides a scooter past the front of the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, U.S. September 30, 2022. conservative Justice Samuel Alito asked Malcolm Stewart, a lawyer for the Department of Justice representing both commissions. The Supreme Court's conservative justices have signaled skepticism toward expansive regulatory power and the duty of judges, under Supreme Court precedent, to give deference to that authority. She told Stewart that of the three factors relevant to the case under a Supreme Court precedent, "two factors are pretty darn bad for you." Axon sued the FTC in 2020 in federal court in Arizona following an investigation by the agency into its 2018 acquisition of Vievu, a rival body-camera provider.

[1/3] A man rides a scooter past the front of the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, U.S. September 30, 2022. The Supreme Court has a 6-3 conservative majority. Its conservative justices have signaled skepticism toward expansive regulatory power and the duty of judges, under Supreme Court precedent, to give deference to that authority. Axon sued the FTC in 2020 in federal court in Arizona following an investigation by the agency into its 2018 acquisition of Vievu, a rival body-camera provider. Cochran sued in 2019 to stop the enforcement action, like Axon contesting the SEC's in-house judges under Article II.

☆ Analysis: Brazil's Lula hopes to unite rainforest nations, tap funding at COP27
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Michael Taylor | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

read moreIn the run-up to the COP27 U.N. climate summit, taking place in Egypt from Nov. 6-18, green groups urged Brazil and other forest nations to team up to increase their bargaining power during talks with potential donors over rainforest protection. Brazil was the climate-change success story of the early 2000s when its government - led then by Lula - slashed deforestation rates in the Amazon, she said. But enforcing forest protection laws in remote areas is a problem for all three, conservationists said, while Bolsonaro's allies form the largest bloc in Brazil's Congress, which could hinder Lula's policy push. Other forest nations - like Colombia - could also take part in talks and join any new alliance at COP27 to create a "more robust and effective" coalition, he added. "Done right, collaboration and exchange of experience between rainforest countries can help in tackling deforestation," Jaeger said.

☆ Germany shy of 2030 climate target at current CO2 reduction rate - govt advisors
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Riham Alkousaa | Zofeen T. Ebrahim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Germany aims to become carbon-neutral by 2045 and cut 65% of emissions by 2030 compared with 1990, but current reduction rates are falling short, the first biennial report by the council showed. The energy sector contributed almost half of Germany's 27% CO2 reduction between 2000 and 2021, while the construction, transport and industry sectors, after a good start, have been sluggish to cut emissions in the past decade. The council said the transport and construction sector needed to be restructured to reverse the trend. A change in consumer behaviour was also necessary and the government should impose strict limits on emissions volumes for all sectors, it added. Nearly 200 countries will gather in Egypt next week for climate talks, as pressure for tougher action to tackle global warming grows.

☆ China passes new women's protection law, revamped for first time in decades
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The legislation comes as activists have expressed concern about increasing government rhetoric on the value of traditional women's roles, and what some see as setbacks for women's rights and more restrictive attitudes towards abortion. It's not yet clear to what extent those more conservative attitudes will be reflected in the new law. It is the first time in nearly 30 years that the law on women's protection was changed. Titled "Women's Rights and Interests Protection Law", the bill was submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) on Thursday. Tens of thousands of people had sent in suggestions for what wanted to see in the legislation, the NPC said on its website.

☆ JPMorgan Strikes Deal to End Former Compliance Employee’s Retaliation Lawsuit
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Dylan Tokar | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +2 min

A former compliance employee for JPMorgan Chase Bank NA has agreed to drop a retaliation lawsuit against the bank. Shaquala Williams, a former JPMorgan vice president, had sued her former employer last year, alleging the bank fired her for raising concerns about its compliance program. The agreement with Ms. Williams allows JPMorgan to avoid a trial, which would likely have involved further airing of the bank’s internal compliance matters. A lawyer for Ms. Williams didn’t immediately return a request for comment. In her lawsuit, Ms. Williams said she was fired after raising concerns about insufficient sanctions screening and anticorruption practices.

