Facebook Loses German Top Court Ruling Over Fake-Name Accounts

Meta Platforms Inc. was wrong to deny two Germans the right to use invented names on their Facebook accounts, the nation’s top civil court ruled. 

Germany’s Federal Court of Justice said that its ruling should be based on the law at the time of the initial dispute -- predating revamped European Union data privacy legislation that took effect in May 2018.

Facebook had argued the new EU rules allow the platform to make customers use their real names.

California AG Vows to Pursue Big Tech Violations in Court

(Bloomberg) California Attorney General Rob Bonta said he intends to pursue legal action against big tech companies who violate state laws.

“We have multiple cases with Facebook, Google,” Bonta said in an interview on Bloomberg Television’s “Balance of Power.” “This is an area of broad bipartisan support. You will see action legislatively, ongoing court cases as well.”

Since taking over his role in April, replacing Xavier Becerra who was named U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary, Bonta has inherited and joined several cases. His office is part of a multistate investigation of Meta Platforms Inc.’s Instagram and its effect on the mental health of young people. It has also brought a suite against Alphabet Inc.’s Google over its Play app store and anticompetitive concerns.

“This is priority space for me, to hold big corporations, big tech specifically, accountable,” Bonta said in separate interview Thursday with Bloomberg News. “You should expect to see more.

Asked about whether aggressive enforcement by his office might encourage the companies to leave the state, Bonta said, “We’re proud of our companies. We want them to stay here and follow the law.” Having businesses be successful and abide by the law aren’t “mutually exclusive,” he said.

Bonta, a Democrat, is up for election later this year.

In the television interview, he also said a recent breakout in crime, particularly smash-and-grab robberies, is a concern.

“We are working with the governor and his new budget proposal, the safety plan, to make sure we are addressing those spikes, taking them head-on.”