Google secured an injunction from London’s High Court on Wednesday, preventing the enforcement of Russian legal judgments against the company. The rulings related to lawsuits filed by Russian entities, including Tsargrad TV and RT, over the closure of Google and YouTube accounts. Judge Andrew Henshaw granted the permanent injunction, citing Google’s terms and conditions, which require disputes to be resolved in English courts.
The Russian judgments included severe ‘astreinte penalties,’ which increased daily and amounted to astronomical sums. Google’s lawyers argued that some fines levied on its Russian subsidiary reached numbers as large as an undecillion roubles—a figure with 36 zeroes. Judge Henshaw highlighted that the fines far exceeded the global GDP, supporting the court’s decision to block their enforcement.
A Google spokesperson expressed satisfaction with the ruling, criticising Russia’s legal actions as efforts to restrict information access and penalise compliance with international sanctions. Since 2022, Google has taken measures such as blocking over 1,000 YouTube channels, including state-sponsored news outlets, and suspending monetisation of content promoting Russia‘s actions in Ukraine.
Marcus Bokkerink has been removed from his position as chair of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) by the UK government, marking a shift in regulatory practices aimed at boosting economic growth. The CMA, a key agency overseeing mergers and competition, had recently paused the high-profile Microsoft-Activision Blizzard merger, showcasing its regulatory power. Bokkerink, appointed in 2022, was expected to serve a five-year term but will now step down as part of the government’s effort to realign regulatory bodies with its economic priorities.
This decision reflects a broader governmental push to reduce barriers to economic expansion. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Chancellor Rachel Reeves, and Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds recently sent a letter to several regulators, including the CMA, urging them to prioritize growth. Government insiders have suggested that the move signals a serious commitment to reshaping the regulatory environment to encourage investment and economic development.
The removal of Bokkerink, a former senior partner at Boston Consulting Group, comes as the government continues to focus on attracting international investment, with key figures like Reeves and Reynolds attending the World Economic Forum in Davos to further this goal. The government’s efforts to reshape regulatory culture align with its broader strategy to make economic growth the country’s top priority.
Meta users in the US are experiencing an unusual phenomenon where they are being automatically re-followed by the accounts of President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and first lady Melania Trump. The issue emerged after users intentionally unfollowed these accounts following the administration’s transition. Feedback from users, including actress Demi Lovato and comedian Sarah Colonna, highlighted frustration over the inability to maintain their choice to unfollow prominent political figures.
Upon the change of administration, official White House social media accounts are supposed to transition smoothly to the new leaders. While Meta’s communications director Andy Stone acknowledged that followers from the Biden administration were carried over to Trump’s accounts, he confirmed that users were not being forced to re-follow these profiles. Stone suggested that delays in processing follow and unfollow requests might contribute to the confusion experienced by users.
Many individuals reported recurrent issues despite efforts to unfollow the accounts multiple times, raising questions about the underlying technicalities involved. Users are expressing concerns over privacy and choice in the use of social media platforms, as the ability to curate their feeds appears compromised. However, this automatic re-following could reflect broader implications for user control in digital spaces.
As Meta has yet to release a detailed response to the reported glitch, users continue to voice their concerns across multiple platforms. The situation underscores an ongoing need for clarity and assurance regarding user preferences in social media interactions, especially during a politically sensitive time.
An Indian court has temporarily suspended a ban on data sharing between WhatsApp and its parent company, Meta. The ban, imposed by India’s competition regulator last year, had restricted WhatsApp from sharing user data with other Meta platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, for advertising purposes.
Meta had argued that this restriction would severely impact its business model and potentially force it to roll back features. The court acknowledged the potential harm to WhatsApp’s business and agreed to suspend the ban while it continues to hear Meta’s appeal.
India is a crucial market for Meta, with hundreds of millions of users across its platforms. The company had warned that the data sharing restrictions would prevent businesses from effectively targeting ads to relevant audiences, hindering their ability to grow and reach customers. The court’s decision provides a temporary reprieve for Meta while the legal battle continues.
The Indian competition regulator had argued that WhatsApp’s data sharing practices were anti-competitive and unfairly benefited Meta. However, Meta maintained that the data sharing was necessary for providing a seamless user experience and offering valuable services to businesses. The court’s decision highlights the ongoing debate surrounding data privacy and the use of user data for targeted advertising.
India’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has rebuked labour officials for inadequately investigating claims of employment discrimination at Foxconn’s iPhone manufacturing plant in Tamil Nadu. The commission called for a thorough re-examination after a Reuters investigation revealed that Foxconn systematically excluded married women from assembly line jobs, relaxing the rule only during high-production periods.
Labour officials, who visited the Foxconn plant in July, reported that 6.7% of its 33,360 female workers were married but failed to confirm whether they worked on the assembly line. Federal investigators also relied on employee testimonies, finding no wage or promotion bias but neglected to scrutinise recruitment records. The NHRC criticised these findings as superficial, stating they failed to address the alleged discriminatory hiring practices effectively.
Foxconn and Apple, both key players in India‘s electronics manufacturing push, did not respond to inquiries about the NHRC’s concerns. While Foxconn previously instructed recruiters to remove discriminatory job criteria, the NHRC has ordered a fresh investigation into the matter. The statutory body, which holds civil court-like authority, continues to push for accountability in safeguarding workers’ rights.
