Roundup – Musk reverses course on Twitter deal; Apple cracks under EU ruling for a single port charger

Meta settles lawsuit against businesses scraping Facebook and Instagram data

Facebook parent Meta has settled a lawsuit against Israeli-based BrandTotal Ltd. and Delaware-incorporated Unimania Inc., after the two companies engaged in data scraping operations. Both worked together to gather data from Facebook and Instagram for marketing purposes such as developing and distributing new products under novel brand names. The proposed settlement filing detailed that both firms agreed to cease scarping or assisting others in data collection practices, delete their software and code, and ban distributing or selling any data they collected. They also agreed to pay monetary damages in a confidential settlement.

https://techcrunch.com/2022/10/03/meta-settles-lawsuit-for-significant-sum-against-businesses-scraping-facebook-and-instagram-data/

Australia’s Telstra falls victim to data breach two weeks after attack on Optus

Two weeks after the Australian telecom Optus fell victim to a large-scale cyberattack, rival Telstra Corp Ltd said on Tuesday that it had also suffered a data breach which largely appears to have affected former and current staff. Three quarters of Australia’s population hold an account with Telstra and the firm said that an intrusion by a third-party organisation exposed some employee data dating back to 2017. Around 30,000 people are thought to have been affected, including both former and current employees. A spokesman said in a statement that the data retrieved was of “a very basic nature”, limited to names and email addresses. The spokesman added that they believe it is an attempt to “profit” from the earlier Optus breach.

https://money.usnews.com/investing/news/articles/2022-10-04/australias-telstra-hit-by-data-breach-two-weeks-after-attack-on-optus

EU forces Apple to change charger in Europe

In the first of its kind reform passed by the European Parliament, Apple has been forced to change the charger for its iPhones from autumn 2024 to comply with new rules that state a single charging port must be used for most electronic devices. Mobile phones developed after this period will have to be compatible with the single charger, however older chargers will not be outlawed. The new rules, which also apply to ear buds, e-readers – and laptops from 2026 – will make USB-C connectors used by Android-based devices the norm across the EU. After the announcement of the reform on Tuesday, shares in European semiconductor manufacturers surged.

https://jnews.uk/apple-forced-to-change-charger-in-europe-as-eu-approves-overhaul/

Musk U-turns on Twitter deal for the second time: He’s ready to buy

If the social media company agrees to drop legal proceedings, Tesla owner Elon Musk will look to continue with his original $44 billion takeover of Twitter. Musk called on Twitter to end the lawsuit on Tuesday and tweeted that buying Twitter would speed up his plans to create an “everything app” called X. The reverse of course comes ahead of a face-off between Musk and Twitter in Delaware’s Court of Chancery on 17 October which would have seen the social media company seek to direct Musk to close the deal for $44bn. It is not clear why Musk has decided to abandon the case.

https://mediianews.com/2022/10/05/musk-reverses-course-again-hes-ready-to-buy-twitter-and-create-an-x-app/