PGL Wallachia Season 1

BetBoom Dacha Belgrade

DreamLeague Season 23

VCT Shanghai

RLCS Major 2

Blacklist International members are allegedly in the midst of a bizarre conflict. The team's carry player, Kim "Gabbi" Santos, just announced his departure from Blacklist International on his Kick livestream. He revealed that someone in the team had punched him in the face and some of the community believed the person to be midalner Abed "Abed" Yusop. 



A Reddit user summarized the story in a post on the Dota 2 sub-Reddit. Apparently, Gabbi had trashtalked Abed and exposed a sensitive information about him in a pub match. This likely led to Abed's rage and he proceeded to punch Gabbi, who would leave the organization due to the conflict.



A pub match trashtalk between Gabbi and Abed leads to this conflict



The entire feud likely began a couple of days ago in a Dota 2 pub match where Gabbi was on the opposite team from his teammate, Abed. This match was also livestreamed on Gabbi's official Twitch channel. In the game, there was a moment when Gabbi's Timbersaw managed to deny himself to neutral creeps, saving himself from Abed's Templar Assassin. 



Right after, Gabbi all-chatted question marks and the words "L BUNGAL" which is Tagalog for "L TOOTHLESS". Abed responded with "huh?" and Gabbi was visibly entertained with the situation.











You can find the moment in the video below at the 9:23 minute mark.









Abed allegedly punched Gabbi, Gabbi leaves Blacklist



In a recent Kick livestream, Gabbi revealed a shocking story that happened at his bootcamp. According to Reddit user Ptts, Gabbi elaborated that he was watching an NBA (National Basketball Association) game while waiting to do content for Blacklist International. 



A summarized translation of Gabbi's statement via Reddit



Out of the blue, someone punched him on the side of his face. He initially thought that it was a playful punch but it didn't stop. Although he didn't reveal who confronted him, his Kick stream title hinted at Abed. 



The stream title reads "NASA LOOB ANG KULO" which

Gabbi allegedly leaves Blacklist International due to Abed's physical assault

Team Liquid's head Coach Jake "Spawn" Tiberi took the time after a 3-1 loss to T1 at MSI 2024 to talk about the series, his roster, and what comes next for the LCS champions. 



North American's League Champion Series (LCS) Champions Team Liquid fell in a brutal 3-1 series to South Korea's League of Legends Champions Korea number two seed T1. Despite one very close game and a nail-biting win, it wasn't enough to keep NA in the running. Spawn talked with esports.gg after the match about the bitter disappointment of the loss, his effusive pride in AD carry Sean "Yeon" Sung, and where Team Liquid will go from here.



Esports.gg: How are you and the team feeling coming off of your series against T1 today?



Jake "Spawn" Tiberi: "Obviously disappointed. We felt like were right there with them today. We feel like game one they got the better of us, especially with how they attacked mid lane in the lane swaps. Game two and three, we feel like we should have won game two and we did win game three. Game four we had a really solid early game and a significant lead in jungle. I think that’s a game that if we play it 10 times, we convert more than half of them. So, you know, it’s a disappointing result to go down like that but I’m very proud of the team that showed up today and to be the head coach of those five players that went out there and gave it their all."



Touching on the heavy lane swap focus we saw in this series, how do you think the lane swap meta is evolving as the tournament goes on, and how do unique picks like Samira, Rek'Sai, G2's Ivern, etc, fit into this meta?



"The meta every tournament continues to evolve, and I think that the lane swap meta is very unique because it means if you index too hard into early laning phase that you can get punished quite heavily. I think that picks like Ivern, Rek’Sai, Samira, Ziggs, and Lillia all have a really interesting place in the meta right now, and all have unique strengths that, if you capitalize on them

TL Spawn opens up: "[Yeon] is like my little brother... I'm so happy for him"

Professional players were left dismayed by the apparent introduction of an ALGS draft system ahead of the next split of the ALGS. 



The change, which was first mooted before the Split 1 Playoffs, will see a huge overhaul to how teams and players land on the map. Teams will now have to pick a landing spot in a draft system. Only one team can land at each location.



