Connect with us

Entertainment

Disney to pay $10 million to settle FTC lawsuit over collecting kids’ data

Published

on

Disney to pay  million to settle FTC lawsuit over collecting kids’ data


Disney will pay $10 million to settle allegations by the Federal Trade Commission that the entertainment company facilitated the “unlawful collection” of children’s personal data.

In a complaint filed on Tuesday, the FTC said that Disney Worldwide Services and Disney Entertainment Operations — two entities that offer technical support and media content — violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule, known as COPPA, by failing to properly label some videos uploaded to YouTube as “made for kids.” The mislabeling also exposed children to “age-inappropriate YouTube features,” the FTC said in a statement.

“Our order penalizes Disney’s abuse of parents’ trust, and, through a mandated video-review program, makes room for the future of protecting kids online — age assurance technology,” FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson said in a statement. 

Signed into law in 1998, COPPA requires commercial website operators to disclose to parents of children under 13 that they are collecting personal data and obtain the parents’ prior consent.

The videos in question included content from Disney movies including “Coco,” “Frozen” and “Toy Story” and as well as music from “The Incredibles.”

A spokesperson for Disney told CBS News that the settlement does not involved Disney-owned and operated digital platforms and that it is limited to some of the content on the company’s YouTube platform.

“Disney has a long tradition of embracing the highest standards of compliance with children’s privacy laws, and we remain committed to investing in the tools needed to continue being a leader in this space,” the spokesperson said in a statement. 

YouTube requires videos to be labeled as “made for kids” if children are the video’s primary audience or if the content reflects “an intent to target children,” according to the Alphabet-owned platform. YouTube also says on its website that failure to properly label videos could lead to “legal consequences under COPPA and other laws.” 

YouTube began requiring video uploaders to add the “made for kids” label after it reached a similar settlement in 2019 with the FTC over COPPA violations. 

Disney’s agreement with the FTC also calls for the company to create a program to review whether videos posted to YouTube should be designated as made for children the agency said.



Source link

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Entertainment

Zendaya set to rule 2026 with ‘Euphoria,’ ‘Spider-Man,’ ‘Dune 3’

Published

on

Zendaya set to rule 2026 with ‘Euphoria,’ ‘Spider-Man,’ ‘Dune 3’


Zendaya set to rule 2026 with ‘Euphoria,’ ‘Spider-Man,’ ‘Dune 3’

Zendaya might dominate this year with an impressive slate of blockbuster projects on the horizon.

The 29-year-old American actress and singer is heading into a packed 2026 that could define the biggest year of her career yet with the release of Euphoria Season 3, her fourth Spider-Man film and Dune: Part Three.

The Golden Globe Award winner will make her long-awaited return as Rue Bennett in the upcoming final season of HBO’s hit series Euphoria.

It is pertinent to note that the show’s full-length official trailer racked up a record-breaking 100 million views in just 48 hours since its release on January 14.

The sky-high response has fans speculating about just how massive viewership will be once the full season begins streaming.

Euphoria Season 3 release date

Euphoria Season 3 is scheduled to premiere on April 12, with several major changes.

The story will feature a five-year time jump, moving the characters beyond high school and into early adulthood.

In addition to Sydney Sweeney and Jacob Elordi’s return, the new season also boasts an expanded cast of high-profile guest stars, including Sharon Stone, Rosalía, Natasha Lyonne, and Eli Roth.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day release date

Zendaya has reportedly wrapped filming on Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which is set to hit theaters on July 31, 2026.

The film marks her fourth appearance in the Marvel franchise alongside her fiancé Tom Holland, following Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Far From Home (2019), and No Way Home (2021).

Dune: Part Three release date

Closing out the year, Zendaya will return to the sands of Arrakis in Dune 3, expected to release in December 2026.

The film serves as the final installment in Denis Villeneuve’s trilogy and adapts Frank Herbert’s Dune Messiah, exploring the darker consequences of Paul Atreides’ rise to power.

The cast includes returning stars Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya, among others.

With leading roles across some of the biggest franchises in entertainment, Zendaya’s 2026 lineup positions her for a comeback and a career peak.





Source link

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Prince Harry says U.K. tabloid court battle is “not just about me”

Published

on

Prince Harry says U.K. tabloid court battle is “not just about me”


Prince Harry struck a combative tone as he testified Wednesday in his lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mail and insisted that his latest legal battle with Associated Newspaper Ltd. was “in the public interest.” 

Harry and six other prominent figures, including Elton John and actor Elizabeth Hurley, allege that the publisher invaded their privacy by engaging in a “clear, systematic and sustained use of unlawful information gathering” for two decades, attorney David Sherborne said. The celebrities allege that the company illegally spied on them by hiring private investigators to hack their phones, bug their cars and access private records. Testimony from several private investigators, who have said they worked on behalf of Associated Newspapers, is set to be used in the trial.

Associated Newspapers Ltd. has denied the allegations, called them preposterous and said the roughly 50 articles in question were reported with legitimate sources that included close associates willing to inform on their famous friends. 

Harry said in his 23-page witness statement that he was distressed and disturbed by the intrusion into his early life by the Mail and its sister publication the Mail on Sunday, and that it made him “paranoid beyond belief.” Harry also alleged that the lives of “thousands of people” were “invaded” by Associated “because of greed.” 

