A federal judge has dismissed legal cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

The rulings mark a significant development in ongoing legal proceedings involving high-profile U.S. officials.

US Court Dismisses Cases Against James Comey and Letitia James

A federal judge has dismissed criminal cases against former FBI director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, delivering a significant setback to President Donald Trump's push to prosecute high-profile political rivals. District Judge Cameron Currie threw out both indictments after ruling that the prosecutor who brought the charges was unlawfully appointed. Lindsey Halligan, the interim US attorney who led the cases, was described by the judge as "a former White House aide with no prior prosecutorial experience." Under federal law, top prosecutors must be Senate-confirmed, and two acting appointments cannot follow one another.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/one-meeting-with-trump-won-t-melt-zohran-mamdani-new-york-mayor-elect-says-potus-still-a-fascist-1763957168723">One meeting with Trump won't melt Zohran Mamdani? New York Mayor-elect says POTUS still a 'fascist'</a><h2>Abuse of power?</h2>"All actions flowing from Ms Halligan's defective appointment, including securing and signing Mr Comey's indictment, were unlawful exercises of executive power," Currie wrote. "And because Ms Halligan had no lawful authority to present the indictment, I will grant Mr Comey's motion and dismiss the indictment without prejudice." She made a similar ruling in James's case. The decision leaves open the option of refiling charges, though the statute of limitations on the Comey case may now have expired.<h2>What were the charges against Comey and James?</h2>Comey, 64, had been charged in September with making false statements to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding. James, 67, who successfully led the civil fraud case against Trump, faced counts of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution.The indictments came after Erik Siebert, the interim US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, resigned, reportedly telling senior Justice Department officials there was no evidence to support charges. Attorney General Pam Bondi replaced him with Halligan, who moved ahead with the prosecutions.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-tariff-payoff-is-coming-soon-promises-record-money-for-the-us-1763972217336">Trump promises Americans 'RECORD SETTING' tariff payoff coming soon, predicts unprecedented amount of money for the US</a>Comey welcomed the ruling, calling the case "based on malevolence and incompetence," and said the dismissal underscored that a president cannot "use the Department of Justice to target his political enemies." James also celebrated the outcome, calling the accusations baseless.The White House said the Justice Department will appeal, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt saying Comey should "pump the brakes on his victory lap."The cases are part of a broader effort by Trump since taking office in January to go after critics and perceived enemies, including former national security adviser John Bolton, who faces charges over alleged mishandling of classified information. The Pentagon also confirmed Monday it is considering a court-martial against Democratic Senator and former astronaut Mark Kelly, following a video in which he urged troops to refuse unlawful orders. &nbsp;

A federal judge has tossed the criminal cases against James Comey and Letitia James, ruling the prosecutor was unlawfully appointed, dealing a major blow to Trump’s effort to charge political rivals. The judge called the indictments an unlawful use of executive power. Scroll for full story.

A federal judge has dismissed criminal cases against former FBI director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, delivering a significant setback to President Donald Trump's push to prosecute high-profile political rivals. District Judge Cameron Currie threw out both indictments after ruling that the prosecutor who brought the charges was unlawfully appointed. Lindsey Halligan, the interim US attorney who led the cases, was described by the judge as "a former White House aide with no prior prosecutorial experience." Under federal law, top prosecutors must be Senate-confirmed, and two acting appointments cannot follow one another. Also read | One meeting with Trump won't melt Zohran Mamdani? New York Mayor-elect says POTUS still a 'fascist' Abuse of power? "All actions flowing from Ms Halligan's defective appointment, including securing and signing Mr Comey's indictment, were unlawful exercises of executive power," Currie wrote. "And because Ms Halligan had no lawful authority to present the indictment, I will grant Mr Comey's motion and dismiss the indictment without prejudice." She made a similar ruling in James's case. The decision leaves open the option of refiling charges, though the statute of limitations on the Comey case may now have expired. What were the charges against Comey and James? Comey, 64, had been charged in September with making false statements to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding. James, 67, who successfully led the civil fraud case against Trump, faced counts of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution. The indictments came after Erik Siebert, the interim US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, resigned, reportedly telling senior Justice Department officials there was no evidence to support charges. Attorney General Pam Bondi replaced him with Halligan, who moved ahead with the prosecutions. Also read | Trump promises Americans 'RECORD SETTING' tariff payoff coming soon, predicts unprecedented amount of money for the US Comey welcomed the ruling, calling the case "based on malevolence and incompetence," and said the dismissal underscored that a president cannot "use the Department of Justice to target his political enemies." James also celebrated the outcome, calling the accusations baseless. The White House said the Justice Department will appeal, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt saying Comey should "pump the brakes on his victory lap." The cases are part of a broader effort by Trump since taking office in January to go after critics and perceived enemies, including former national security adviser John Bolton, who faces charges over alleged mishandling of classified information. The Pentagon also confirmed Monday it is considering a court-martial against Democratic Senator and former astronaut Mark Kelly, following a video in which he urged troops to refuse unlawful orders.

