An Airbnb host filed a class-action lawsuit against the short-term rental vacation company on Thursday, November 5, 2020, alleging that Airbnb did not properly compensate hosts for guests who canceled bookings related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, and brings claims for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and violation of unfair competition law. The complaint requests damages and appropriate injunctive and equitable relief.
Ballot measures intended to reform policing and other criminal justice changes gained approval in many jurisdictions last week.
The judge found that Apple met the relevant standards according to FCC tests, and considering alternative tests would undermine efficiency and uniformity.
On Friday, October 23, 2020, a class-action lawsuit was filed against Apple, Inc., on behalf of Ohio residents, alleging that Apple "promotes, enables, and profits from games downloaded from its App Store. . . that constitute illegal gambling." Plaintiff Sean McCloskey filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio, seeking recovery of all money paid through in-app purchases in gambling games made through Apple's App Store, pursuant to Section 3763.02 of the Ohio Revised Code.
If it passes, a privacy ballot measure in California could give you more control over personal data.
Many law school graduates who took the online bar exam in New York State reported technical difficulties and a negative experience.
On Wednesday, October 7, 2020, the First District Court of Appeal in California ruled that California law prevents anyone from recording either side of a phone conversation without both parties' consent. San Francisco attorney Eric Gruber previously filed suit against Yelp, Inc., alleging violations of the California Invasion of Privacy Act ("CIPA") (Pen. Code, § 630 et seq.) for recording conversations between himself and Yelp sales representatives without his notice or consent. The trial court ruled in Yelp's favor on a motion for summary judgment, finding no triable issues as to whether Yelp violated CIPA. The First District Court of Appeal reversed and remanded the trial court's decision.
On Tuesday, October 13, 2020, the United States Supreme Court denied a petition for a writ of certiorari in Malwarebytes, Inc. v. Enigma Software Group USA, LLC. The high court appeal stems from a case wherein Malwarebytes used software to block its users from accessing products from its competitor, Enigma. The district court rejected Enigma's claim based on immunity provided by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. The Ninth Circuit panel reversed the district court's ruling, stating that "[i]mmunity under that section does not extend to anticompetitive conduct." Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas penned a concurring opinion to the denial of certiorari, suggesting that a review of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act may be warranted in an appropriate case.
In a reversal, Facebook is increasing its enforcement against hate speech.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has filed felony charges against Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman based on a robocalling program that they operated in August.