The ALGS draft system will end both contesting for a spot, and having the same spot every week. Now, teams will be forced to play from (in theory) every or any spot on the map.






ImperialHal on ALGS draft system: "probably the worst change ever made in Apex history"



ImperialHal, who has recently formed a super team with Genburten and Zer0, was one of the first to speak out against the changes.




ALGS has just forced us to play on a random draft POI system in a competitive lobby , probably the worst change ever made in Apex history. #SaveApexComp For context not a single Comp Player was in favor of this and they still pushed it in. Love giving feedback!— ImperialHal (@ImperialHal) May 15, 2024




He claims that the ALGS draft system is "probably the worst change ever made in Apex history" and adds that the ALGS has not listened to player feedback. 



He was not alone in sharing his frustration. Zachmazer, who was part of an E8 team that contested throughout Match Point finals, also is against the system.




ALGS let us know today they hate us 🙁— E8 Zachmazer (@zachmazer) May 15, 2024




Speaking to esports.gg before the event in Los Angeles, he expressed that he strongly opposed the idea.



"I think if they introduce the system how they originally proposed to, I think it would probably kill competitive overnight. You'd see a lot of people retiring and they'd get a lot of hate from the pro community and their communities behind them."



Also adding, "It seems like they are really rushing it. That is never good when you're changing the game dramatically and you're rushing."



Photo

Several Apex pros speak out against ALGS draft system

Team Spirit's superstar Danil "donk" Kryshkovets has quickly become one of the best Counter-Strike players in the world after the switch from CS:GO to CS2 in 2023, and part of that is due to his practice routine.



Though donk is obviously a generational talent, he also put over 14,000 hours into CS:GO and CS2, according to his Steam profile. If you want to try getting as good as donk in CS2, here's what the 17-year-old does almost every day.






How donk practices in CS2




"Basically I wake up, go to eat, and have training sessions with my team," donk said in an interview with esports.gg on May 12. "After that we have theory sessions as we're trying to improve our tactics and strats. After the team practice is done I can play for myself and I play up to seven games a day excluding team practice. If I believe that I need to do more, I go and play some more."
Donk shares his practice routine as professional CS2 player



Shockingly, donk doesn't play a lot of deathmatch, a game mode that many professionals and casuals play to sharpen their aim or warm up before matches. Donk only plays DM when he feels the need for it after his usual practice routine in CS2. The superstar said in the past that DM offers too much "unrealistic" aim duels and scenarios.



Donk put in a lot of practice in CS:GO and CS2 to become one of the best (Photo by Adam Lakomy via ESL Gaming)



While many CS2 fans think donk is the best player in the world at the moment, the Spirit youngster prefers not to think about it and leave it for other people to decide it.



"Right now I can't consider myself the best player in CS2 and I believe everyone will know who is the best player at the end of the year," donk told esports.gg. "We have a lot of tournaments coming up and it's up to others to decide who is the best player, not me."



Donk and Spirit are due to play an official match once again after a nearly two-month hiatus from tournaments. They'll play their first match in the $500,000 LAN

Donk reveals his CS2 practice routine

The Arteezy-SumaiL reunion at PGL Wallachia seems to be working well, showing once again how powerful their combination is. Reminiscing the good ol’ Evil Geniuses days, Artour "Arteezy" Babaev talks about his experience playing with Sumail "SumaiL" Hassan again.



Arteezy on SumaiL: “It’s definitely a blast from the past. He hasn’t changed at all”




Hear @Arteezy&#39;s thoughts on his reunion with @SumaaaaiL throughout Wallachia.#PGLWALLACHIA #ArmTheRebels pic.twitter.com/k1LcXUWqoI— Shopify Rebellion (@ShopifyRebels) May 12, 2024




After Shopify Rebellion’s win over Team Liquid in their group stage series at PGL Wallachia Season 1, Arteezy spoke in a post-game interview and shared his thoughts on reuniting with SumaiL.



Arteezy: "It's definitely a blast from the past. He hasn't changed at all since last time I remember playing with him. It's literally the same vibes. His behavior is the same and his reactions to things in the game is the same. I think the one thing he has improved is he's actually a lot more vocal. A long time ago I think he was more like 'I'm the best and I'm not going to talk" and all this stuff. But now he's a lot more expressive and I think that just comes with age."