A federal judge has tossed the criminal cases against James Comey and Letitia James, ruling the prosecutor was unlawfully appointed, dealing a major blow to Trump’s effort to charge political rivals. The judge called the indictments an unlawful use of executive power. Scroll for full story.

Blow to Trump’s revenge prosecutions as cases against James Comey and Letitia James collapse

US President Donald Trump on Saturday (Sep 19) openly pressed his Justice Department to pursue cases against his political rivals, a move that critics say further erodes the agency's independence. In a post on his social media platform, Trump called on "Pam" — apparently Attorney General Pam Bondi —demanding swift legal action against California Senator Adam Schiff and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Both Democrats have long been thorns in Trump's side.<h2>What did Trump say?</h2>In his Truth Social post, Trump went on a rant against "Adam 'Shifty' Schiff, Leticia" while claiming that he fired Erik Siebert: "A Woke RINO, who was never going to do his job. That’s why two of the worst Dem Senators PUSHED him so hard. He even lied to the media and said he quit, and that we had no case. No, I fired him, and there is a GREAT CASE, and many lawyers, and legal pundits, say so." &nbsp;Trump then claimed the Justice Department was dragging its feet. "We can't delay any longer, it's killing our reputation and credibility," he wrote.

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/can-trump-s-1m-gold-card-buy-you-us-citizenship-here-s-the-truth-1758358378289">Can Trump’s $1M ‘Gold Card’ buy you US citizenship? Here’s the truth</a><h2>Who are Schiff and James?</h2>Schiff and James are among those accused by Bill Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and a close Trump ally, of falsifying documents on mortgage applications.The president's pressure campaign came a day after he reportedly fired Erik Siebert, the US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. Siebert had reportedly refused to pursue fraud charges against James, citing insufficient evidence. Meanwhile, in an email to staff on Friday, Siebert announced his resignation, according to The New York Times and other outlets. Trump quickly countered: "I fired him, and there is a GREAT CASE, and many lawyers, and legal pundits, say so."Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-slams-us-media-calls-negative-coverage-illegal-after-jimmy-kimmel-show-suspension-stirs-free-speech-debate-1758343869435">Trump slams US media, calls negative coverage 'illegal' after Jimmy Kimmel show suspension stirs free speech debate</a>The clash is the latest chapter in Trump's long-running battles with Schiff and James. Schiff led the first impeachment case against him in 2019, when Trump was accused of pressuring Ukraine to interfere in the election. James, as New York's attorney general, later brought a civil fraud suit that found Trump had inflated his net worth to secure better financial terms. A state court initially ordered him to pay $464 million, though an appeals court later removed the fine while keeping the judgment intact.Trump's fury was on full display Saturday: "They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!".The president’s legal troubles have piled up over the years. He has been convicted of 34 felonies tied to hush money payments to a porn star. Earlier this month, a federal appeals court also upheld an $83.3 million defamation verdict in favour of writer E. Jean Carroll, whom Trump was found to have sexually assaulted. Several other cases, including probes into his handling of classified documents and attempts to overturn the 2020 election, were dropped after his return to office last year.&nbsp;

President Donald Trump has called on the Justice Department to take legal action against his political rivals. The demand came a day after Trump reportedly fired Erik Siebert, the US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.

US President Donald Trump on Saturday (Sep 19) openly pressed his Justice Department to pursue cases against his political rivals, a move that critics say further erodes the agency's independence. In a post on his social media platform, Trump called on "Pam" — apparently Attorney General Pam Bondi —demanding swift legal action against California Senator Adam Schiff and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Both Democrats have long been thorns in Trump's side. What did Trump say? In his Truth Social post, Trump went on a rant against "Adam 'Shifty' Schiff, Leticia" while claiming that he fired Erik Siebert: "A Woke RINO, who was never going to do his job. That’s why two of the worst Dem Senators PUSHED him so hard. He even lied to the media and said he quit, and that we had no case. No, I fired him, and there is a GREAT CASE, and many lawyers, and legal pundits, say so." Trump then claimed the Justice Department was dragging its feet. "We can't delay any longer, it's killing our reputation and credibility," he wrote.

