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Asharq Al-Awsat
an hour ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Trial Opens against Meta CEO Zuckerberg and Other Leaders over Facebook Privacy Violations
An $8 billion class action investors' lawsuit against Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and company leaders — current and former — began Wednesday, with claims stemming from the 2018 privacy scandal involving the Cambridge Analytica political consulting firm. Investors allege in their lawsuit that Meta did not fully disclose the risks that Facebook users' personal information would be misused by Cambridge Analytica, a firm that supported Donald Trump's successful Republican presidential campaign in 2016. Shareholders say Facebook officials repeatedly and continually violated a 2012 consent order with the Federal Trade Commission under which Facebook agreed to stop collecting and sharing personal data on platform users and friends without their consent. Facebook later sold user data to commercial partners in direct violation of the consent order and removed disclosures from privacy settings that were required under consent order, the lawsuit alleges. The fallout led to Facebook agreeing to pay a $5.1 billion penalty to settle FTC charges. The social media giant also faced significant fines in Europe and reached a $725 million privacy settlement with users. Now shareholders want Zuckerberg and others to reimburse Meta for the FTC fine and other legal costs, which the plaintiffs estimate total more than $8 billion. The first trial witness, privacy expert Neil Richards, testified Monday morning for the shareholders. 'Facebook's privacy disclosures were misleading,' said Richards, a professor at Washington University Law School. In later testimony, Jeffrey Zients, who served on Facebook's board from 2018 to 2020, testified that consumer privacy and user data were priorities for both management and the board. Nonetheless, he supported settling with the FTC as it investigated potential violations of the 2012 consent order, so the company could move forward. 'It was difficult because this was a lot of money, but I think it was better than the alternative,' Zients said. Asked if the board considered making its founder a party to the settlement, he said Zuckerberg was 'essential' to running the company. And, Zients, who served in both the Obama and Biden administrations, said, 'there was no indication that he had done anything wrong.' The case is expected to run through late next week and include testimony from both Zuckerberg and former Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg. Other witnesses expected in Delaware Chancery Court, where Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc. is incorporated, include board member Marc Andreessen and former board member Peter Thiel. The judge is not expected to rule for several months. Meta had hoped the Supreme Court would dismiss the case. Justices heard arguments in November before deciding they should not have taken it up. The high court dismissed the company's appeal, leaving in place an appellate ruling allowing the case to go forward.
Al Arabiya
2 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Federal lawsuit seeks to stop ICE agents from arresting people at immigration courts
A group of immigrants and legal advocates filed a class-action lawsuit Wednesday that seeks to stop Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers from arresting migrants who appear at immigration courts for previously scheduled hearings and placing them on a fast-track to deportation. The lawsuit filed in US District Court for the District of Columbia against the Department of Homeland Security, Justice Department, and ICE says the arrests of thousands of people at court have stripped them of rights afforded to them under US immigration law and the Fifth Amendment. The large-scale immigration court arrests that began in May have unleashed fear among asylum-seekers and immigrants. In what has become a familiar scene, a judge will grant a government lawyer's request to dismiss deportation proceedings against an immigrant, while ICE officers wait in the hallway to take them into custody. Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, one of the groups that filed the lawsuit, said the Trump administration is weaponizing immigration courts and chilling participation in the legal process. People seeking refuge, safety, or relief should not be arrested, detained, and deported without a chance to be heard and given due process, Perryman said in a statement. Messages seeking comment from ICE, Homeland Security, and the Justice Department were not immediately returned. The Executive Office for Immigration Review, which oversees the courts, declined to comment. President Donald Trump has pledged to deport the most dangerous criminals in the largest deportation program in American history to protect law-abiding citizens, but government data on the detentions show that the majority of people detained by ICE have no criminal convictions. The lawsuit represents 12 people who have been arrested at court hearings, along with the Immigrant Advocates Response Collaborative and American Gateways, which provide legal services to people who face potential arrest and deportation when they comply with their immigration proceedings by attending a court hearing. Some of the immigrants have lived in the United States for years and were separated from family members, some who were US citizens, without notice, the lawsuit said. Others fled persecution in their home countries and requested asylum, but those requests were quashed when the government lawyer dismissed their case. Priyanka Gandhi-Abriano, interim CEO for Immigrant Advocates Response Collaborative, said the arrests are a deliberate attempt to intimidate people. 'Our friends, neighbors, and families are told to do it the right way – to follow the legal process,' Gandhi-Abriano said in a statement. 'They're doing just that – showing up to court, complying with the law. Despite this, they're being arrested and detained.' Homeland Security officials have defended the practice, saying the Trump administration is implementing the rule of law after former President Joe Biden's catch and release policy that allowed millions of unvetted illegal aliens to be let loose on American streets. They said if a person has a credible fear claim, they can continue in the immigration proceedings, but if not claim is found, they'll be subject to swift deportation. Keren Zwick, director of litigation at the National Immigrant Justice Center, said, 'We are witnessing an authoritarian takeover of the US immigration court system by the Trump administration. The people attending the hearings to seek permission to stay in the US, but they're being rounded up and abruptly ripped from their families, homes, and livelihoods. Meanwhile, the administration is issuing directives telling immigration judges to violate those same immigration laws and strip people of fundamental due process rights,' Zwick said. 'We must continue fighting to overcome the administration's escalating attacks on the US Constitution and rule of law.'