Growing up and growing old









It's true that SumaiL has since mellowed from the cocky personality he had back at Evil Geniuses. Rocking his blazing blue hairdo, he mentioned at TI8 (The International 2018) that his motivation was money. "What am I going to do with the title? I'll take the money." he said when asked to choose between money and the title of champipn. 



Arteezy continued to indulge his memories on how SumaiL used to "clown" around such showing up to scrims late. However, growing up apparently hadn't changed the fun vibes between them. "He [SumaiL] said he's 25 today [February 13]. He's actually quite old. We're all quite old. So, it's been really fun. It reminds me of my youth" Arteezy added.






So far so good for Shopify Rebellion

"It's definitely a blast from the past. He hasn't changed at all” Arteezy on reuniting with SumaiL at PGL Wallachia

Ubisoft is still sailing full speed ahead with Skull and Bones, delivering a seasonal reset update before Season 2 kicks off. 



This has been a big talking point in the community, as many pirates wonder what will happen to their loot when a new season begins. Let's go over what to expect.






Skull and Bones Season 2 preview



First, let's tackle what Ubisoft has in store for Season 2. Adjustments to the end game loop and overall seasonal formula are front and center:




Ship Upgrades, which allows you to upgrade your ships to improve ship stats and gain new perks



Fleet Management, which allows you to assign ships to manufactories to automatically collect Pieces of Eight



Helm Leases, which allows you to acquire a manufactory of your choice



New PvE & Solo Game Modes



Balancing the costs of our Manufactories




The biggest takeaway is that this is in addition to new content. You can still look forward to several new boss fights, sea monsters, ships, weapons, and other in-game items to live out your pirate fantasies.



Skull and Bones seasonal reset









A livestream called The Deck went over everything we all have been hoping to hear against a Skull and Bones seasonal rest. They started by going over the fact that all Diamond rank Kingpins receive the end of season cosmetic rewards.



As well, new items are going to the most successful Kingpins from Season 1. These are World Helm Leases and Ship Upgrade Parts. This goes alongside a soft seasonal reset for Skull and Bones in the transition to Season 2.



All leaderboard ranks, manufactories, and upgrades are reset, but you'll either get to keep some things or receive some rewards depending on how vastly you grew your empire.



(Image via Ubisoft)




Territory Reset - World Helm Leases are given based on the number of territories you end Season 1 with.

1 Territory = World Helm Lease x 1



3 Territories = World Helm Lease x2



5 Territories = World Helm Lease x3



8 Territories = World Helm

Skull and Bones details seasonal reset ahead of Season 2

It’s been around a year since the release of Street Fighter 6. The game has received several updates in that time. However, none as big as the upcoming SF6 Battle Balance Update 2024. The developers introduce lots of changes to the character movesets — and this includes everyone in the roster. 



Also, players will get a new wake-up option. Let’s highlight the important adjustments! The patch comes with new costumes for some characters.



Street Fighter 6 Battle Balance Update 2024: Trailer



Many changes that come with this SF6 balance update have been shown in a special trailer. It doesn’t have specific move names or numbers, but an experienced eye can spot many interesting moments. Let’s take a look!









Recovery Drive Reversal in SF6



The new defensive mechanic in Street Fighter 6 is Recovery Drive Reversal. This addition to the Drive System allows players to wake up with a quick offensive option.



Probably all who play SF6 were in such a situation. An opponent unleashes an endless stream of aggressive pressure, and it’s hard to stop that and find a gap for your turn to be in offense. Some characters can rely only on their Supers in these situations, and it’s a costly reversal option.



Recovery Drive Reversal gives a nice alternative. The input is the same as for the standard Drive Reversal, but without the block — press Heavy Punch and Kick (HP+HK) while on the ground. Your character wakes up with a quick punishing move, which costs two bars of the Drive meter.






