Meta faces landmark trial on child privacy

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1:14This is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Janet Jalil and in the early hours of Tuesday the 18th of August these are our main stories. Amid a growing backlash over the impact of social media on children, Meta prepares for a landmark trial in the US that could see it fined well over a trillion dollars. President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner fails to persuade Israel's Prime Minister to drop his opposition to the US-backed Gaza peace plan. FIFA sacks its chief operating officer for criticising the president, Gianni Infantino. Also in this podcast... I'm in a big brick-walled warehouse and I'm looking at stacks and stacks of packaged-up life jackets.

2:05They say they took more than 9 ,000 during this raid. A special BBC report on German efforts to tackle small boat crossings by migrants from mainland Europe to the UK. And how the success of Italian athletes with African heritage could help combat racism.

2:29In what's being called social media's big tobacco moment, the tech giant Meta is preparing for a courtroom showdown stemming from a lawsuit brought by 30 US states. They accuse Meta of numerous violations of federal and state privacy laws for children. Rob Lalka is professor in business at Toonel University in the US. This is an issue that goes back decades. It goes back to the design that went into the way that these platforms were built and features that we all know all too well. The nudges that come to get our attention, the infinite scroll, all those types of things that have been proven to especially affect children.

3:11In a jury trial set to begin in California on Tuesday, not only are the states seeking well over a trillion dollars from Meta, that's a sum that's close to the company's entire market value, but they could also force fundamental changes that would completely change apps like Instagram and Facebook. This is just the latest in a series of cases brought against the tech giant. Our North America technology correspondent, Lily Jamali, told me more. This is a case brought by dozens of US states in 2023. This is a bipartisan coalition. And what we often see on tech issues, including those or especially those that affect children, is states setting their political differences aside and presenting a united front.

4:02And that's what we're seeing here. This trial is being held in California, but they're being joined by Colorado, New Jersey, and Kentucky in actually arguing the case. So the original complaint from 2023 alleged that Meta incorporated harmful features on Instagram and Facebook to drive engagement among young users, all in the aim of boosting their profits. And then they argued that they misled the public about what they were doing. So there have been other cases from individuals, from school districts, etc. But this one comes complete with the legal firepower of several state attorneys general, the top lawyer in their respective states.

4:40If Meta loses, it could face severe consequences. What are the states after? Yeah, I think the states are after, more than anything, changes to these platforms. Meta owns, of course, Instagram and Facebook, as I mentioned. So we're talking about features like infinite scroll likes and push notifications, what the states have called a set of psychologically manipulative features. They already have seen the state of New Mexico gain some ground trying to make change. New Mexico brought a child endangerment case against Meta and a judge there just ordered that they have to do more rigorous age enforcement, eliminate overnight push notifications for users under 18.

5:21Those are for users in New Mexico just for the next five years. But there is a blueprint there that I think these other states are very interested in following. Plus, you have this$1.4 trillion that Meta says the states want. I did talk to the California Attorney General about that number. They say talk of money will come later. In the process, they say that Meta is basically using that number as a scare tactic before the trial begins. And Meta is denying that it deliberately tries to make its social media addictive for children. Right. They call the state's claims unsubstantiated. They are basically saying that the states are trying to penalise them for things like age verification, which are difficult across the tech industry.

6:03And then again, back to those trillion dollars plus in damages, Meta calls that financial demand vastly disproportionate. This will all play out in a second phase if the states, again, are successful. Lili Jamali. President Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has failed to overturn Israeli objections to a US-backed Gaza peace plan after two days of talks in the Middle East, first with the leader of Hamas and then with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Hamas has accepted the proposal, which calls for its gradual disarmament as Israeli troops begin to withdraw from the parts of Gaza they still occupy.

6:43But Mr Netanyahu, whose coalition is trailing in opinion polls ahead of elections in October, says there will be no pullback until Hamas has been completely disarmed. In an interview with Fox News, Mr Kushner said he hoped to see progress on Hamas giving up its weapons in a month's time. Since the supposed ceasefire 10 months ago, Israel has killed more than 1 ,200 people in Gaza and wounded thousands more, according to Gaza's health ministry. Our Middle East correspondent Lucy Williamson reports from Jerusalem. Mr Netanyahu's office said it had been agreed to establish two working groups, one on sanitation and clean water for Gaza and one on disarmament and demilitarization, which it said both Israel and the Board of Peace were determined should be completed before any reconstruction happens.

7:36Israel's Prime Minister had already refused point blank to accept the next stage of Donald Trump's peace plan, despite Hamas agreeing to it. The meeting in Jerusalem today is a sign of the growing distance between Israel and its major ally and the shrinking political space around Mr. Netanyahu at home. President Trump told the US network Fox News today that Israel should not be targeting Gaza at the moment. But Israel's prime minister also faces a difficult election in October, and the next stage of Trump's plan is unpopular with many of his voters. Over the weekend, Mr Netanyahu's own far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, said Israel should be bombing Gaza more.

