Bits & Bytes: Meta beats lawsuit over Apple privacy

Meta Platforms won the dismissal of a lawsuit claiming it defrauded shareholders by concealing how changes to Apple’s privacy settings would make Facebook and Instagram less desirable for advertisers.

In a decision, US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers also rejected claims that Meta concealed former COO Sheryl Sandberg’s use of company resources on personal matters, including her wedding and her book Lean In.

The Oakland, California-based judge also turned aside claims that Meta knew its transition to Reels, which copied TikTok’s short-form video format, would hurt revenue because it offered fewer ads per hour than older formats.


Tech firms blast EU decisions on AI

A group of companies including Meta and Spotify blasted the European Union for its “fragmented and inconsistent” decision-making on data privacy and artificial intelligence (AI). The firms along with several researchers and industry bodies signed an open letter claiming that Europe was already becoming less competitive and risked falling further behind in the age of AI.

The letter takes issue with recent decisions under the 2018 general data protection regulation (GDPR).

Microsoft-BlackRock team to raise $100 billion for AI data centers

Microsoft and investment powerhouse BlackRock said they have teamed up to raise as much as $100 billion for data centers and infrastructure to power artificial intelligence.

The alliance includes Global Infrastructure Partners and the advanced technology investment firm MGX, created in Abu Dhabi this year, according to a joint release.

“We are committed to ensuring AI helps advance innovation and drives growth across every sector of the economy,” said Satya Nadella, chairman and CEO, Microsoft.

Google urges tribunal to throw out $9.3-billion UK lawsuit

Google parent Alphabet has asked a London tribunal to throw out a mass lawsuit that accuses the tech giant of abusing its dominance in the online search market.

The lawsuit — valued at up to 7 billion pounds ($9.3 billion) — is the latest case focusing on the business practices of Google.

It is also one of several multibillion-pound cases to have been filed at Britain’s Competition Appeal Tribunal in recent years, including a similar case against Google for allegedly abusing its dominance in the online advertising market.

Consumer rights campaigner and the lawsuit’s class representative Nikki Stopford argues Google’s dominance allows it to increase businesses’ costs for search advertising services which are then passed on to consumers.