SF6 Recovery Drive Reversal (image via Street Fighter on YouTube)



Battle adjustments for all characters



The trailer promises moveset changes for all the SF6 characters. There are no moves or frame data on the video — at least in the text version. But the characters got their few seconds to highlight the changes in action. Each clip within the trailer demonstrates something new in the fighters’ abilities. It’s not new moves, certainly; just attribute

SF6 Battle Balance Update 2024: Adjustments for all characters revealed

Teamfight Tactics (TFT) patch 14.10b releases later today with more changes to shake up the four-cost carry meta. In patch 14.9, Kai'sa and Syndra were the premiere backline carries, with Lee Sin and Kayn also making strong appearances. Ashe was inferior compared to her other backline AD counterpart, and Lillia suffered the same fate in comparison to her backline AP counterpart. The A-patch to remedy that imbalance did not alleviate all the issues, so the balance team wanted to address them immediately with today's B-patch. 











  TFT Patch 14.10b Release
  
    
      00
      Days
    
    
      00
      Hours
    :
    
      00
      Minutes
    :
    
      00
      Seconds
    
  
  TFT Patch 14.10b is live all around the globe!









Here are all the planned changes in TFT patch 14.10b to restore four-cost carry parity that will go live at 2 p.m. PT. 



What's happening in TFT patch 14.10b?



Inkshadow Kai'sa (Image via Riot Games)



TFT patch 14.10b trait changes



Trickshot




Damage increased at 4 Trickshot from 50% to 55%




Patch 14.10 nerfed 4 Trickshot damage by 10%. This change, coupled with a 5 AD nerf to a standout late-game carry in Xayah, along with nerfs to a strong frontliner in Sylas, crippled the Trickshot line. In the B-patch, some power is being restored into Trickshots so they may resurface to relevancy. 



TFT patch 14.10b champion changes



4-cost



Lillia



Mythic Lillia (Image via Riot Games)




Small orb damage reduced from 120/180/600% AP to 110/165/600% AP




Lillia received a targeting pattern change that significantly aided her damage output. Because the consistency of her ability has improved, some damage is being reduced in order to keep her in line. 



Ornn 



Dryad Ornn (Image via Riot Games)




Mana pool increased from 80/120 to 80/130




Ornn has been one of the best frontliners in the game across multiple different compositions due to his tankiness and his utility. Thus, his ability to cast and

TFT patch 14.10b to be deployed later today

The Overwatch 2 x Porsche collaboration features a limited-time event plus two legendary skins in total. Read on for our guide on how to unlock these Overwatch 2 Porsche skins for D.Va and Pharah!



All Overwatch 2 Porsche skins (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)



Overwatch 2 Porsche skins




D.Va Porsche skin



Pharah Porsche skin




Porsche D.Va skin featuring the Test Drive highlight intro (Image via esports.gg)



How to unlock the Porsche D.Va skin in Overwatch 2



To add this legendary D.Va skin to your collection, launch Overwatch 2 and head to the in-game shop. You can purchase the Porsche D.Va Bundle for the skin itself plus some extra items. These include the Test Drive highlight intro, Night Drive name card, Porsche D.Va player icon, and Sweet Ride spray. In total, this bundle costs 2,500 Overwatch Coins. 



Night Drive name card screenshot (Image via esports.gg)



If you only want the Porsche D.Va skin by itself, then that's an option as well. This costs 1,900 Overwatch Coins. Visit the hero gallery, select D.Va, and scroll down her different skins to unlock it individually. 



Porsche skin screenshot (Image via esports.gg)



How to unlock the Porsche Pharah skin in Overwatch 2



The legendary Porsche Pharah skin is available through a bundle as well. Obtain this by visiting the in-game shop and purchasing the Porsche Pharah Bundle for 2,300 Overwatch Coins. This bundle includes the skin, Porsche Flight name card, and Porsche Pharah player icon. You can also get just the Pharah skin through the hero gallery for 1,900 Overwatch Coins.



Overwatch 2 Pharah skin screenshot (Image via esports.gg)



If you're a fan of D.Va and Pharah, then you can buy both of the skins and their themed cosmetic items through the discounted bundle. This Porsche Mega Bundle costs 3,400 Overwatch Coins.