☆ Arizona, Texas join multi-state probe into big banks over net-zero pledge
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A combination file photo shows Wells Fargo, Citigbank, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, JPMorgan, and Goldman Sachs from Reuters archive. The investigation is targeting JPMorgan Chase & Co , Goldman Sachs Group Inc , Bank of America Corp , Citigroup Inc , Wells Fargo & Co (WFC.N) and Morgan Stanley (MS.N). "American banks should never put political agendas ahead of the secure retirement of their clients," Arizona AG Mark Brnovich said in a statement. "The last thing Americans need right now are corporate activists helping the left bankrupt our fossil fuel industry," Texas AG Ken Paxton said, adding that the banks practices potentially violate consumer protection laws. JPMorgan declined to comment, while the other five banks did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

☆ Our lawsuit against DeSantis over his migrant political stunt is a chance to reflect
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Oscar Chacón | Oscar Chacón Is The Executive Director Of | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Ron DeSantis flew to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, in a political stunt. Our organization is a network of groups that help immigrants achieve a sustainable way of life throughout the Americas. Ultimately, the Martha’s Vineyard case is an opportunity to reflect on how we can do better, honoring the critical role migrants play in bettering our nation. Overall, our immigration laws are obsolete and impractical. The Martha’s Vineyard lawsuit is a chance for us to revisit the conversation about whether we are truly prepared to honor our promise of being a country that welcomes immigrants.

Sept 28 (Reuters) - Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has joined a multi-state investigation into whether S&P Global Inc (SPGI.N) violated consumer protection laws over its use of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in credit ratings. The ESG credit indicators, ESG scores, and ESG evaluations that S&P publishes "appear to politicize what should be a purely financial decision", Paxton said in a statement on Wednesday. The probe is being led by Missouri and underscores a push by Republican-led states against what they see as a "woke" bias at financial companies. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterS&P Global did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Interest in ESG investing has exploded in recent years, prompting ratings agencies to come up with new ways to assess how companies fare on ESG factors.

Attendee inspect Smith and Wesson firearms at the National Rifle Association's (NRA) annual meeting, in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S., April 28, 2019. Smith & Wesson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Wednesday's lawsuits allege that Smith & Wesson knowingly advertised its weapons, including the M&P-model rifle used by Crimo, to appeal to "militaristic fantasies" of troubled young men. "(Crimo) and other would-be mass shooters are highly susceptible to the disturbing promotional messages from Smith & Wesson," the lawsuits said. They are asking the court to stop Smith & Wesson from the allegedly illegal marketing, including by putting age restrictions on social media content and removing military references, and to award unspecified monetary damages.

☆ ByteDance plans for maximum of nine board directors -source
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Sept 28 (Reuters) - TikTok owner ByteDance will expand its board of directors to a maximum of nine, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said on Wednesday, as the company faces regulatory pressure globally. Shareholders approved the move at an investor meeting on Tuesday, boosting the figure from the previous maximum of five, added the source, who sought anonymity as the information was confidential. The other directors are representatives of General Atlantic, Sequoia Capital, Coatue Management, and Susquehanna International Group, Reuters has reported. Earlier, citing two unidentified sources, the South China Morning Post had said the company would add four directors to the existing five. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Yingzhi Yang in Beijing and Juby Babu in Bengaluru; Editing by Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Companies L'Oreal SA FollowNEW YORK, Sept 27 (Reuters) - L'Oreal SA (OREP.PA) on Tuesday failed to persuade a U.S. judge in Manhattan to dismiss a proposed class action lawsuit accusing the company of defrauding shoppers by suggesting that two topical collagen products help smooth wrinkles. The plaintiffs Rocio Lopez and Rachel Lumbra sued in August 2021, claiming that L'Oreal violated New York and California consumer protection laws by deceiving them into overpaying for its Collagen Moisture Filler Day/Night Cream and its Fragrance-Free Collagen Moisture Filler Daily Moisturizer. But U.S. District Judge Andrew Carter said the plaintiffs plausibly alleged that the "collagen" on L'Oreal's labels referred to molecules that provide cosmetic benefits, by purporting to reverse signs of aging. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for purchasers of the L'Oreal products nationwide. The case is Lopez et al v L'Oreal USA Inc, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No.