8:22It's no secret. I disagree with the prime minister. I think targeted assassinations should be carried out in Gaza, taking down 30 to 40 every night. Not just those who pose an immediate threat. There are people there who are not worthy of life. They shouldn't live. They are not even people. Almost a year after the Gaza ceasefire was signed, hopes for peace and reconstruction there are running out. Nisreen Abusada is still living in a tent in Khan Yunis with her husband and children, alongside rats, mosquitoes and flies. Their family home lies in an area controlled by Israeli forces less than two miles away.

9:04Honestly, for three years they have been holding meetings and making decisions, but nothing is implemented. They just sit in their chairs and leave. We don't see any results. We are just suffering for nothing. We are the ones paying the price. There's been no response yet from Hamas to the changes announced by Israel. Yesterday, eight Arab and Muslim countries jointly urged Washington to force Israel into complying with the next stage of the Gaza plan. Benjamin Netanyahu wins elections by presenting himself as both Israel's Mr. Security and Washington's friend. Harder this time to present himself as either.

9:44Lucy Williamson, well, with the US truce with Iran also seemingly going nowhere, President Trump has lashed out at an ally that has been mediating between the two sides, Oman. Mr. Trump threatened to bomb Oman if it got in the way of his administration's talks with Iran, according to Fox News. Oman has been holding separate negotiations with Iran about reopening the Strait of Hormuz. I got more on all these developments with our international editor, Jeremy Bowen, starting with the US's failure to persuade Israel to drop its opposition to the Gaza plan. I think the breakthrough, if anything, judging by the statements that came out, was actually from the point of view of Benjamin Netanyahu, because Jared Kushner, who always has a very strong reputation as a close friend of Israel, I mean, he seems to have absorbed Israel's position entirely.

10:40I mean, of course, we don't know what he's been saying to Hamas. But the contacts I've had with some Hamas officials and looking at the wider picture there, it seems pretty clear that the Hamas agreement to disarm is predicated on a mutual process. And that's how it was presented to begin with. and then they brought a peace people, Mr. Mladanov, their diplomat, after a meeting with Netanyahu, sort of walked that one back. But essentially, there was meant to be a reciprocal process going on. Mladanov, he realized that neither side trusted each other. But the way that it's now being presented by Messrs.

11:16Kushner and Netanyahu appears to be that Hamas disarms, then Israel decides if that's sufficient, and then allows rebuilding. If that is the case, this isn't going to work because Prime Minister Netanyahu faces elections at the end of October. He will not want to give any chance for his political rivals or indeed his allies inside his cabinet who include some really hardline extremists. He does want to give them any opportunity to say he's being soft on either Hamas or the Palestinians. And I think that what he's basically trying to do, as he often does, is play for time until after the election, when if he's still in power, he might be under pressure to do more.

11:58Who knows? As you say, it does seem to be that Israel has got the concessions because the US was talking about how Israel should not be striking Gaza. It seems to have rolled back on that. But a lot of people were surprised that Jared Kushner met the Hamas leader before he met the Israeli prime minister. Yes, indeed. The Trump administration has been a lot less squeamish about talking directly to Hamas than others have done. Hamas themselves, I think they accept that they're in a weak position, not least because they've lost the faith of a lot of people in Gaza who are living the most appalling lives.

12:32And while, of course, they blame Israel for what's happening to them, because we are not allowed by Israel to get into Gaza. I can't say this firsthand from my own conversations. But the fact is, people look round at the terrible lives they're having there. And they try to think, well, how do we get into this mess? Yes, there is this major conflict with Israel. But yes, Hamas did something militarily, killing a lot of Israeli civilians as well, which has resulted in Israel's massive vengeance. So the Trump administration can't get Israel to budge, it seems. And it's equally frustrated with Iran.

13:08Mr. Trump says he's not seeking an extension of the 60-day deal that has now expired without anything realistically being achieved. What now? Good question. And in fact, ironically, the one channel of diplomacy that appears to be potentially bearing some fruit, which is the process between Oman and Iran facing each other across the Hormuz Strait to try and get the strait reopened. That has been the most serious game in town. And so it is now more than ironic that Donald Trump is saying he might bomb Oman. If it gets in the way, I mean, gets in the way of what? I think it could be that Oman is as recognizing that the only way that they're going to get the strait reopened is to offer serious concessions to Iran, which Donald Trump thinks will be presented then by Iran as a victory over him.

13:57And he won't accept that. So he's gone back to this business that he's doing everything that he's doing to stop Iran getting a nuclear weapon. Let us not forget that not once but twice they've said they've obliterated Iran's nuclear facilities. So these things do not add up. I mean, what we're dealing with here is an American president who's seeing, to use one of his favorite words, a failing foreign policy, a situation in which America's adversaries have seen ways in which they can hurt America. And Donald Trump is in the situation where not only does he face elections, this may be becoming his legacy.

