Independent New York rep Barrie Isaacson will handle East Coast sales for music and sound design shop Tonefarmer, New York….Fern Towne Helms has joined 615 Music, Nashville, as regional sales executive. She will represent both 615 Music and 615 Music Library services to broadcast, film, advertising and corporate clients….DP Thierry Arbogast is now available for commercials and features through ICM, Beverly Hills, Calif. He recently completed work on Catwoman….Cinematographer John Mathieson has completed principal photography on Ridley Scott’s Kingdom of Heaven and can again take on spotwork through The Skouras Agency, Santa Monica….DP Zeus Morand has wrapped Red Doors, directed by Georgia Lee, and is again available exclusively through The Lyons•Sheldon•Prosnit Agency, Los Angeles….
Supreme Court Allows Multibillion-Dollar Class Action Lawsuit To Proceed Against Meta
The Supreme Court is allowing a multibillion-dollar class action investors' lawsuit to proceed against Facebook parent Meta, stemming from the privacy scandal involving the Cambridge Analytica political consulting firm.
The justices heard arguments in November in Meta's bid to shut down the lawsuit. On Friday, they decided that they were wrong to take up the case in the first place.
The high court dismissed the company's appeal, leaving in place an appellate ruling allowing the case to go forward.
Investors allege 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 first successful Republican presidential campaign in 2016.
Inadequacy of the disclosures led to two significant price drops in the price of the company's shares in 2018, after the public learned about the extent of the privacy scandal, the investors say.
Meta spokesman Andy Stone said the company was disappointed by the court's action. "The plaintiff's claims are baseless and we will continue to defend ourselves as this case is considered by the District Court," Stone said in an emailed statement.
Meta already has paid a $5.1 billion fine and reached a $725 million privacy settlement with users.
Cambridge Analytica had ties to Trump political strategist Steve Bannon. It had paid a Facebook app developer for access to the personal information of about 87 million Facebook users. That data was then used to target U.S. voters during the 2016 campaign.
The lawsuit is one of two high court cases involving class-action lawsuits against tech companies. The justices also are wrestling with whether to shut down a class action against Nvidia.... Read More