Collaboration bundle (Image via esports.gg)




How to get Overwatch Coins



Overwatch Coins refer to an in-game currency that can be obtained through the

All Overwatch 2 Porsche skins and how to unlock them

Rainbow Six Siege gets regular updates and ever so often there are new maps, operators, and multiple balance changes. However, there’s usually a Rainbow Six Siege server downtime preceding these updates. Here’s what we know about R6 server maintenance time and how long they will last.



Server downtime is a necessity, albeit a rather inconvenient one. However, server downtime is required to update the game and ensure players have a seamless experience transitioning to a new update or patch. 



When does the Rainbow Six Siege maintenance start?



Rainbow Six Siege Downtime Start



Rainbow Six Siege Servers will go for maintenance on May 16, 2024. The downtime will last for up to 60 minutes.







Rainbow Six Siege will go under maintenance on May 14, 2024. Ubisoft has revealed that this maintenance will last for an hour. 



Rainbow Six Siege maintenance kicks off at the following times:




9 am ET



2 pm UTC



6 am PT



7.30 pm IST



11 am Brasilia Time





Greetings Operators,🛠 We&#39;ll be performing a hotfix on #RainbowSixSiege today from 09:00 EDT / 13:00 UTC which aims to resolve the Shield Crash Exploit.🕑 Expected downtime: 60 Minutes🎮 Platforms: PC, PlayStation & Xbox. pic.twitter.com/ULIBpK3VAB— Ubisoft Support (@UbisoftSupport) May 16, 2024




When does the Rainbow Six Siege maintenance end?



The maintenance usually lasts for an hour. Here's a countdown for when you can expect the Rainbow Six Siege Maintenance to come to an end. 



Rainbow Six Siege Downtime End



Rainbow Six Siege Server downtime comes to an end at these times:




10 am ET



3 pm UTC



7 am PT



8.30 pm IST



12 pm Brasilia Time




Is Rainbow Six Siege down?



If you are experiencing server problems with Rainbow Six Siege, you can check the official website for the status. Ubisoft’s Service Status page usually has notifications for any issues in the game servers. Occasionally, Ubisoft will also have scheduled maintenance planned.



Following the

Rainbow Six Siege Server downtime - Are servers down? [May 2024]

Overview

Creators

Pass Benefits

Watch Live

Qualifier

Season 1

Creator League

[icon]

News

Guides

Community / Streamers

Split 1

Split 1 Playoffs

Split 2

Split 2 Playoffs

ALGS Champs

Apex Legends Global Series

Skins

Community

Apex

Copenhagen Major

IEM Chengdu 2024

BLAST Premier

CS ESL Pro Tour

IEM Rio

BetBoom Dacha Dubai

DreamLeague Season 22

ESL One Birmingham 2024

ESL Pro Tour

DOTA 2

FNCS

WOTE

Events

Creative

Settings

Weapons

Patch Notes

Fortnite

Elden Ring

Forza Horizon 5

eNASCAR

Helldivers 2

Palworld

Skull and Bones

Stellar Blade

The Finals

WWE 2K24

Game Review

Gaming

Overwatch

Agent Guides

Maps

VCT Kickoff Leagues

VCT Masters Madrid

VCT Stage 1

VCT 2024

Collegiate

VALORANT

Apex Legends

CDL 2024

Warzone 2

CODM

Call of Duty

Rocket League

Counter Strike 2

Diablo 4

EA Sports FC

Project L

Halo Infinite

Hearthstone

Honkai: Star Rail

LCS 2024 Spring

LPL Winter 2024

LEC Winter 2024

MSI 2024

Worlds 2024

League of Legends

Mortal Kombat 1

Overwatch 2

Pokémon

Rainbow Six Siege

RLCS

Street Fighter V

Street Fighter

Street Fighter 6

Super Smash Bros

Power Rankings

Teamfight Tactics

Tekken 7

Tekken 8

Tekken

Raids

Mythics

Esports

World of Warcraft

XDefiant

All Games

Esports World Cup

Mobile

Movies

VTubers

Streamers

Tech

Anime

Pro Wrestling

Entertainment

More

Stage 1 Qualifiers

Stage 1 Major - Boston

Stage 2 Qualifiers

Stage 2 Major - Miami

Major 3

Major 4

Champs

TFT Power Rankings NA

TFT Power Rankings EMEA

Google has agreed to delete billions of data points regarding consumer’s incognito private browsing data. The agreement comes as part of a 2020 class action lawsuit that alleges the tech company collected user’s browsing data without their knowledge. The settlement also requires Google to make other changes such as blocking third-party cookie tracking on Chrome’s Incognito mode.&nbsp;