President Donald Trump has called on the Justice Department to take legal action against his political rivals. The demand came a day after Trump reportedly fired Erik Siebert, the US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Trump goes after his enemies, openly instructs Justice Department to take action against people that impeached him: 'JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW'

Letitia James, New York Attorney General (AG), said she won't drop a civil fraud case against US President-elect Donald Trump as she waits for the court's decision.

Letitia James, New York Attorney General (AG), said she won't drop a civil fraud case against US President-elect Donald Trump as she waits for the court's decision. She argued that presidents are not immune from civil litigation. In November, Trump and his attorneys demanded James drop her case against the Republican, his family, and his business "for the greater good of the country". Trump was ordered to pay $454 million in the civil fraud judgment. Trump has appealed the judgment. Watch | US: What A Reelected Trump Can And Can't Do To Sway The Fed? The New York attorney general's office on Tuesday (Dec. 10) denied taking any action to drop the case against Trump. James' office further argued that presidents do not have immunity from civil litigation arising from unofficial conduct. It further said that lawsuits "may proceed while the president is in office." The office even added that the final judgement will not have any impact or hindrance in Trump's duties as US President. The office said Trump's inauguration is "irrelevant to the 14 other defendants found liable in our case." Also read | UnitedHealthcare CEO murder: Killer Luigi Mangione's family 'shocked, devastated' by his arrest In February, Trump and his two sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, along with their real estate business, were found liable for fraud. 'I dare you...' In November, just after Trump won the 2024 US Presidential election, his one Attorney general hopeful threatened James. A former Supreme Court clerk and Senate Mike Davis said, "I dare you to continue your lawfare against President Trump in his second term. Because listen here sweetheart, we’re not messing around this time. And we will put your fat a** in prison for conspiracy against right". (With inputs from agencies)

'Won't drop civil fraud case against Trump,' says New York AG

Former United States president Donald Trump got a temporary respite in his ongoing civil fraud case trial as a New York court on Friday (Oct 6) granted a delay in cancelling his licenses to operate his businesses in the state.

Former United States president Donald Trump got a temporary respite in his ongoing civil fraud case trial as a New York court on Friday (Oct 6) granted a delay in cancelling his licenses to operate his businesses in the state. In a ruling from an appeals court, Judge Peter Moulton refused to suspend the trial but ruled that a stay was granted on the "order directing the cancellation of business certificates." Judge Moulton heard arguments by Trump's lawyers and by attorneys for the plaintiff, New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is seeking a $250 million judgment against Trump, accused of fraudulent business filings. Also read: Trump abandons $500 mln lawsuit against former attorney Michael Cohen As per a report by ABC News, Trump's lawyer Christopher Kise argued, "This is everything owned or controlled by the defendant. Once you dissolve, you dissolve." On the other hand, James' lawyer Judy Vale, argued that, "There's just absolutely no basis for an interim stay of trial that's already been going on for a week." The civil fraud case New York Attorney General Letitia James has accused Trump, a 2024 presidential hopeful, of inflating the value of his assets by billions of dollars to secure better loan and insurance terms. James is seeking at least $250 million in fines, a permanent ban against Trump and his adult sons Donald Jr and Eric from running businesses in New York, and a five-year commercial real estate ban against Trump and the Trump Organization. The case concerns accusations by the attorney general that the former US president inflated his assets and his net worth from 2011 to 2021 to obtain favourable bank loans and lower insurance premiums. The hearing in the case started on Monday after a surprise ruling from Judge Arthur Engoron late last month that there had been repeated fraud by the Trump Organization. Engoron ordered the cancellation of the business license of Trump and his sons Don Jr and Eric. On Monday, Trump said that the case was a "scam," a "sham" and a political vendetta. And as the session broke off for a lunch break, Trump called Letitia James "a corrupt person, a terrible person. Driving people out of New York." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Trump fraud case: Temporary respite for ex-US prez as judge orders hold on cancelling his business licences

Donald Trump's fraud trials started on Monday, bringing the former US president face-to-face with his longest-running antagonist, Letitia James, a New York-based attorney general who filed the case against him, his adult sons and their family business.

