Latest news with #NeilRichards
Kuwait Times
17-07-2025
- Business
- Kuwait Times
Meta investors and Zuckerberg square off over privacy violations
WASHINGTON: This photo illustration created on January 7, 2025 shows an image of Mark Zuckerberg and a phone displaying the download page for the Facebook app. -- AFP WILMINGTON: An $8 billion trial by Meta Platforms shareholders against Mark Zuckerberg and other current and former company leaders kicked off on Wednesday over claims they illegally harvested the data of Facebook users in violation of a 2012 agreement with the US Federal Trade Commission. The trial started with a privacy expert for the plaintiffs, Neil Richards of Washington University Law School, who testified about Facebook's data policies. 'Facebook's privacy disclosures were misleading,' he told the court. Jeffrey Zients, White House chief of staff under President Joe Biden and a Meta director for two years starting in May 2018, is expected to take the stand later on Wednesday in the non-jury trial before Kathaleen McCormick, chief judge of the Delaware Chancery Court.—Reuters The case will feature testimony from Zuckerberg and other billionaire defendants including former Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, venture capitalist and board member Marc Andreessen as well as former board members Peter Thiel, Palantir Technologies co-founder, and Reed Hastings, co-founder of Netflix. A lawyer for the defendants, who have denied the allegations, declined to comment. McCormick, the judge who rescinded Elon Musk's $56 billion Tesla pay package last year, is expected to rule on liability and damages months after the trial concludes. The case began in 2018, following revelations that data from millions of Facebook users was accessed by Cambridge Analytica, a now-defunct political consulting firm that worked for Donald Trump's successful US presidential campaign in 2016. The FTC fined Facebook $5 billion in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, saying the company had violated a 2012 agreement with the FTC to protect user data. Shareholders want the defendants to reimburse Meta for the FTC fine and other legal costs, which the plaintiffs estimate total more than $8 billion.—Reuters In court filings, the defendants described the allegations as 'extreme' and said the evidence at trial will show Facebook hired an outside consulting firm to ensure compliance with the FTC agreement and that Facebook was a victim of Cambridge Analytica's deceit. Meta, which is not a defendant, declined to comment. On its website, the company has said it has invested billions of dollars into protecting user privacy since 2019. – Reuters
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Wind farm heads to inquiry after council objects
A bid to construct one of the biggest wind farms ever built in the Borders will go to a public inquiry after councillors decided to oppose the plans. Council officials had recommended that the local authority did not object to Muirhall Energy's 52-turbine scheme near Hawick. However, Scottish Borders Council's planning committee voted by five to three to oppose the Teviot wind farm project. It will trigger a public inquiry into the proposals before they can get the go ahead. More stories from South Scotland Listen to news for the Scottish Borders on BBC Sounds Officials made their recommendation after the company made "significant changes" - including reducing turbine numbers. They said it should result in reduced visibility of the development. If councillors had offered no objection to the application it would have gone straight to the Scottish government's Energy Consents Unit. Now it will be considered by a reporter via a public inquiry. Concerns were raised over the adverse visual impact of the turbines - with maximum tip heights of up to 240m (790ft) - particularly on Hermitage Castle. Marshall Douglas, who represents Tweeddale East for the SNP, said: "The scale of this development is far bigger than anything we have at the moment. "The scale of these turbines is absolutely incredible. "I have great concerns and I would be minded to go against this application." His view was echoed by Neil Richards, Conservative councillor for Hawick and Denholm, who described the application as "vandalism in the hills", the local democracy reporting service reports. The developers said the wind farm would make a substantial contribution towards net zero energy targets. They also said it could be worth millions of pounds each year to the local economy and provide up to 29 jobs in the region. Kirstin Leckie, senior project manager with Muirhall Energy, said the company had "worked closely" with the community and planners to take their views on board in the design of the scheme. "As a result of the feedback we received we have removed the planned solar element of the project and reduced the number of turbines by 10, significantly reducing the visual impacts of the project," she said. "We are disappointed by the decision of the planning committee to object to the project, which goes against the recommendation of the planning officer, but retain confidence in our plans due to the significant efforts we have gone to to make these changes. "This project will bring significant environmental, economic and community benefits to the local area, which now moves forward to the Scottish government for consideration."
BBC News
04-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Wind farm near Hawick heads to inquiry after council objects
A bid to construct one of the biggest wind farms ever built in the Borders will go to a public inquiry after councillors decided to oppose the officials had recommended that the local authority did not object to Muirhall Energy's 52-turbine scheme near Scottish Borders Council's planning committee voted by five to three to oppose the Teviot wind farm will trigger a public inquiry into the proposals before they can get the go ahead. Officials made their recommendation after the company made "significant changes" - including reducing turbine said it should result in reduced visibility of the councillors had offered no objection to the application it would have gone straight to the Scottish government's Energy Consents it will be considered by a reporter via a public were raised over the adverse visual impact of the turbines - with maximum tip heights of up to 240m (790ft) - particularly on Hermitage Castle. 'Vandalism in the hills' Marshall Douglas, who represents Tweeddale East for the SNP, said: "The scale of this development is far bigger than anything we have at the moment."The scale of these turbines is absolutely incredible."I have great concerns and I would be minded to go against this application."His view was echoed by Neil Richards, Conservative councillor for Hawick and Denholm, who described the application as "vandalism in the hills", the local democracy reporting service developers said the wind farm would make a substantial contribution towards net zero energy also said it could be worth millions of pounds each year to the local economy and provide up to 29 jobs in the region. Kirstin Leckie, senior project manager with Muirhall Energy, said the company had "worked closely" with the community and planners to take their views on board in the design of the scheme."As a result of the feedback we received we have removed the planned solar element of the project and reduced the number of turbines by 10, significantly reducing the visual impacts of the project," she said."We are disappointed by the decision of the planning committee to object to the project, which goes against the recommendation of the planning officer, but retain confidence in our plans due to the significant efforts we have gone to to make these changes."This project will bring significant environmental, economic and community benefits to the local area, which now moves forward to the Scottish government for consideration."
