Google has agreed to shell out $350 million to settle a lawsuit brought by shareholders over a security flaw at its now-defunct Google+ social media platform. A preliminary settlement was filed on Monday (Feb 5th) in San Francisco federal court after more than a year of mediation, and it now awaits the nod from US District Judge Trina Thompson.

<h2>The lawsuit</h2>

The lawsuit, as per Reuters, alleges that around March 2018, Google got wind of a software glitch which had left the personal data of Google+ users exposed. The bug it alleges had persisted for three years. However, rather than promptly addressing the issue, Google allegedly kept it under wraps for months, all the while publicly stressing its commitment to data security.

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Shareholders contend that Google's reluctance to disclose the problem stemmed from fears of facing regulatory and public scrutiny akin to Facebook's post-Cambridge Analytica scandal fallout, where user data was harvested without consent for the 2016 US elections.

The complaint also underscored the fall of Alphabet's stock value, which, as per the report, wiped out billions of dollars off of its market value.

<h2>Google maintains innocence</h2>

Despite consenting to the settlement, Google continues to deny any wrongdoing, and contends that there is no evidence of data misuse.&nbsp;

Jose Castaneda, a Google spokesperson, said: "We regularly identify and fix software issues, disclose information about them, and take these issues seriously. This matter concerns a product that no longer exists, and we are pleased to have it resolved."

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Earlier, Google had reached a $7.5 million settlement with Google+ users in 2020 related to the same issue.

The revelation of Monday's settlement follows Google's resolution of another lawsuit alleging the covert tracking of millions of users' internet activities. The terms of that settlement have yet to be disclosed.

(With inputs from agencies)

Google has agreed to shell out $350 million to settle a lawsuit brought by shareholders over a security flaw at its now-defunct Google+ social media platform. A preliminary settlement was filed on Monday (Feb 5th) in San Francisco federal court after more than a year of mediation, and it now awaits the nod from US District Judge Trina Thompson.

Google has agreed to shell out $350 million to settle a lawsuit brought by shareholders over a security flaw at its now-defunct Google+ social media platform. A preliminary settlement was filed on Monday (Feb 5th) in San Francisco federal court after more than a year of mediation, and it now awaits the nod from US District Judge Trina Thompson. The lawsuit The lawsuit, as per Reuters, alleges that around March 2018, Google got wind of a software glitch which had left the personal data of Google+ users exposed. The bug it alleges had persisted for three years. However, rather than promptly addressing the issue, Google allegedly kept it under wraps for months, all the while publicly stressing its commitment to data security. Also read | Middle East crisis: 32 Israeli hostages in Hamas custody dead, claims report Shareholders contend that Google's reluctance to disclose the problem stemmed from fears of facing regulatory and public scrutiny akin to Facebook's post-Cambridge Analytica scandal fallout, where user data was harvested without consent for the 2016 US elections. The complaint also underscored the fall of Alphabet's stock value, which, as per the report, wiped out billions of dollars off of its market value. Google maintains innocence Despite consenting to the settlement, Google continues to deny any wrongdoing, and contends that there is no evidence of data misuse. Jose Castaneda, a Google spokesperson, said: "We regularly identify and fix software issues, disclose information about them, and take these issues seriously. This matter concerns a product that no longer exists, and we are pleased to have it resolved." Also read | ‘The best is yet to come’: Mark Zuckerberg celebrates 20 years of Facebook Earlier, Google had reached a $7.5 million settlement with Google+ users in 2020 related to the same issue. The revelation of Monday's settlement follows Google's resolution of another lawsuit alleging the covert tracking of millions of users' internet activities. The terms of that settlement have yet to be disclosed. (With inputs from agencies)

Google to shell out $350 million to settle data privacy lawsuit

Facebook parent Meta has agreed to pay $725 million to settle a long-running privacy lawsuit that accused the social media giant of allowing third parties to access users' personal data.

However, Facebook has not yet admitted any wrongdoing as a part of the settlement which still needs approval by the US judge, AFP reported.&nbsp;

As per reports, it was claimed that Facebook reached a preliminary agreement in August but the amount was not announced. The amount was revealed on Thursday (Dec 22).

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The plaintiff's lawyers said in the filing, "The proposed settlement of $725,000,000 is the largest recovery ever achieved in a data privacy class action and the most Facebook has ever paid to resolve a private class action."

Meta's spokesperson said, "We pursued a settlement as it's in the best interest of our community and shareholders. Over the last three years, we revamped our approach to privacy and implemented a comprehensive privacy programme."

The lawsuit was filed&nbsp;in 2018 when Facebook was accused of violating privacy rules by sharing users' private data with third parties that included Cambridge Analytica firm from the UK that was also linked to former US President Trump's 2016 election campaign.

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It was claimed that the information was used to turn US voters in favour of Trump.&nbsp;

In response to this, the firm was shut down then, only for collecting and using data of over 87 million users without their consent, the lawsuit alleged.&nbsp;

Since then, Facebook removed its access to users' data, restricted the amount of information available to developers and made it simple and easy for users to calibrate restrictions on personal data sharing.&nbsp;

(with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

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Facebook parent Meta has agreed to pay $725 million to settle a long-running privacy lawsuit that accused the social media giant of allowing third parties to access users' personal data.