“There is obviously a personal element to bringing this claim, motivated by truth, justice and accountability, but it is not just about me,” Harry said in a written statement unveiled as he entered the witness box. Under the English civil court system, witnesses present written testimony, and after asserting that it’s the truth are immediately put under cross examination. “I am determined to hold Associated accountable, for everyone’s sake … I believe it is in the public interest.” 

Britain’s Prince Harry arrives at London’s High Court in London, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026.

Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP


A heated cross examination  

Harry, dressed in a dark suit, held a small Bible in his right hand in London’s High Court and swore to “almighty God that the evidence I shall give will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” After the Duke of Sussex said he preferred to be called Prince Harry, he acknowledged that his 23-page statement was authentic and accurate.

Defense lawyer Antony White, in a calm and gentle tone, began to put questions to Harry to determine if the sourcing of the articles, in fact, had come from royal correspondents working their sources at official events or from friends or associates of the prince. Harry said that his “social circles were not leaky” and disputed suggestions that he had been cozy with journalists who covered the royal family. 

Harry suggested that information had come from eavesdropping on his phone calls or having private investigators snoop on him. He said journalist Katie Nicholl had the luxury to use the term “unidentified source” deceptively to hide unlawful measures of investigation.

“If you complain, they double down on you in my experience,” he said in explaining why he had not objected to the articles at the time.

As a soft-spoken Harry became increasingly defensive, White said: “I am intent on you not having a bad experience with me, but it is my job to ask you these questions.” 

Eventually, Justice Matthew Nicklin intervened in the tense back-and-forth and told Harry not to argue with the defense lawyer as he tried to explain what it’s like living under what he called “24-hour surveillance.” Nicklin also reminded Harry that he does not “have to bear the burden of arguing the case today.” 

At another point in his cross examination, Harry appeared close to tears as he said tabloids had made his wife Meghan’s life “an absolute misery.” Harry has previously said persistent press attacks led to the couple’s decision to leave royal life and move to the U.S. in 2020. 

Harry’s media crusade 

For decades, Harry has had what he called an “uneasy” relationship with the media, but kept mum and followed the family protocol of “never complain, never explain,” he said.

The litigation is part of Harry’s self-proclaimed mission to reform the media that he blames for the death of his mother, Princess Diana, who was killed in a car crash in 1997 while being pursued by paparazzi in Paris. 

He said “vicious persistent attacks,” harassment and event racists articles about Meghan, who is biracial, had inspired him to break from family tradition to finally sue the press

It is Harry’s second time testifying after he bucked House of Windsor tradition and became the first senior royal to testify in a court in well over a century when he took the stand in a similar, successful lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mirror in 2023. 

Last year, on the eve of another scheduled trial, Rupert Murdoch’s U.K. tabloid publisher NGN agreed to pay Harry “substantial damages” for privacy breaches, including phone hacking.

This trial is expected to last nine weeks and a written verdict could comes months later.  

“If Harry wins this case, it will give him a feeling … that he wasn’t being paranoid all the time,” Royah Nikkhah, royal editor for The Sunday Times and a CBS News contributor, told CBS News on Monday. “If Harry loses this case, it’s huge jeopardy for him, not just in terms of cost, but in terms of pushing all the way to trial and not seeking to settle. So we have to wait and see, but it’s high stakes for Harry.” 



Source link

Continue Reading

Entertainment

30 bodies found in single shop

Published

on

30 bodies found in single shop


A rescue worker whistles to call his team member (not pictured) as he walks past the collapsed floors, following a massive fire at Gul Plaza Shopping Mall, in Karachi, January 21, 2026. — Reuters

KARACHI: The tragedy of the Gul Plaza fire deepened as rescue teams recovered at least 30 bodies from a mezzanine-floor shop on Wednesday, raising the death toll from the city’s deadliest blaze in over a decade to 60, with dozens still missing.

The discovery was made after rescue teams moved to the mezzanine floor, following a pause in operations on the first and second floors.

DIG South Syed Asad Raza said all 30 bodies were found inside a single crockery shop on the mezzanine floor. He added that the rescue operation will move to its next phase once the bodies are transported to the hospital.

While initial reports suggested 20 to 25 bodies were inside the shop, DIG Raza confirmed the total number was 30. With the discovery at the shop, the death toll from the inferno rose to 60.

Following the discovery, the DIG South formed a special team to move the bodies to the Civil Hospital.

Rescue teams — including Rescue 1122, Edhi officials, Rangers, and Chhipa volunteers — were pulled back from the building, while a large number of ambulances were dispatched for the operation.

Police quickly cordoned off the area, with additional personnel called in to ensure smooth operations. Authorities, meanwhile, remained uncertain whether the recovered bodies were those of shopkeepers, workers, or customers.

Today, operations were concentrated on the third floor; however, around 2pm, efforts were temporarily paused, and teams were redirected to search the mezzanine floor.

Shop No. 144, where the bodies were discovered, was identified with the help of a shopkeeper who had seen people entering the shop during the incident.

The victims reportedly took refuge inside the shop after a stampede erupted in the mall during the fire’s initial moments.

Many others inside the building had sought shelter in shops, corners, and under sheds, as most of the shopping centre’s exits were closed when the fire broke out.

Earlier, water bowsers and other heavy machinery on the first and second floors were temporarily stopped from operating to allow access to the mezzanine level.

Meanwhile, Karachi South deputy commissioner noted that several areas of the building have not yet been cleared and that rescue operations in those sections will begin later in the day.





Source link

Continue Reading

Trending