Donald Trump's fraud trials started on Monday, bringing the former US president face-to-face with his longest-running antagonist, Letitia James, a New York-based attorney general who filed the case against him, his adult sons and their family business. The fraud trial can demolish Trump Organization, the former president's enormous real-estate empire. For some people, 64-year-old Letitia James might be a woman chasing publicity, but for others, she is a hero fighting for a cause. Here’s everything you need to know about Letitia James. Who is Letitia James? Born in 1958, Letitia Ann "Tish" James hails from Brooklyn, New York, where she attended the public schools in the city before receiving her law degree from Howard University in Washington. James began her career as a public defender and entered NYC politics as a council member. Later, she promoted herself to a public advocate. In 2018, she became the NYC state attorney general. On 21 September, 2022, Letitia filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump, his associates, family members and businesses in the New York Supreme Court. Letitia accused Donald Trump and the Trump Organization of "repeatedly and persistently manipulating the value of assets to induce banks to lend money to the Trump Organization on more favourable terms than would otherwise have been available to the company to pay lower taxes, to satisfy continuing loan agreements, and to induce insurance companies to provide insurance coverage for higher limits and at lower premiums." ALSO READ | US President Joe Biden's son Hunter to plead not guilty to charges of illegally possessing handgun As per the 65 witnesses and several documents the prosecutor and her team reviewed, Donald Trump submitted over 200 false and misleading asset valuations. Last week, Judge Arthur Engoron ruled Trump and his association committed fraud while building his real estate empire by tricking banks, insurers and others. He overvalued his assets and exaggerated his net worth on paperwork to make deals and secure finance, the court found. Judge Engoron also revoked the business licenses of Donald Trump and his sons, Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump, preventing them from doing business in the country. Donald Trump has called Letitia James a "renegade and out of control prosecutor." He dismissed her as a "crazy and terrible person" and her actions as a "witch-hunt." On the trial's opening day, he fired a barrage of personal attacks on Judge Engoron and Letitia James outside the courtroom. The fraud trial, expected to last more than a month, coincides with Trump's latest White House run. After Letitia James' civil case ends, the former president will face four criminal trials. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Who is Letitia James? New York attorney general who could spell doom for the Trump Organization

Former US president Donald Trump hit out at New York’s attorney general Letitia James on Friday during his rally in Wilmington, North Carolina. Trump called for her to be removed from office, disbarred and banished from the legal profession. The reaction came after Letitia James announced &nbsp;a civil lawsuit accusing the Trump Organization of "numerous acts of fraud and misrepresentation".&nbsp;

Letitia James said that with the help of his children and others at the Trump Organization, the former president provided fraudulent statements of his net worth and false asset valuations "to obtain and satisfy loans, get insurance benefits, and pay lower taxes".

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/doj-can-resume-review-of-documents-found-in-donald-trumps-residence-says-us-court-518587">DOJ can resume review of documents found in Donald Trump's residence, says US court</a>

Trump repeated his oft-used defense that the suit is "another witch hunt" against him, while his spokesperson denounced it as a political move by Democrats against the Republican businessman.

Letitia said the values of 23 assets had been "grossly and fraudulently inflated",&nbsp;and her office uncovered more than 200 examples of misleading asset valuations.

Her office requested that the former president pay at least $250 million in penalties, a sum she says he made from the fraud, and that his family be banned from running businesses in the state.&nbsp;

The 214-page complaint also names Trump's adult children Donald Trump Jr, Eric Trump and Ivanka Trump as defendants, as well as longtime company executives including former Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg.

She also urged that Trump along with his children be barred from purchasing property in the state for five years. She further added that "Mr. Trump thought he could get away with the art of the steal, but today, that conduct ends".

(With inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

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Former US president Donald Trump hit out at New York’s attorney general Letitia James on Friday during his rally in Wilmington, North Carolina. Trump called for her to be removed from office, disbarred and banished from the legal profession.

