As Meta continues its legal battle against the US Federal Trade Commission, the company is also trying to clean up what it calls a “technical deficiency” that led to the possible revelation of redacted material presented in court.
Shortly after Meta's lawyers' opening arguments on Monday, the social media giant sent out an email to reporters containing a synopsis of the company's main points, along with an 88-page PDF of the slide-deck used in the courtroom.
Several portions of the slide-deck were redacted, which is not unusual in a trial of this size.
On Tuesday, however, The Verge, a tech news site, stated that the redactions could easily be removed, though it also noted that they were not necessarily covering anything compromising or secret, at least to the lay individual.
Later in the day, a member of Meta's public affairs team emailed recipients of the slide-deck PDF and asked that the document and any copies be destroyed and not reshared.
“The version you received included redactions that we now understand can be manipulated to reveal the underlying information, which was inadvertent,” read the email from Meta's public affairs team at the end of the second day of the high-stakes trial.
“We have taken immediate steps to correct this technical deficiency and are providing you with a new and corrected version of the slide deck,” the email continued, referring to a correctly redacted version of Meta's opening arguments against the FTC that was attached.
Also in the email, Meta's public affairs team included a signed protective order from Judge James Boasberg that seeks to prevent and limit the dissemination of potentially sensitive information.
“Our legal department has instructed me to send to you the protective order that covers this issue, and to request that you acknowledge and agree to be bound by Appendix A to the protective order, attached here,” it read.
Depending on how documents are composed, saved and exported as PDFs, redacting information can appear simple, but the process can be more complicated than many realise. PDF viewing apps also differ in how they handle the documents, making it sometimes difficult to ensure that redactions are secure.
In some cases, importing PDFs, and even copying and pasting the content, can reveal redacted information.
The incident emphasises the complexities of such a high-stakes trial, with even the most sophisticated and seasoned technology companies such as Meta occasionally stumbling when using the digital tools that have become so prominent in our daily lives.
The first two-days of the trial have generated significant media interest. The Washington district courtroom was packed and the spillover media room full of reporters watching as Meta's founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg took to the witness box to defend his company against what the FTC alleges in anticompetitive behaviour.
Throughout the trial, which could last as long as three months, executives and engineers from Snapchat, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon and others are expected to be called as witnesses.
Meta's former chief executive Sheryl Sandberg is expected to take the witness box on Wednesday, and Instagram head Adam Mosseri is expected to be eventually called by the FTC.
At the heart of the federal government's arguments is Meta's purchase of Instagram in 2012 and its acquisition of WhatsApp in 2014.
The FTC's lawyer, Daniel Matheson, spent two days questioning Mr Zuckerberg about the acquisitions, implying that Meta bought the companies rather than competing against them. At one point, the Meta founder implied that ideally, Meta would have preferred that its own efforts at building something similar to Instagram had come to fruition instead.
“One billion dollars is very expensive,” he said of the Instagram acquisition.
If found guilty of anticompetitive behaviour, Meta could be forced to divest from Instagram and WhatsApp, which would be a major blow for Meta's ad revenue and market dominance.
“This case is a grab bag of FTC theories at war with the facts and the law,” Meta's lawyer said during opening arguments. “Meta is not a monopolist, and Meta’s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp were pro-competitive, producing extraordinary efficiencies.”
Haircare resolutions 2021
From Beirut and Amman to London and now Dubai, hairstylist George Massoud has seen the same mistakes made by customers all over the world. In the chair or at-home hair care, here are the resolutions he wishes his customers would make for the year ahead.
1. 'I will seek consultation from professionals'
You may know what you want, but are you sure it’s going to suit you? Haircare professionals can tell you what will work best with your skin tone, hair texture and lifestyle.
2. 'I will tell my hairdresser when I’m not happy'
Massoud says it’s better to offer constructive criticism to work on in the future. Your hairdresser will learn, and you may discover how to communicate exactly what you want more effectively the next time.
3. ‘I will treat my hair better out of the chair’
Damage control is a big part of most hairstylists’ work right now, but it can be avoided. Steer clear of over-colouring at home, try and pursue one hair brand at a time and never, ever use a straightener on still drying hair, pleads Massoud.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The specs
Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Power: 300hp
Torque: 420Nm
Price: Dh189,900
On sale: now
The language of diplomacy in 1853
Treaty of Peace in Perpetuity Agreed Upon by the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast on Behalf of Themselves, Their Heirs and Successors Under the Mediation of the Resident of the Persian Gulf, 1853
(This treaty gave the region the name “Trucial States”.)
We, whose seals are hereunto affixed, Sheikh Sultan bin Suggar, Chief of Rassool-Kheimah, Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon, Chief of Aboo Dhebbee, Sheikh Saeed bin Buyte, Chief of Debay, Sheikh Hamid bin Rashed, Chief of Ejman, Sheikh Abdoola bin Rashed, Chief of Umm-ool-Keiweyn, having experienced for a series of years the benefits and advantages resulting from a maritime truce contracted amongst ourselves under the mediation of the Resident in the Persian Gulf and renewed from time to time up to the present period, and being fully impressed, therefore, with a sense of evil consequence formerly arising, from the prosecution of our feuds at sea, whereby our subjects and dependants were prevented from carrying on the pearl fishery in security, and were exposed to interruption and molestation when passing on their lawful occasions, accordingly, we, as aforesaid have determined, for ourselves, our heirs and successors, to conclude together a lasting and inviolable peace from this time forth in perpetuity.
Taken from Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: the Imperial Oasis, by Clive Leatherdale
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Results:
Men's wheelchair 800m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 1.44.79; 2. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 1.45.88; 3. Isaac Towers (GBR) 1.46.46.
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ogram%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Karim%20Kouatly%20and%20Shafiq%20Khartabil%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20On-demand%20staffing%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2050%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMore%20than%20%244%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20round%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Series%20A%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGlobal%20Ventures%2C%20Aditum%20and%20Oraseya%20Capital%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETuhoon%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EYear%20started%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJune%202021%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFares%20Ghandour%2C%20Dr%20Naif%20Almutawa%2C%20Aymane%20Sennoussi%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERiyadh%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Ehealth%20care%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESize%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E15%20employees%2C%20%24250%2C000%20in%20revenue%0D%3Cbr%3EI%3Cstrong%3Envestment%20stage%3A%20s%3C%2Fstrong%3Eeed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EWamda%20Capital%2C%20Nuwa%20Capital%2C%20angel%20investors%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The 12 breakaway clubs
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
