Another day, another Facebook lawsuit. This time around, the slings and arrows aimed at Mark Zuckerberg and co are from their advertisers, who claim that the Facebook ad platform misled them. The main point of contention is the “Potential Reach” number, an ambiguous total provided by Facebook to help agencies spend their money. Unfortunately, an astute advertiser noticed that the “Potential Reach” number for Facebook users between 18-34 actually exceeds the amount of people in that age group, in every state. This particular social media lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court in North California, and will likely bring in more plaintiffs. Continue reading
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BlackBerry Sends Facebook a Lawsuit Request
In the ever-changing world of technology and information, it is sometimes easy to forget the trailblazers. BlackBerry, one of the first companies to consistently release top of the line smartphones, is now going to mat against the social media juggernaut Facebook. Claiming patent infringement related to messaging platforms and mobile apps, BlackBerry is seeking monetary damages of an undisclosed amount. Interestingly enough, BlackBerry recently went after Nokia for similar issues. Instagram and WhatsApp (owned by Facebook) were also named in the lawsuit. This could be seen as Blackberry trying to remind the public and their competitors who the “old guard” in mobile technology & messaging really is. Read More
Amazon Named in Facebook Lawsuit
Amazon.com Inc was named in a lawsuit involving super-specific targeted advertising on the popular social media platform, Facebook. The lawsuit accuses Amazon of trying to show ads to a certain age group, those younger than 38, which is within Facebook’s targeting capabilities. While Facebook is not named in the lawsuit, this has been seen as an example of age discrimination, limiting the number of “older” people who would be able to apply for those open positions. Many ad platforms allow segmented targeting options, including age and gender. Also named in the lawsuit were 2 large scale internet/TV/phone providers, T-Mobile and Cox Communications. Read More
Time to Go Mobile as Judge Rules Against NSA
More than a few years ago, the term “phone-mining” probably meant nothing to anyone. Nowadays, it has become one of the most controversial topics all over the United States, including our federal courts. A recent ruling states that the acquisition of data through mobile phones, including cell phone numbers and and timestamps, is unconstitutional. The case itself, Klayman v. Obama (13-cv-881), was heard in Washington D.C. under Judge Richard Leon. This private collection of data was leaked by former NSA contractor and controversial figure Edward Snowden, who is currently living in Russia under temporary asylum. Read more
Facebook Faces Lawsuit Over Faces
Do you have a Facebook? If so, you might have been used for an ad and not have known it. If your Facebook account had a Facebook Sponsored Story, which featured your name or profile picture, you may be a member in a class action lawsuit. These Sponsored Stories are a form of advertising that typically contained posts, which would appear on Facebook. These ads were from different businesses, organizations, or individuals who have paid to promote on Facebook, so there is a better chance that the posts will be seen. Basically, the lawsuit alleges Facebook used users’ names and likenesses to sell/advertise products without the users’ consent. Read More