Former US president Donald Trump hit out at New York’s attorney general Letitia James on Friday during his rally in Wilmington, North Carolina. Trump called for her to be removed from office, disbarred and banished from the legal profession. The reaction came after Letitia James announced a civil lawsuit accusing the Trump Organization of "numerous acts of fraud and misrepresentation". Letitia James said that with the help of his children and others at the Trump Organization, the former president provided fraudulent statements of his net worth and false asset valuations "to obtain and satisfy loans, get insurance benefits, and pay lower taxes". Also Read | DOJ can resume review of documents found in Donald Trump's residence, says US court Trump repeated his oft-used defense that the suit is "another witch hunt" against him, while his spokesperson denounced it as a political move by Democrats against the Republican businessman. Letitia said the values of 23 assets had been "grossly and fraudulently inflated", and her office uncovered more than 200 examples of misleading asset valuations. Her office requested that the former president pay at least $250 million in penalties, a sum she says he made from the fraud, and that his family be banned from running businesses in the state. The 214-page complaint also names Trump's adult children Donald Trump Jr, Eric Trump and Ivanka Trump as defendants, as well as longtime company executives including former Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg. She also urged that Trump along with his children be barred from purchasing property in the state for five years. She further added that "Mr. Trump thought he could get away with the art of the steal, but today, that conduct ends". (With inputs from agencies)

Trump calls for Letitia James to be 'disbarred and banished' following fraud suit

New York Attorney General Letitia James has accused former President Donald Trump, three of his adult children and the Trump Organisation, of massive fraud in a civil lawsuit following a three year inquiry into the finances of the family business.

NY Attorney General Letitia James files suit against Trump and his family for fraud

Former US President Donald Trump has sued New York Attorney General Letitia James seeking to end her civil investigation into his business practices.

Former US President Donald Trump sues NY attorney general to block probe of his business

Former US President Donald Trump files lawsuit against NY Attorney General Letitia James

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-slams-donald-trumps-gross-interference-in-hong-kong-232352">President Donald Trump's government</a> on Tuesday gave up a controversial attempt to put a question about citizenship on next year's census, handing a victory to those who argued the new item would lead to discrimination against minority residents.

The decision followed a Supreme Court ruling that the case for adding the citizenship question was not convincing.

Trump's initial reaction to the ruling had been to call for a delay in the imminent printing of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-supreme-court-blocks-trumps-census-citizenship-question-for-now-230965">2020 census</a> forms, holding up the census in order to allow time for a new appeal.

That bid has now been dropped, ending any chance of changing the format of the massive, once-every-decade survey.

"We're glad the #2020Census will begin printing without a citizenship question," said New York State Attorney General Letitia James, who led a group of states challenging the administration on the issue.

Just this Monday, Trump had been defiant, telling reporters he wanted the census to find out who was a citizen "as opposed to an illegal."

"It is a big difference to me between being a citizen of the United States and being illegal," he said.

Opponents argued that the question which has not been included since 1950 would drive many immigrants to avoid answering out of fear of being caught up in Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration.

This would render them invisible, skewing the population count and resulting in fewer government resources for the areas they live in while distorting the lines of congressional districts, which are based on numbers of residents.

This was the intention all along, said Joe Biden, the frontrunner in the contest to become the Democratic opponent to Trump in 2020 presidential elections.

"Make no mistake, the Trump Administration added a citizenship question to the Census to deliberately cut out the voices of immigrants and communities of colour. It's wrong and goes against our core values as a nation," Biden tweeted.

The Census Bureau's experts said that 1.6 to 6.5 million immigrants, notably Hispanics, would avoid the census or lie to census takers if faced with the citizenship question. 
&nbsp;

President Donald Trump's government on Tuesday gave up a controversial attempt to put a question about citizenship on next year's census, handing a victory to those who argued the new item would lead to discrimination against minority residents.

President Donald Trump's government on Tuesday gave up a controversial attempt to put a question about citizenship on next year's census, handing a victory to those who argued the new item would lead to discrimination against minority residents. The decision followed a Supreme Court ruling that the case for adding the citizenship question was not convincing. Trump's initial reaction to the ruling had been to call for a delay in the imminent printing of the 2020 census forms, holding up the census in order to allow time for a new appeal. That bid has now been dropped, ending any chance of changing the format of the massive, once-every-decade survey. "We're glad the #2020Census will begin printing without a citizenship question," said New York State Attorney General Letitia James, who led a group of states challenging the administration on the issue. Just this Monday, Trump had been defiant, telling reporters he wanted the census to find out who was a citizen "as opposed to an illegal." "It is a big difference to me between being a citizen of the United States and being illegal," he said. Opponents argued that the question which has not been included since 1950 would drive many immigrants to avoid answering out of fear of being caught up in Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration. This would render them invisible, skewing the population count and resulting in fewer government resources for the areas they live in while distorting the lines of congressional districts, which are based on numbers of residents. This was the intention all along, said Joe Biden, the frontrunner in the contest to become the Democratic opponent to Trump in 2020 presidential elections. "Make no mistake, the Trump Administration added a citizenship question to the Census to deliberately cut out the voices of immigrants and communities of colour. It's wrong and goes against our core values as a nation," Biden tweeted. The Census Bureau's experts said that 1.6 to 6.5 million immigrants, notably Hispanics, would avoid the census or lie to census takers if faced with the citizenship question.