Google has agreed to delete billions of data points regarding consumer’s incognito private browsing data. The agreement comes as part of a 2020 class action lawsuit that alleges the tech company collected user’s browsing data without their knowledge. The settlement also requires Google to make other changes such as blocking third-party cookie tracking on Chrome’s Incognito mode.&nbsp;


The 2020 Class action lawsuit alleges Google misled users with the privacy net of Incognito mode on Chrome while tracking their activities. In defense, Google said it warned users that Incognito does not mean invisible and websites could still track their activities in Incognito mode.


The 2020 Class action lawsuit alleges Google misled users with the privacy net of Incognito mode on Chrome while tracking their activities. In defense, Google said it warned users that Incognito does not mean invisible and websites could still track their activities in Incognito mode.


What was the $5 billion lawsuit against Google?

In 2020, Google faced a Class action lawsuit that alleged the tech company tracks user data even when they are in incognito mode. Google failed to dismiss the lawsuit in 2021 with judges ruling that Google had not adequately notified users of data collection in Incognito mode since 2016.


In 2020, Google faced a Class action lawsuit that alleged the tech company tracks user data even when they are in incognito mode. Google failed to dismiss the lawsuit in 2021 with judges ruling that Google had not adequately notified users of data collection in Incognito mode since 2016. 


The lawsuit trial was initially scheduled for February but was delayed due to a preliminary settlement in December 2023. The settlement now awaits the final approval by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers of the Northern District of California. The next hearing should take place in late July and if the settlement is approved, it would mark a massive step forward in protecting user privacy.


The lawsuit trial was initially scheduled for February but was delayed due to a preliminary settlement in December 2023. The settlement now awaits the final approval by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers of the Northern District of California. The next hearing should take place in late July and if the settlement is approved, it would mark a massive step forward in protecting user privacy. 


There have been massive concerns about massive corporations collecting and using user data. Recently, it was alleged that Facebook and Netflix shared user data, although Facebook refutes any such claims.


There have been massive concerns about massive corporations collecting and using user data. Recently, it was alleged that Facebook and Netflix shared user data, although Facebook refutes any such claims.


Documents submitted as a part of a court case alleging that FaceBook and Netflix had a special agreement allowing them to share user data. Alarmingly, FaceBook reportedly granted access to private user messages with third-party applications in exchange for data.&nbsp;


Documents submitted as a part of a court case alleging that FaceBook and Netflix had a special agreement allowing them to share user data. Alarmingly, FaceBook reportedly granted access to private user messages with third-party applications in exchange for data.&nbsp;


FaceBook allegedly shared private user messages with Netflix

In return, FaceBook would get access to a $40 million ads spending by Netflix. Netflix user data was used for targeting on Facebook ads


In return, FaceBook would get access to a $40 million ads spending by Netflix. Netflix user data was used for targeting on Facebook ads


Netflix CEO Reed Hastings sat on the FaceBook board for several years (2011-19). He had regular communications with the Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, as per the docs.


Netflix CEO Reed Hastings sat on the FaceBook board for several years (2011-19). He had regular communications with the Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, as per the docs.


Despite spending billions of dollars and over two years building FaceBook Watch, their streaming service, the company suddenly started dismantling it. It started with massive budget cuts and was quickly followed by a reduction in overall momentum.&nbsp;


Despite spending billions of dollars and over two years building FaceBook Watch, their streaming service, the company suddenly started dismantling it. It started with massive budget cuts and was quickly followed by a reduction in overall momentum.&nbsp;


The ad spend had increased to almost $200 million a year by early 2019. The lawsuits raise serious concerns over user privacy on Facebook. Tech giants selling private user messages without their explicit consent could prove to be a major concern in the years to come.


The ad spend had increased to almost $200 million a year by early 2019. The lawsuits raise serious concerns over user privacy on Facebook. Tech giants selling private user messages without their explicit consent could prove to be a major concern in the years to come.


