France has launched an investigation into former Culture Minister Jack Lang over his alleged links to Jeffrey Epstein, while Uber has been ordered to pay $8.5 million in a sexual assault case, and the EU is demanding TikTok change its design. These are among the top stories emerging from recent developments.
Financial crime prosecutors in France opened a preliminary inquiry into Jack Lang, a prominent figure in French socialist governments between the 1980s and 2000s, according to BBC World. The investigation concerns suspected "laundering of tax fraud proceeds" and follows the release of the Epstein files by the US Department of Justice, which documented links between the Lang family and the late American sex offender. Lang, now 86, denies any wrongdoing and described the allegations as "baseless," stating the investigation "will bring much light on to the accusations that are questioning my probity."
In the US, Uber was ordered to pay $8.5 million to a woman who claimed she was raped by a driver, as reported by BBC Technology. The ruling, handed down by a court in Arizona, could influence thousands of other cases against the ride-sharing company. The jury found Uber responsible for the driver's actions, though the company intends to appeal the verdict. The plaintiff, Jaylynn Dean, said she was sexually assaulted in the car.
Also in the technology sector, the EU has told TikTok it must change its "addictive design" or face heavy fines, according to BBC Technology. The European Commission's investigation, which began in February 2024, found that TikTok did not adequately assess how features like autoplay could harm users, including children, and failed to implement measures to mitigate the risks. A TikTok spokesperson told the BBC the findings presented a "categorically false and entirely meritless depiction of our platform" and that the company planned to challenge them.
Meanwhile, Google executives are facing pressure from staff over the company's ties to the federal government's crackdown on immigration enforcement, as reported by BBC Technology. Nearly 900 Google employees demanded more transparency over how the company's technology is being used within the US government. Google has contracts to provide federal agencies with cloud services and has links to work being done on federal immigration enforcement. One Google employee of seven years found it "mind-boggling" that Google was maintaining its ties.
Finally, according to BBC Business, reports show that many smart motorways are failing to offer the value for money expected when they were originally planned. Two schemes, involving sections of the M25 and the M6, were found to be offering "very poor" value. The AA, representing motorists, said the schemes had turned out to be a "catastrophic waste of time, money and effort."
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