Facebook parent Meta has agreed to pay $725 million to settle a long-running privacy lawsuit that accused the social media giant of allowing third parties to access users' personal data. However, Facebook has not yet admitted any wrongdoing as a part of the settlement which still needs approval by the US judge, AFP reported. As per reports, it was claimed that Facebook reached a preliminary agreement in August but the amount was not announced. The amount was revealed on Thursday (Dec 22). Also read | Mark Zuckerberg defends Meta before antitrust judge on bid for dominance in virtual reality segment The plaintiff's lawyers said in the filing, "The proposed settlement of $725,000,000 is the largest recovery ever achieved in a data privacy class action and the most Facebook has ever paid to resolve a private class action." Meta's spokesperson said, "We pursued a settlement as it's in the best interest of our community and shareholders. Over the last three years, we revamped our approach to privacy and implemented a comprehensive privacy programme." The lawsuit was filed in 2018 when Facebook was accused of violating privacy rules by sharing users' private data with third parties that included Cambridge Analytica firm from the UK that was also linked to former US President Trump's 2016 election campaign. Also read | ByteDance finds former TikTok employees hacked data of two US journalists It was claimed that the information was used to turn US voters in favour of Trump. In response to this, the firm was shut down then, only for collecting and using data of over 87 million users without their consent, the lawsuit alleged. Since then, Facebook removed its access to users' data, restricted the amount of information available to developers and made it simple and easy for users to calibrate restrictions on personal data sharing. (with inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Facebook parent Meta agrees to pay $275 million to settle 2018 privacy lawsuit

Zoom Video Communications Inc agreed to pay $85 million and bolster its security practices to settle a lawsuit claiming it violated users' privacy rights by sharing personal data with Facebook, Google and LinkedIn and letting hackers disrupt Zoom meetings in a practice called Zoombombing.

A preliminary settlement filed on Saturday afternoon requires approval by US District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California.

Subscribers in the proposed class action would be eligible for 15% refunds on their core subscriptions or $25, whichever is larger, while others could receive up to $15.

Zoom agreed to security measures including alerting users when meeting hosts or other participants use third-party apps in meetings and providing specialized training to employees on privacy and data handling.

The San Jose-based company denied wrongdoing in agreeing to settle.

In a statement on Sunday, Zoom said: "The privacy and security of our users are top priorities for Zoom, and we take seriously the trust our users place in us."

Saturday's settlement came after Koh on March 11 let the plaintiffs pursue some contract-based claims. 
 
Though Zoom collected about $1.3 billion in Zoom Meetings subscriptions from class members, the plaintiffs' lawyers called the $85 million settlement reasonable given the litigation risks. They intend to seek up to $21.25 million for legal fees.

Zoombombing is where outsiders hijack Zoom meetings and display pornography, use racist language or post other disturbing content.

Koh said Zoom was "mostly" immune for Zoombombing under Section 230 of the federal Communications Decency Act, which shields online platforms from liability over user content.

Zoom's customer base has grown sixfold since the COVID-19 pandemic forced more people to work from home.

The company had 497,000 customers with more than 10 employees in April 2021, up from 81,900 in January 2020. It has been said user growth could slow or decline as more people get vaccines and return to work or school in person.

The case is In re: Zoom Video Communications Inc Privacy Litigation, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 20-02155.

Zoom Video Communications Inc agreed to pay $85 million and bolster its security practices to settle a lawsuit claiming it violated users' privacy rights by sharing personal data with Facebook, Google and LinkedIn and letting hackers disrupt Zoom meetings in a practice called Zoombombing.

Zoom Video Communications Inc agreed to pay $85 million and bolster its security practices to settle a lawsuit claiming it violated users' privacy rights by sharing personal data with Facebook, Google and LinkedIn and letting hackers disrupt Zoom meetings in a practice called Zoombombing. A preliminary settlement filed on Saturday afternoon requires approval by US District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California. Subscribers in the proposed class action would be eligible for 15% refunds on their core subscriptions or $25, whichever is larger, while others could receive up to $15. Zoom agreed to security measures including alerting users when meeting hosts or other participants use third-party apps in meetings and providing specialized training to employees on privacy and data handling. The San Jose-based company denied wrongdoing in agreeing to settle. In a statement on Sunday, Zoom said: "The privacy and security of our users are top priorities for Zoom, and we take seriously the trust our users place in us." Saturday's settlement came after Koh on March 11 let the plaintiffs pursue some contract-based claims. Though Zoom collected about $1.3 billion in Zoom Meetings subscriptions from class members, the plaintiffs' lawyers called the $85 million settlement reasonable given the litigation risks. They intend to seek up to $21.25 million for legal fees. Zoombombing is where outsiders hijack Zoom meetings and display pornography, use racist language or post other disturbing content. Koh said Zoom was "mostly" immune for Zoombombing under Section 230 of the federal Communications Decency Act, which shields online platforms from liability over user content. Zoom's customer base has grown sixfold since the COVID-19 pandemic forced more people to work from home. The company had 497,000 customers with more than 10 employees in April 2021, up from 81,900 in January 2020. It has been said user growth could slow or decline as more people get vaccines and return to work or school in person. The case is In re: Zoom Video Communications Inc Privacy Litigation, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 20-02155.

Zoom to pay $85 million as fine for sending data to Facebook and Google

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