Meta’s communications director, Andy Stone denies the allegations calling them untrue in an X post.


Meta’s communications director, Andy Stone denies the allegations calling them untrue in an X post.


Previously FaceBook has claimed to implement end-to-end encryption for chats in WhatsApp and FaceBook Messenger. But the documents allege that Facebook made exceptions for some companies such as Netflix.


Previously FaceBook has claimed to implement end-to-end encryption for chats in WhatsApp and FaceBook Messenger. But the documents allege that Facebook made exceptions for some companies such as Netflix.


Meta’s official statement on end-to-end encryption reads as follows:


Meta’s official statement on end-to-end encryption reads as follows:


The content of your messages and calls in end-to-end encrypted conversations is protected from the moment it leaves your device to the moment it reaches the receiver's device. This means that nobody else can see or listen to what's sent or said - not even <a href="https://www.facebook.com/help/195227921252400">Meta</a>. We couldn't even if we wanted to.

In 2019, the FTC imposed a $5 billion fine on FaceBook for violating consumer privacy. At the time, it was one of the largest U.S. Government penalties ever imposed.


In 2019, the FTC imposed a $5 billion fine on FaceBook for violating consumer privacy. At the time, it was one of the largest U.S. Government penalties ever imposed.


Stay tuned to <a href="https://esports.gg/">esports</a>.gg for the <a href="https://esports.gg/games/tech/">latest tech news and updates</a>


Stay tuned to esports.gg for the latest tech news and updates


Documents submitted as a part of a court case alleging that FaceBook and Netflix had a special agreement allowing them to share user data. Alarmingly, FaceBook reportedly granted access to private user messages with third-party applications in exchange for data.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-facebook-allegedly-shared-private-user-messages-with-netflix">FaceBook allegedly shared private user messages with Netflix</h2>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
By 2013, Netflix had begun entering into a series of “Facebook Extended API” agreements, including a so-called “Inbox API” agreement that allowed Netflix programmatic access to Facebook’s user’s private message inboxes, in exchange for which Netflix would “provide to FB a written report every two weeks that shows daily counts of recommendation sends and recipient clicks by interface, initiation surface, and/or implementation variant.
</blockquote>



In return, FaceBook would get access to a $40 million ads spending by Netflix. Netflix user data was used for targeting on Facebook ads



Netflix CEO Reed Hastings sat on the FaceBook board for several years (2011-19). He had regular communications with the Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, as per the docs.



Despite spending billions of dollars and over two years building FaceBook Watch, their streaming service, the company suddenly started dismantling it. It started with massive budget cuts and was quickly followed by a reduction in overall momentum.&nbsp;



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
Amidst the sudden pivot in Facebook’s video strategy, the data partnership between Netflix and Facebook reached new heights. Facebook and Netflix entered into a series of new data-sharing agreements between August 2017 and April 2018, FAC ¶¶ 509-512, and another in July 2018, id. ¶¶ 515-22. Netflix also further increased its Facebook ad spend, agreeing to a guaranteed 2017 ad spend of $150 million. These new agreements provided Facebook’s ad targeting systems with rich signals from Netflix, including “cross-device intent signals,” while expressly unhooking Watch from the benefits of this bounty.
</blockquote>



The ad spend had increased to almost $200 million a year by early 2019. The lawsuits raise serious concerns over user privacy on Facebook. Tech giants selling private user messages without their explicit consent could prove to be a major concern in the years to come.



 [esports_link url="https://esports.gg/news/tech/google-destroy-incognito-user-data/"]



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-company-refutes-the-allegations">The Company refutes the allegations</h2>



Meta’s communications director, Andy Stone denies the allegations calling them untrue in an X post.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://twitter.com/andymstone/status/1775178770904764504
</div></figure>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
Shockingly untrue. Meta didn’t share people’s private messages with Netflix. The agreement allowed people to message their friends on Facebook about what they were watching on Netflix, directly from the Netflix app. Such agreements are commonplace in the industry.
</blockquote>



Previously FaceBook has claimed to implement end-to-end encryption for chats in WhatsApp and FaceBook Messenger. But the documents allege that Facebook made exceptions for some companies such as Netflix.