Arab News
3 hours ago
- Arab News
Great Expectations to Great Futures: British envoy Neil Crompton reflects on time in Riyadh
Among the many foreign diplomats I have seen come and go in Riyadh, few stand out quite like Neil Crompton, who is leaving the Kingdom after having completed a little over five years as His Britannic Majesty's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. Crompton is, in many ways, the quintessential British diplomat. That self-deprecating wit and sharp sense of humor are trademarks of Crompton's personality, which he tends to reveal only after loosening his proverbial necktie. Like many Britons I met during my near-decade in the UK, and describe in 'Anecdotes of an Arab Anglophile' (an anthropological book I published last year about my observations of London), Crompton was hard to crack at first — reserved and diplomatic, as one would expect. But once the ice melted, I discovered a man of deep intellect, insight and genuine passion for the region. Crompton began his journey with the UK Foreign Office in 1995, ascending through key posts before heading the Middle East desk in 2015. His appointment as ambassador to the Kingdom came in early 2020 — a pivotal time, not just for Saudi Arabia, but for the world. Almost immediately after landing in Riyadh, Crompton — like the rest of the world — found himself in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. 'I have a very vivid memory of how professional and reassuring the Saudi government response was,' he told me. 'The communication was very clear. You've got a good public health system.' He added: 'There was a very important decision by the government that everybody in the Kingdom would be treated the same regardless of nationality, which is very important. So we felt very reassured by that.' When the dust of COVID finally settled, Crompton began to see the transformation Vision 2030 promised, not just on paper but in reality. 'I remember going to Riyadh Boulevard for the first time. And there was a polar bear dancing on the wall to the sound of, 'I Like to Move, Move It,'' he laughed. 'It's just a nice atmosphere, families, grandpas, grandchildren, people out and about.' But of course, the transformation of Saudi Arabia is not limited to opening up and allowing once forbidden forms of entertainment. 'When I met lots of ministers, went to ministries, you could feel the change,' he said. 'You went into ministries and you saw everyone working hard. 'People talked about KPIs. I don't remember hearing the term KPIs 10 years ago. Maybe I was wrong, but everyone was very focused, friendly, and wanted to both advance the Saudi national agenda but work out how they could collaborate with us. 'So it was sort of a mix of social change and then sort of changing corporate ethos. Britons asked me about Vision 2030. I say Vision 2030 was a vision, but now it's a plan, and it's been executed and very successfully.' During Crompton's tenure, three British prime ministers visited the Kingdom — Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak and, most recently, Keir Starmer. As ambassador, Crompton had numerous interactions with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. But the relationship goes back further. 'The first time I met the crown prince was back in 2015,' Crompton said. 'He's very dynamic, he's on top of his brief. He's always very positive about the relationship with the UK. I think he sort of talks about it as being a strategic partner, but also says, 'you've been a historically reliable friend.' 'And so I think everyone always comes away fired up because he has so much energy and enthusiasm for what he's talking about.' The shared monarchical systems of both nations, according to Crompton, provide a foundation of mutual understanding and respect. 'I think there's a sort of natural affinity between monarchies. We're probably the minority in the world, but I think the royal families tend to know each other. And I think there's a sort of familiarity. 'When Her Majesty the Queen passed, I was very touched by the messages I got from Saudis all over the Kingdom, just saying how sorry they were to see her pass. 'And connections between individual members of the royal families still go on. I know there's constant messaging backwards and forwards, and that's very positive. 'His Majesty King Charles, he's a real expert on Saudi Arabia. I think he's made six official visits. I just met him on a couple of occasions. But each time he'd talk about things he did in the past. You remember he gave a famous speech on Islam and the West. So he's always very interested in interfaith dialogue. 'When Sheikh Mohammed Al-Issa (secretary general of the Makkah-based Muslim World League) visited London, he saw him and he talked about the work that Saudi Arabia was doing in those areas. 'But also, in the few minutes I had with him, he asked: 'Tell me what's going on at AlUla, tell me what's going on at this.' So I think there's a sort of familiarity, and I hope to nurture that.' But while royalty might be well-versed in the Kingdom's transformation, are ordinary Britons keeping pace? 'I think it takes a long time to change perceptions. There's always a time lag,' Crompton said by way of admission. 'Initially, the sort of scale of ambition when we talked about Vision 2030, people said, 'really, can you do all that?' And some people said, well, even if they do 70 percent of that, it would be impressive. 'And actually, my experience … probably 90 percent (can) be done. Saudi GDP has grown by over 70 percent since 2016. New sectors coming along.' If there was one group that quickly closed that gap, however, it was the British business community. 