Rebecca Day

Allowing health data firm Iqvia to complete its buy of digital advertising company Propel Media before issuance of a decision on the merits by the FTC through the administrative process “would harm consumers and undermine” the commission’s ability to remedy the anticompetitive effects of the proposed buy “if it is ultimately found unlawful,” said the FTC’s heavily redacted complaint Wednesday for a temporary restraining order (TRO) and preliminary injunction (docket 1:23-cv-06188) in U.S. District Court for Southern New York in Manhattan.

Rankin County, Mississippi, which reached a compromise with Verizon last week over its denial of the carrier’s application to build and operate a cell tower (see 2307130004, is being sued by AT&T for refusing its payment demands for relocating a cell tower to accommodate a county project, said a Monday complaint (docket 3:23-cv-00457) in U.S. District Court for Southern Mississippi in Jackson.

Despite having no prior relationship with Pennsylvania resident Zachary Fridline, Integrity Vehicle Group, through its telemarketing agent, made prerecorded telemarketing calls to him without his consent in violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), said a Tuesday class action (docket 4:23-cv-01194) in U.S. District Court for Middle Pennsylvania in Williamsport.

HP’s motion to dismiss a fraud case over defective track pads in its Omen laptop computers is "the latest step in its campaign to sweep consumer complaints about the Defect under the rug,” said plaintiffs Justin Davis and Gary Davis’ response (docket 4:23-cv-02114) Tuesday to HP’s June motion to dismiss (see 2307030008) in U.S. District Court for Northern California in Oakland.

Soon after registering to use major social media platforms, California resident Brenton Hall began engaging in “addictive and problematic use” of the sites, alleges a Tuesday complaint (docket 23ST-cv-16691) in California Superior Court in Los Angeles. A nearly identical suit (23ST-cv-16699) was filed in the same court Tuesday by the same law firms -- Beasley Allen and Cutter Law -- on behalf of plaintiff Minayah Valentine-Boss. Cutter Law is also representing two California school districts in similar lawsuits against social media firms.

The court should dismiss a fraud class action against game developer King and Activation Blizzard and compel it to arbitration, said Activision's motion to dismiss (docket 3:23-cv-00314) Monday in U.S. District Court for Eastern Virginia in Richmond. Plaintiff Sorina Montoya claimed the defendants misled her and other players participating in a March mobile game tournament (see 2305110011). Activision seeks to have the case compelled to individual arbitration, dismissed for lack of personal jurisdiction or transferred to U.S. District Court for Central California.

Amazon and two subsidiaries sued China resident Li Qiang, Shenzhen Yinxi Electronic Commerce and “John Doe” defendants for trademark infringement of Amazon Fire TV remote controls, said a Monday lawsuit (docket 2:23-cv-01060) in U.S. District Court for Western Washington in Seattle.

U.S. consumers unknowingly have been transmitting sensitive financial information to Google when they file their taxes online on H&R Block, TaxAct and TaxSlayer, said a privacy class action (docket 5:23-cv-03527) Friday in U.S. District Court for Northern California in San Jose.

If allowed to go into effect, SB-396, Arkansas’ social media age verification law (see 2307100005), will require all users -- including adults -- to verify their age before they can access their social media accounts, or create new ones, said a Friday amici curiae brief (docket 5:23-cv-05105) filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas and Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) in support of NetChoice’s motion for preliminary injunction in U.S. District Court for Western Arkansas in Fayetteville.

Plaintiff Jane Doe had notice that Kaiser Permanente used third-party software to collect certain website information, said defendant Microsoft Thursday in its motion to dismiss (docket 2:23-cv-00718) a privacy class action against it and Qualtrics in U.S. District Court for Western Washington in Seattle.