Group 1 - A California jury found Meta in violation of state user privacy laws in a class-action suit related to the Flo app, which tracks menstrual health data [1][2] - Plaintiffs accused Meta and Flo of collecting private health data without user consent, violating the California Invasion of Privacy Act [2] - The lawsuit, filed in 2021, also included Google and ad analytics companies as defendants, with Google settling the case in July and Flo settling earlier this month [2] Group 2 - Lead trial attorneys stated that the verdict emphasizes the importance of protecting digital health data and holding Big Tech accountable for user privacy [3] - Meta disagreed with the verdict, asserting that it never eavesdropped on Flo users and is exploring legal options [4] - Flo raised $200 million in Series C funding last year, achieving a valuation of over $1 billion [6]

Core Viewpoint - The U.K. government is retracting its demand for Apple to create a backdoor for customer data access, influenced by U.S. government opposition, while questions arise about similar demands made to other tech companies like Google [1][2]. Group 1: U.K. Government's Demand - The U.K. Home Office sought a secret court order for Apple to allow access to end-to-end encrypted cloud data of customers worldwide, including iPhone and iPad backups [2]. - Under U.K. law, tech companies like Apple are prohibited from disclosing the existence of such secret surveillance orders, despite public leaks [3]. Group 2: Responses from Tech Companies - Meta confirmed it has not received any orders to backdoor its encrypted services, unlike the situation reported with Apple [5]. - Google has not disclosed whether it has received a U.K. government order for accessing encrypted data, stating that if it had, it would be legally barred from revealing that information [5][6]. Group 3: Legislative Actions - Senator Ron Wyden has called for transparency regarding the national security risks associated with the U.K.'s surveillance laws and its demands on U.S. companies [7].

Group 1 - Meta executives, including Mark Zuckerberg, have settled a lawsuit from shareholders seeking $8 billion for damages related to privacy violations during the Cambridge Analytica scandal [1] - The lawsuit alleged that executives intentionally violated a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) agreement by sharing user data without consent, leading to a $5 billion fine in 2019 for non-compliance with a 2012 agreement [2] - The trial was anticipated to include testimonies from notable figures such as Zuckerberg, former COO Sheryl Sandberg, and other prominent executives [3]