Donald Trump abandons controversial census change

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Friday ordered two state agencies to investigate a media report that Facebook&nbsp;may be accessing far more personal information than previously known from smartphone users, including health and other sensitive data.

The directive to New York's Department of State and Department of Financial Services (DFS) came after the Wall Street Journal said testing showed that Facebook collected personal information from other apps on users' smartphones within seconds of them entering it.

The WSJ reported that several apps share sensitive user data including weight, blood pressure and ovulation status with Facebook. The report said the company can access data in some cases even when the user is not signed into Facebook or does not have a Facebook account. In a statement Cuomo called the practice an "outrageous abuse of privacy." He also called on the relevant federal regulators to become involved.

Facebook said in a statement it would assist New York officials in their probe, but noted that the WSJ's report focused on how other apps use people's data to create ads.

"As (the WSJ) reported, we require the other app developers to be clear with their users about the information they are sharing with us, and we prohibit app developers from sending us sensitive data. We also take steps to detect and remove data that should not be shared with us," the company said.

Shares in Facebook took a short-lived hit after the newspaper report was published, but closed up 1.2 per cent. In late January Cuomo along with New York Attorney General Letitia James announced an investigation into Apple Inc's failure to warn consumers about a FaceTime bug that had let iPhones users listen to conversations of others who have not yet accepted a video call.

Facebook is facing a slew of lawsuits and regulatory inquiries over privacy issues, including a US Federal Trade Commission investigation into disclosures that Facebook inappropriately shared information belonging to 87 million users with British political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica.

New York's financial services department does not traditionally supervise social media companies directly, but has waded into digital privacy in the financial sector and could have oversight of some app providers that send user data to Facebook.

In March, it is slated to implement the country's first cybersecurity rules governing state-regulated financial institutions such as banks, insurers and credit monitors.

Last month, DFS said life insurers could use social media posts in underwriting policies, so long as they did not discriminate based on race, colour, national origin, sexual orientation or other protected classes.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Friday ordered two state agencies to investigate a media report that Facebook may be accessing far more personal information than previously known from smartphone users, including health and other sensitive data.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Friday ordered two state agencies to investigate a media report that Facebook may be accessing far more personal information than previously known from smartphone users, including health and other sensitive data. The directive to New York's Department of State and Department of Financial Services (DFS) came after the Wall Street Journal said testing showed that Facebook collected personal information from other apps on users' smartphones within seconds of them entering it. The WSJ reported that several apps share sensitive user data including weight, blood pressure and ovulation status with Facebook. The report said the company can access data in some cases even when the user is not signed into Facebook or does not have a Facebook account. In a statement Cuomo called the practice an "outrageous abuse of privacy." He also called on the relevant federal regulators to become involved. Facebook said in a statement it would assist New York officials in their probe, but noted that the WSJ's report focused on how other apps use people's data to create ads. "As (the WSJ) reported, we require the other app developers to be clear with their users about the information they are sharing with us, and we prohibit app developers from sending us sensitive data. We also take steps to detect and remove data that should not be shared with us," the company said. Shares in Facebook took a short-lived hit after the newspaper report was published, but closed up 1.2 per cent. In late January Cuomo along with New York Attorney General Letitia James announced an investigation into Apple Inc's failure to warn consumers about a FaceTime bug that had let iPhones users listen to conversations of others who have not yet accepted a video call. Facebook is facing a slew of lawsuits and regulatory inquiries over privacy issues, including a US Federal Trade Commission investigation into disclosures that Facebook inappropriately shared information belonging to 87 million users with British political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica. New York's financial services department does not traditionally supervise social media companies directly, but has waded into digital privacy in the financial sector and could have oversight of some app providers that send user data to Facebook. In March, it is slated to implement the country's first cybersecurity rules governing state-regulated financial institutions such as banks, insurers and credit monitors. Last month, DFS said life insurers could use social media posts in underwriting policies, so long as they did not discriminate based on race, colour, national origin, sexual orientation or other protected classes.

New York governor orders probe into Facebook access to data from other apps

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