Headline
Google Agrees To Settle $5bn Consumer Privacy Lawsuit
Published
2 years agoon
By
Editor
Google has agreed to settle a consumer privacy lawsuit seeking at least $5 billion in damages over allegations it tracked users’ data who thought they were browsing privately.
In a court filing, the judge confirmed that lawyers for Google reached a preliminary agreement to settle the class action lawsuit – originally filed in 2020 – which claimed that “millions of individuals” had likely been affected.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs were seeking at least $5,000 for each user it said had been tracked by the firm as they visited Google Analytics or Ad Manager in “private browsing mode” while not logged into their Google account.
This would have amounted to at least $5 billion.
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Google and lawyers for the consumers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The lawsuit, filed in a California court, claimed Google’s practices had infringed on users’ privacy by “intentionally” deceiving them.
The original complaint alleged that Google and its employees had been given the “power to learn intimate details about individuals’ lives, interests, and internet usage.”
“Google has made itself an unaccountable trove of information so detailed and expansive that George Orwell could never have dreamed it,” it added.
No figure was given for the preliminary settlement between the parties.
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A formal settlement is expected for court approval by February 24, 2024.
PUNCH Online reported in 2018 that European consumer groups on criticised Google for breaching personal data protection rules, citing how the location of smartphone users was continuously tracked.
Meanwhile, in a separate report earlier, our correspondent reported in 2017 that consumer activists launched a lawsuit accusing Google of illegally collecting data on more than five million British iPhone users, who could possibly see a payout reaching into the hundreds of millions.
A campaign group dubbed ‘Google You Owe us’ says the tech giant owes consumers “trust, fairness and money” after unlawfully placing cookies on mobile phones between 2011 and 2012.
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In 2022, PUNCH Online also reported that Google had agreed to settle a landmark privacy case with 40 US states over accusations that the search engine giant misled users into believing location tracking had been switched off on their devices.
A statement said it was the largest multi-state privacy settlement by state authorities in US history and included a binding commitment for improved disclosures by Google, this was according to AFP.
AFP
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Headline
Putin Says Will Speak With Trump On Phone Today
Published
16 hours agoon
July 3, 2025By
Editor
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he would speak with US counterpart Donald Trump on the phone Thursday, their first publicly announced call in over two weeks.
The two have been in regular contact since Trump took office in January and have discussed issues like the Ukraine conflict and economic cooperation.
Putin did not say what the two would discuss in Thursday’s call.
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“I will talk to the US president today,” the Russian leader told the media during a visit to an exhibition centre in Moscow.
Trump confirmed the call on Truth Social, saying it would start at 10.00am (1400 GMT).
The two leaders have praised each other in recent weeks, despite Moscow’s ongoing assault on Ukraine.
Putin said last week that he had “great respect” for Trump and that US ties were improving. Trump said Putin’s statements were “very nice”.
AFP
Headline
NAFDAC Warns Against Use Of Excess Hydroquinone In Cosmetics
Published
2 days agoon
July 2, 2025By
Editor
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned users of bleaching creams to refrain from using products containing excessive hydroquinone to safeguard their health.
NAFDAC Bauchi State Coordinator, Mr Hamis Yahaya, advised in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Bauchi on Tuesday.
Hydroquinone is a skin-lightening agent used to treat hyperpigmentation, such as melasma and age spots.
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Yahaya said that the approved quantity of the chemical substance in cosmetics was only two per cent.
According to him, NAFDAC conducts checks on market products to ensure public health and safety.
“The black colour provides natural protection against harmful radiation due to melanin content.
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“Applying creams with hydroquinone contents more than two per cent is harmful. Mixing creams by non-experts is wrong.
“Hydroquinone affects the health of the users gradually, including causing cancer,” he said.
Yahaya urged the media to raise awareness about the dangers of cosmetics that could endanger consumer lives.
Headline
AU Helicopter Crashes In Somali Capital – State Media
Published
2 days agoon
July 2, 2025By
Editor
An African Union helicopter crashed Wednesday at the airport in the Somali capital Mogadishu with eight people onboard, state media said.
The aircraft was part of the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), tasked with fighting the Al-Shabaab militant group.
The state media agency Sonna said the AUSSOM helicopter, carrying eight people, “crashed during landing at Mogadishu’s Aden Adde Airport this morning after departing Balidoogle”.
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“The fire has been contained, and authorities are assessing the situation,” it said in a post on X.
Sonna quoted the country’s civil aviation authorities as saying that “flight operations remain normal”.
There were no further details given, but unverified clips and images shared online showed a plume of black smoke over the city.
The AUSSOM mission faces funding difficulties, even as fears of an Al-Shabaab resurgence are stoked by attacks in the Horn of Africa nation.
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