Topic: Class Action

AI startup Anthropic has agreed to a $1.5 billion settlement in a class-action lawsuit brought by authors who alleged the company used pirated books to train its models. While the settlement is large, a San Francisco judge's ruling that training AI constitutes "fair use" is seen as a significant legal victory for the industry.

The law firm Boies Schiller Flexner is exploring a class action lawsuit against CrowdStrike, seeking to bypass the company's End User License Agreement (EULA). Legal experts argue that "fraud vitiates everything," and if the firm can prove CrowdStrike made false representations about its pre-release testing, the liability protections in the EULA may be voided. This could lead to massive settlement leverage for affected businesses.

An anonymous pilot for a major U.S. airline reports that a lawsuit against vaccine mandates has been granted class-action status. The group, Aviation Employees for Health Freedom (AE4HF), is seeking donations for their legal fund to continue the fight against what they describe as unjust furloughs and layoffs.

A new study suggests a blood test for the P-Tau protein can detect Alzheimer's before symptoms appear. The hosts discuss potential correlations between various vaccinations and the rise in dementia cases, citing data from Steve Kirsch. They also mention a mounting class-action lawsuit against Gardasil, noting the lack of liability for vaccine manufacturers.

Delta Airlines CEO Ed Bastian reported that 90% of his workforce is vaccinated without a formal mandate, opting for a collaborative approach. Conversely, reports suggest insurance companies are implementing $200 surcharges for unvaccinated employees, leading to predictions of future class-action lawsuits.

The hosts acknowledge high-tier donors and grant new titles of knighthood to long-time producers. Notes from donors highlight resistance to vaccine mandates among federal employees and healthcare workers at Kaiser Permanente, as well as a small settlement from a Google Plus class-action lawsuit.

A class-action lawsuit has been filed against Plaid, a financial technology company recently acquired by Visa, for allegedly selling users' private banking data to third parties without consent. Plaid acts as an intermediary for apps like Venmo and Cash App, requiring users to provide their bank login credentials. The hosts warn against giving bank passwords to third-party software, noting that many users are unaware of the privacy risks involved.

The trading app Robinhood experiences multiple major outages during historic market volatility, preventing users from executing trades. The company faces a class action lawsuit for negligence as millennial traders were stuck in positions they could not exit during a thousand-point Dow drop.

A former content moderator files a class-action lawsuit against Facebook, claiming the job caused her PTSD due to constant exposure to graphic and toxic content. The lawsuit highlights the failure of artificial intelligence to replace human moderators. Facebook's practice of outsourcing this work to third-party contractors in cities like Austin is examined as a way to deflect corporate liability.

Facebook faces a massive class-action lawsuit in Illinois under the Biometric Information Privacy Act for harvesting face templates without written consent. While Mark Zuckerberg apologized to Congress for "missteps," his lawyers argue in court that users were not harmed by the facial tagging features.

The 2011 Fraley v. Facebook class action lawsuit regarding "Sponsored Stories" resulted in a settlement where users received checks for only $15 after years of litigation. While the FTC can theoretically fine Facebook $40,000 per violation per day, historical outcomes suggest the actual penalties and user compensation remain minimal. The efficacy of such legal actions against tech giants is questioned.

Apple issued a formal apology for slowing down older iPhone models to prevent unexpected shutdowns caused by aging batteries. The company announced a discount on battery replacements, dropping the price from $79 to $29 for affected users. Legal experts anticipate class action lawsuits that could force Apple into the discovery phase, potentially revealing internal memos regarding planned obsolescence.

A class-action lawsuit against Resort Marketing Group has resulted in a settlement that could pay consumers up to $900 for unwanted robocalls received between 2009 and 2014. The calls offered "free cruises" on lines like Carnival and Royal Caribbean, which denied authorizing the telemarketing. Listeners are encouraged to check the settlement website before the November 3rd deadline to see if their phone numbers are eligible for a payout.

Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, has agreed to pay $20 million to settle a class-action lawsuit in Canada involving patients who became addicted to the painkiller. Meanwhile, in Miami, a 10-year-old boy named Alton Banks died after inadvertent contact with fentanyl, highlighting the extreme potency of synthetic opioids. These events underscore the widening scope of the opioid epidemic and the increasing legal accountability for pharmaceutical manufacturers.

A theory is proposed that Apple's hardline stance on encryption is driven by a fear of massive class-action lawsuits if they violate their own security promises. By pushing for Congressional legislation, Apple may be seeking a "blameless and harmless" legal shield similar to those granted to pharmaceutical companies. This would protect the company's downside while maintaining its brand image as a privacy advocate.

The $1.7 billion payment to Iran stems from a 1979 escrow account for weapons that were never delivered following the hostage crisis. The settlement was delayed for decades by class-action lawsuits, such as Leibovitch v. Kerry, brought by victims of Iranian-sponsored terrorism seeking to claim frozen Iranian assets.

Google attempted to file portions of a class-action lawsuit under seal to hide allegations that the company illegally monitors private messages. The lawsuit argues that while Gmail users may agree to terms of service, non-Gmail users who send emails to Gmail accounts have not consented to having their correspondence read or profiled by Google.

A human rights group is suing the United Nations on behalf of 5,000 Haitian cholera victims, alleging the disease was introduced by Nepalese peacekeepers. The hosts characterize the lawsuit as a "scam" by Boston-based lawyers looking to extract money from US taxpayers, who fund the UN. They argue that very little of the potential settlement would actually reach the victims.

A report by the Environmental Working Group regarding Chromium 6 contamination in U.S. tap water is analyzed for its potential legal and commercial motives. The hosts suggest the "Erin Brockovich chemical" narrative may be used to facilitate class-action lawsuits or promote specific water filtration products.

A legal advertisement for the drug Reglan (metoclopramide) highlights its link to tardive dyskinesia, a neurological disorder. The symptoms, including lip smacking, grimacing, and rapid eye movements, are discussed with a humorous reference to a mutual acquaintance. The segment critiques the prevalence of pharmaceutical litigation and the severity of drug side effects.