14:32And that's not something he wants. He does not want, above all, to be a loser. Jeremy Byrne. At the start of this month, FIFA's president Gianni Infantino was forced to abandon his controversial plan to set off stakes in the Football World Cup and other tournaments after a fierce backlash. But so far, he's resisted calls for him to resign and now a senior figure in world football's governing body who criticised him, Kevin Lamour, FIFA's chief operating officer, has been sacked. Here's our sports editor, Dan Rowan. Last month, Kevin Lamour publicly condemned Gianni Infantino, the senior executive claiming that he and his FIFA colleagues had been deceived by their boss over the now-abandoned FIFA Ford Enterprise project.

15:20At the time, the chief operating officer predicted that breaking ranks could result in his departure, adding that he had a duty of loyalty to his employer, but also to certain values. If that means I lose my job, then so be it, he wrote, at least I'll sleep well tonight. In a statement, FIFA would only confirm that Mr. Lamour had left, with staff told that the two parties had agreed to part ways after careful consideration. Earlier this month, Gianni Infantino received the backing of senior FIFA executives in a meeting in Morocco, but BBC Sport was told Mr Lamour was not invited. Mr Lamour has been approached for comment.

15:58Dan Rowan. Still to come in this podcast. The prosecution is not alleging that Kifidi pulled the trigger, but they accuse him of masterminding the killing and setting it in motion. The defence says these details were exaggerated to sell books. After a 30-year wait, a trial finally begins into the killing of the US rapper Tupac Shakur.

16:50fill your reusable tote with a bit of everything. Maybe you go for some free-range self-directed investing, or perhaps you pick up a few farm-fresh trades while you peruse. You can even get help from a dedicated advisor. That's full-service wealth management. Mix, match, and change your mind whenever you want. Because at Schwab, you can invest your way. No matter your goals or appetite for investing, Schwab has everything you need all in one place. Visit schwab.com to learn more. The murder of Tupac Shakur has generated nearly 30 years of rumours, conspiracy theories and unanswered questions. Now the mythology is about to meet the courtroom as the trial gets underway and Nevada prosecutors try and solve the mystery of who killed Tupac and what really happened on the Las Vegas Strip that night in 1996.

17:35It's time to separate fact from fiction. I'm Anushka Matanda-Dowity and for the BBC's Fame Under Fire podcast I'll be inside the courtroom every day and I'm bringing you with me. Join me for Fame Under Fire, the Tupac Murder Trial, the testimony, the arguments, the moments that matter and all the legal analysis. Listen on bbc.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

18:12that when it comes to your finances, choice matters. No matter your goals, investing style, life stage or experience, Schwab has everything you need, all in one place, so you can invest your way. Visit schwab.com to learn more.

18:33This is the Global News Podcast. While Ukraine has been carrying out deadly strikes deep inside Russia this year, including on Wildberries, the Russian equivalent of Amazon. It's also seen a big surge in the number of civilians killed as Russian ballistic missiles exploit its inadequate air defences. Ukraine has been ramping up a public campaign for more air defence capabilities. Its military intelligence service has been gathering information about Russia's internal weaknesses. In a secret location in Kyiv, our Ukraine correspondent Dan Johnson spoke to the service's deputy chief, Vadim Skibitsky.

19:14He started by asking him about Ukraine's latest strategy of deep-range drone strikes thousands of kilometers inside Russia and how the Ukrainian military plans to grind down Moscow. We should destroy and disrupt, first of all, production weaponry, And that is why one of the main objects for us is the defense industry. And, of course, next one, logistic system, including, in some case, wild berries, for example. Why? Because it's one of the elements of the logistic system of Russian Federation to wage the war, including, for example, through wild berries, some military equipment, military components, and another element that Russian Federation uses for war.

19:58Will those deep strikes continue? Unfortunately. Even if more Russian civilians are killed? First of all, I said we must destroy and disrupt the main elements of the wage of war of Russian Federation, not civilian people. Do you see evidence that those deep strikes are increasing opposition to the Kremlin, not increasing its support? It's really influence on the population of Russian Federation, because the understanding concerning the air defense system of Russian Federation, concerning the capability of Russian authority to prevent, to protect some areas. Of course, another problem today for Russian Federation is the level of life of population.

20:39It's the prosperity for normal life in any country. What is the thing that worries you the most when you consider the different threats Russia poses? Today, we really understand the possible threat in the winter period of time, Especially, for example, destroy, disrupt water supply system, heating system, electricity system, and facilities for normal life of civilian population. And do you have the intelligence that those sorts of attacks are being planned by Russia? Due to our capability, defense, intelligence of Ukraine, we absolutely understand the plans. Knowledge is absolutely good, but without the air defense and other weapons, including weapons and ammunition, it's very hard to protect all territory of Ukraine.