☆ TikTok could face a $29 million fine in the UK for failing to protect kids’ privacy
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON — TikTok may face a £27 million ($29 million) fine in the U.K. after privacy regulators found failings in the company’s handling of children’s data. “We all want children to be able to learn and experience the digital world, but with proper data privacy protections,” Information Commissioner John Edwards said in a statement Monday. In a statement to CNBC, a TikTok spokesperson said the company disagrees with the ICO’s provisional fine and plans to make a formal response. Last year, the Netherlands’ Data Protection Authority handed TikTok a 750,000 euro ($723,371) fine for violating the privacy of young children and failing to offer its information in Dutch. Western officials are worried the platform may be providing a backdoor to Beijing allowing it to snoop on non-Chinese users.

☆ TikTok could face a $29 million fine in the UK for failing to protect kids' privacy
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON — TikTok may face a £27 million ($29 million) fine in the U.K. after privacy regulators found failings in the company's handling of children's data. The Information Commissioner's Office issued TikTok a "notice of intent" informing the Chinese-owned video app of its "provisional view that TikTok breached UK data protection law between May 2018 and July 2020." "We all want children to be able to learn and experience the digital world, but with proper data privacy protections," Information Commissioner John Edwards said in a statement Monday. "Companies providing digital services have a legal duty to put those protections in place, but our provisional view is that TikTok fell short of meeting that requirement." The ICO can issue a maximum fine amounting to 4% of TikTok's annual global revenues under the EU's GDPR, which is still enshrined in U.K. law.

☆ UK may fine TikTok $29 mln for failing to protect children's privacy
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe TikTok logo is pictured outside the company's U.S. head office in Culver City, California, U.S., September 15, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File PhotoSept 26 (Reuters) - Britain could fine TikTok 27 million pounds ($28.91 million) following an investigation that found the short-form video app may have breached UK's data protection law by failing to safeguard privacy of children using the platform. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has issued TikTok and TikTok Information Technologies UK Ltd with a "notice of intent", the regulator said in a statement. ICO's provisional view suggests that TikTok breached UK data protection law between May 2018 and July 2020. read more($1 = 0.9339 pounds)Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Radhika Anilkumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini GanguliOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ England's FA calls for Qatar's migrant workers to be compensated
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Kai PfaffenbachSept 21 (Reuters) - England's Football Association (FA) said on Wednesday families of migrant workers in Qatar who were injured or killed while constructing the infrastructure for this year's World Cup should be compensated. Qatar has faced intense criticism from human rights groups over its treatment of migrant workers, who along with other foreigners comprise the bulk of the country's population. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and FairSquare said on Tuesday FIFA's partners and World Cup sponsors must urge world soccer's governing body and the Qatari government to compensate migrant workers. The government of Qatar has said that its labour system is still a work in progress, but denied a 2021 Amnesty report that thousands of migrant workers were still being exploited. The World Cup begins on Nov. 20 and runs through to Dec. 18.

☆ Wells Fargo ordered to pay $22 million for firing an executive who spoke out about allegations of financial misconduct
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-02 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Wells Fargo has been ordered to pay $22 million for retaliating against an executive. Wells Fargo did not immediately respond to Insider's request for conduct, made outside of normal working hours. Wells Fargo operates an EthicsLine that staff can access via phone call or online to report possible fraudulent activities. The call center is staffed by third-party interview specialists, who write a summary report based on the call which they pass onto Wells Fargo. "Any information provided to the EthicsLine will be treated as confidential to the extent allowed by applicable law," Wells Fargo adds.

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