Meta’s official statement on end-to-end encryption reads as follows:



<figure class="wp-block-pullquote"><blockquote>The content of your messages and calls in end-to-end encrypted conversations is protected from the moment it leaves your device to the moment it reaches the receiver's device. This means that nobody else can see or listen to what's sent or said - not even <a href="https://www.facebook.com/help/195227921252400">Meta</a>. We couldn't even if we wanted to.<cite>Facebook</cite></blockquote></figure>



In 2019, the FTC imposed a $5 billion fine on FaceBook for violating consumer privacy. At the time, it was one of the largest U.S. Government penalties ever imposed.



Stay tuned to <a href="https://esports.gg/">esports</a>.gg for the <a href="https://esports.gg/games/tech/">latest tech news and updates</a>

Facebook refutes allegations of sharing private user messages with Netflix

As part of the ruling, Google has to delete millions of data points that tracked user activity in Incognito mode. Any data that is not deleted has to be deidentified as per the court ruling.&nbsp;


As part of the ruling, Google has to delete millions of data points that tracked user activity in Incognito mode. Any data that is not deleted has to be deidentified as per the court ruling.&nbsp;


The settlement does not include damages, so the plaintiffs will not receive any money despite claiming $5 billion initially.


The settlement does not include damages, so the plaintiffs will not receive any money despite claiming $5 billion initially.


Google will also let users block third-party cookies by default in Incognito mode for the next five years. Users can still sue Google individually


Google will also let users block third-party cookies by default in Incognito mode for the next five years. Users can still sue Google individually


Stay tuned to <a href="https://esports.gg/">esports</a>.gg for the <a href="https://esports.gg/games/tech/">latest tech news and updates.</a>


Stay tuned to esports.gg for the latest tech news and updates.


Google has agreed to delete billions of data points regarding consumer’s incognito private browsing data. The agreement comes as part of a 2020 class action lawsuit that alleges the tech company collected user’s browsing data without their knowledge. The settlement also requires Google to make other changes such as blocking third-party cookie tracking on Chrome’s Incognito mode.&nbsp;



The 2020 Class action lawsuit alleges Google misled users with the privacy net of Incognito mode on Chrome while tracking their activities. In defense, Google said it warned users that Incognito does not mean invisible and websites could still track their activities in Incognito mode.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-was-the-5-billion-lawsuit-against-google">What was the $5 billion lawsuit against Google?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://admin.esports.gg/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Google-Phone.jpg"><img src="https://admin.esports.gg/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Google-Phone-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-386540"/></a></figure>



In 2020, Google faced a Class action lawsuit that alleged the tech company tracks user data even when they are in incognito mode. Google failed to dismiss the lawsuit in 2021 with judges ruling that Google had not adequately notified users of data collection in Incognito mode since 2016. 



The lawsuit trial was initially scheduled for February but was delayed due to a preliminary settlement in December 2023. The settlement now awaits the final approval by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers of the Northern District of California. The next hearing should take place in late July and if the settlement is approved, it would mark a massive step forward in protecting user privacy. 



There have been massive concerns about massive corporations collecting and using user data. Recently, it was alleged that Facebook and Netflix shared user data, although Facebook refutes any such claims.



[esports_link url="https://esports.gg/news/tech/facebook-netflix-privacy-2024/"]



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-does-google-have-to-do">What does Google have to do?</h2>



As part of the ruling, Google has to delete millions of data points that tracked user activity in Incognito mode. Any data that is not deleted has to be deidentified as per the court ruling.&nbsp;



The settlement does not include damages, so the plaintiffs will not receive any money despite claiming $5 billion initially.



Google will also let users block third-party cookies by default in Incognito mode for the next five years. Users can still sue Google individually



Stay tuned to <a href="https://esports.gg/">esports</a>.gg for the <a href="https://esports.gg/games/tech/">latest tech news and updates.</a>

Events

Trending

Google agrees to destroy billions of ‘incognito user data’ over $5 billion lawsuit

What was the $5 billion lawsuit against Google?

Facebook refutes allegations of sharing private user messages with Netflix

What does Google have to do?