21:24Do you think ordinary Ukrainian people are going to feel the impact of that even more this winter than last? Yes. Every day we have the wounded and dead civilian population in many regions. And unfortunately, with increasing number of drones, some missile system of Russian Federation, the threat and challenge can increase the losses of civilian population in the world. Some people would say then that is the evidence that Ukraine is not winning this war. We have not another way for surviving. It's our territory. It's our culture. It's our history. We must fight to prevent the full occupation of Russian Federation.

22:03Do you think you are winning? I think yes. That was Vadim Tskibitsky, the deputy chief of Ukraine's military intelligence, speaking to Dan Johnson. Well, in Russia itself, the country's only anti-war party has recently seen a surge in support ahead of next month's parliamentary elections. But last week, the Yabloka party was barred from taking part in the vote. And now that decision has been upheld by the Supreme Court. And another court has jailed the party's deputy chairman for 11 years for criticizing the conflict in Ukraine. As our Russia editor Steve Rosenberg reports, supporters of the anti-war party were detained by police.

22:48In Moscow, there was tight security and a flurry of arrests. Dozens were detained outside the Supreme Court, many of them young people. They'd come to support a political party that is doing something rare in Russia, calling publicly for peace. Inside, Yabloka appealed the decision to bar it from the parliamentary election. It had been the only anti-war party allowed to run, but was struck off the ballot a week ago for alleged copyright violations. The appeal was rejected. Yabloko was barred because we stand for peace and freedom, party leader Nikolai Rybakov says. Those who are removing us from the election stand for the opposite.

23:38What I find interesting is this, that just a few days ago, the authorities here seemed confident enough to allow an anti-war party to take part in the parliamentary election. And so Yabloko received its registration. And just a few days later, that decision was reversed. It was overturned. Why? What had changed? Could it be that the people in power here have realised that anti-war sentiment in Russia is actually much greater than they'd imagined? Recent polls show that around two-thirds of Russians want peace talks on Ukraine, not a continuation of the war. The figure's higher for young Russians.

24:19It helps explain these scenes last week outside the court, when Yabloka was removed from the ballot. Daniel has come out to support Yabloka. I was born and grew up in Putin's Russia, he says. Putin is the only leader I've ever known, but I'm worried about what's happening in the country. Later, more pressure on Yabloka. A senior member of the party, Lev Schlossberg, was sentenced to 11 years in prison for condemning the war in Ukraine. He was accused of discrediting and spreading fake news about the Russian army. He's called the war a tragedy. There's no sign it's about to end. Our Russia editor Steve Rosenberg reporting from Moscow.

25:0430 years after the drive-by shooting that killed the rap star Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas, a trial has finally begun. Prosecutors alleged on Monday that Duane Keefe D. Davis ordered the shooting as an act of gang revenge and later boasted of it in a memoir and in interviews. Davis has pleaded not guilty and now disavows his memoir entirely. The investigation into the killing has been hampered over the years because of witnesses refusing to talk or being killed in gang-related shootings. Shima Khalil reports from the court in Las Vegas. Dwayne Keefe-Dee Davis had a neutral expression on his face.

25:45Sometimes he looked down, sometimes he was looking at the prosecutor as he laid out the events of what happened on that fatal night on the 7th of September 1996. The fight that broke out after a boxing match, a Mike Tyson boxing match, between Tupac, his entourage, and Keefe-Dee's nephew, them attacking Keefe-Dee's nephew. And then the planned retribution. the jury heard that Keefe D. obtained a gun, got into the white Cadillac, handed the gun to someone in the back seat, and then they heard about this white Cadillac pulling up next to Tupac's car and the shots that were fired. Something that stood out to me as the prosecutor was laying out these details is that he kept saying to the jury, you will hear from Keefe D.

26:29himself. And that is because the bulk of the evidence in this case rests on Keefe D.'s words. whether it was a secret interview that he did with the police under a deal that he then went public with in the information that he then shared in his memoir in 2019, where he did describe him supplying this weapon. Now, the prosecution is not alleging that Kifidi pulled the trigger, but they accuse him of masterminding the killing and setting it in motion. The defence says these details were exaggerated to sell books. And they say that he's pleading not guilty. Now, I spoke to Tupac's brother, Muprim Shakur, about this case, that this is finally happening nearly 30 years after Tupac's killing.

27:14And he said that the justice I really want, I won't get. Because he said, I want my brother back. I want more time with Tupac. Shaima Khalil. The BBC has learned that a new German law to crack down on illegal crossings from mainland Europe to the UK has been used in police raids for the first time. We've been granted special access to see the equipment that was seized following an operation a few months ago involving British, German and French officials. Jessica Parker reports.