'One of the highlights of my time here was the GREAT Futures trade event we did last year with the Saudi Ministry of Commerce,' said Crompton. 'And for that, 450 British companies came. 'But 60 percent came for the first time, a lot from the creative industries and educational sectors who hadn't been before. And I think they all came away and said, wow. And they met Saudis and established good contacts, and a lot of business and new relationships have flowed from that.' And the numbers speak volumes. 'Bilateral trade has gone up 70 percent since COVID,' Crompton told me. 'Last year, I believe it was $17 billion each way. And we have a commitment … to try and get bilateral trade to $30 billion by 2030. '$30 billion is a magic number. Which I personally think we'll exceed. And I think investment flows each way have increased significantly. And I think in the last five years, we've invested $23 billion in the UK. There's lots of Saudi private investment.' One of Crompton's proudest efforts has been pushing forward the UK-GCC free trade agreement. 'I think we're very close,' he said. 'The negotiations started under the Conservative government, and actually we got quite close, and then we had an election, which just slowed things a little bit. 'Free trade is important to the health of the world economy. I think it's a political signal between the Gulf countries and the UK, a political commitment to growing the relationship. 'This would be one of our first free trade agreements with a developing group of economies. And in the GCC's case it would be the first time you signed a free trade agreement with a G7 country. So I think that would be very important. 'But more importantly, it will reduce tariffs in a number of areas, reduce some of the barriers, or some of the regulatory or bureaucratic obstacles to growing the relationship, and it provides a platform for growing trade.' He added: 'I think it's 90 percent done. Both sides agree that there's a set of issues now that can only be resolved by ministers, because they involve political decisions and if you like, a natural bargain.' Though the GREAT Futures Initiative Conference took place under a Conservative government, Crompton is confident the strong Saudi-UK relationship will continue under Labour. 'They wanted to convey the message that the UK saw the Gulf as natural friends and important economic partners, and they wanted to maintain that relationship,' he said of the Labour government. On the tourism front, Crompton highlighted the success of Saudi Arabia's introduction of online visas — and he is glad that the UK managed to reciprocate shortly after. 'The scheme went live in June 2022. Initially, you could only get a single entry visa, but now you can get a two-year visa. And our figures say close to 750,000 Saudis have applied for and used that scheme … I think we're the only Western country that offers an online visa service.' He added: 'And more Britons than ever are coming here. (For) the pilgrimage, but (also) for business or for events. I think we're the second highest number of visitors after the Chinese. There are many more Chinese people than Britons. 'It's important to have a good government-to-government relationship with the people-to-people links that make friends.' It is not just tourists heading to Saudi Arabia. Investments — and soft power — are also flowing in both directions. 'There are important Saudi investments in northeast England,' Crompton said, with the flagship being the Public Investment Fund's acquisition of Newcastle United. 'I have friends in the northeast who say the first thing they did was professionalize the women's football team in Newcastle.' He added: 'I think people in the northeast say, well, this is really good. We want to do more with Saudi Arabia.' One moment that truly embodied Saudi soft power for him? When the Saudi National Orchestra and Choir performed at the Royal Albert Hall in October 2024. 'I never forget they did Adele's 'Rolling in the Deep.'' he said. 'They started (with) the men singing the Saudi traditional Saudi song. And then I remember when the lady came in and started singing, there were hairs standing up on the back of your neck. It was really impressive.' The interview also touched on Saudi-UK defense cooperation, ongoing discussions about potential Saudi involvement in the Typhoon jet program, and the Kingdom's emerging role in international mediation efforts. Clips from these parts of the conversation are available on Arab News online. As a parting gesture, I presented Crompton with a custom-made trophy resembling the front page of Arab News from 50 years ago — a small tribute to his time in the Kingdom. True to form, he responded with classic British humor, presenting me with two ketchup sachets — a reference to a story from 'Anecdotes of an Arab Anglophile' where I complained to the CEO of a major American fast food chain about not getting enough ketchup, which ultimately led to a change in company policy in the UK. In the book, I lamented — only somewhat jokingly — how I never received any recognition from the British government for my efforts to improve UK customer service. I should be careful what I wish for, as Crompton clearly saw fit to remedy that. I had to laugh. As Neil Crompton leaves the Kingdom, he does so with several feathers in his cap — but perhaps most importantly — with genuine affection for a country that is changing faster than most could have imagined.