UK citizens will soon be able to carry essential documents, such as their passport, driving licence, and birth certificates, in a digital wallet on their smartphones. This plan was unveiled by Peter Kyle, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, as part of a broader initiative to streamline interactions with government services. The digital wallet, set to launch in June, aims to simplify tasks like booking appointments and managing government communications.
Initially, the digital wallet will hold a driving licence and a veteran card, with plans to add other documents like student loans, vehicle tax, and benefits. The government is also working with the Home Office to include digital passports, although these will still exist alongside physical versions. The app will be linked to an individual’s ID and could be used for various tasks, such as sharing certification or claiming welfare discounts.
Security and privacy concerns have been addressed, with recovery systems in place for lost phones and strong data protection measures. Kyle emphasised that the app complies with current data laws and features like facial recognition would enhance security. He also reassured that while the system will be convenient for smartphone users, efforts will be made to ensure those without internet access aren’t left behind.
The technology, developed in the six months since Labour took power, is part of a push to modernise government services. Kyle believes the new digital approach will help create a more efficient and user-friendly relationship between citizens and the state, transforming the public service experience.
OpenAI has told an Indian court that removing training data used for its ChatGPT service would conflict with its legal obligations in the United States. The company, backed by Microsoft, is defending a copyright lawsuit filed by Indian news agency ANI, which accuses OpenAI of using its content without permission and demands the deletion of ANI’s data from ChatGPT’s memory.
In a January 10 filing, OpenAI argued that Indian courts lack jurisdiction as the company has no physical presence or data servers in India. It also emphasised its legal obligation in the US to preserve training data while litigation is ongoing. OpenAI denied wrongdoing, asserting its systems make fair use of publicly available data, a stance it has maintained in similar copyright disputes globally.
ANI insists the Delhi court has the authority to rule on the case, citing concerns over unfair competition and alleging that ChatGPT reproduces its content verbatim. OpenAI, however, countered that ANI manipulated prompts to elicit such responses. The court is set to hear the case on January 28, marking a key moment in India’s scrutiny of AI and copyright law.
Former Meta Platforms COO Sheryl Sandberg has been sanctioned by a Delaware Chancery Court judge for deleting emails linked to the Cambridge Analytica privacy scandal, despite orders to preserve them. Judge Travis Laster determined that Sandberg used a personal email account under a pseudonym to erase messages potentially relevant to a shareholder lawsuit. The sanctions are likely to complicate her defence in the trial set for April, and she has been ordered to cover shareholders’ expenses related to the motion.
The lawsuit, filed in 2018, accuses Facebook’s leadership of harming investors by violating a 2012 Federal Trade Commission consent order to protect user data. Shareholders also allege the company paid a $5 billion fine in 2019 to shield founder Mark Zuckerberg from personal liability. Zuckerberg is expected to face a second deposition before the non-jury trial begins. Sandberg has argued that her email deletions did not affect critical evidence, claiming that relevant messages were often copied to others.
Judge Laster criticised the deletions, stating they likely erased the most sensitive communications. The court also considered similar allegations against Jeffrey Zients, a former Meta board member, but deemed his deleted emails less significant as he joined after the Cambridge Analytica scandal emerged. The case has been described by Laster as involving “wrongdoing on a truly colossal scale,” with significant implications for accountability in corporate governance.
CLS Global, a cryptocurrency financial services company based in the United Arab Emirates, has agreed to plead guilty to US charges of market manipulation. The company was implicated in “Operation Token Mirrors,” a groundbreaking FBI investigation that utilised an undercover digital token to expose fraud in the cryptocurrency sector. Prosecutors revealed CLS had engaged in illegal practices, including wash trading, to manipulate the market for a token created by the FBI.
The probe, launched last year, involved creating a fake cryptocurrency company and token called NexFundAI to uncover illicit activities. CLS admitted to providing fraudulent trading services for the token, artificially inflating its trading volume and price. As part of a plea deal, CLS will pay $428,059 in penalties, cease operations involving US cryptocurrency platforms, and adopt stricter compliance measures.
The case marks a major milestone in law enforcement’s efforts to regulate the cryptocurrency industry and combat fraudulent practices. Federal prosecutors described the operation as a model for tackling crypto-related crime, demonstrating the FBI’s innovative approach to targeting market manipulators. CLS also agreed to settle related civil charges with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is once again under fire by the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) over its ad-free subscription service. Introduced in 2023, the fee-based option offered European users the ability to opt out of personalised ads, with a subsequent price cut of 40% implemented later that year. However, BEUC claims these changes are merely superficial and fail to address deeper concerns about fairness and compliance with EU consumer and privacy laws.
BEUC’s Director General, Agustin Reyna, criticised Meta for not providing users with a fair choice, alleging that the company still pressures users into accepting its behavioural advertising system. Reyna called on consumer protection authorities and the European Commission to investigate Meta’s practices urgently, emphasising the need for decisive action to safeguard users’ rights. The consumer group also accused Meta of misleading practices, unclear terms, and failing to minimise data collection while restricting services for users who decline data processing.
In response, a Meta spokesperson defended the company’s approach, arguing that its November 2023 updates go beyond EU regulatory requirements. Despite these assurances, EU antitrust regulators have raised concerns, accusing Meta of breaching the Digital Markets Act. They claim the ad-free service forces users into a binary choice, sparking broader concerns about how the tech giant balances profit with consumer protection.
As pressure mounts, Meta faces growing scrutiny over its compliance with EU laws, with regulators weighing potential measures to address BEUC’s allegations and ensure fair treatment for European users.
