News in Brief June 30 - Facebook, Wells Fargo and More

Facebook Users Lose Bid for Class Certification

Wednesday was an unfortunate day for a group of Facebook users who say the social media giant illegally shared their and others’ information with third-party advertisers. U.S. District Judge Ronald M. Whyte found that he couldn’t grant plaintiffs’ motion for class certification because their claims were too individualized to apply to an entire class of potentially thousands of users.

Wells Fargo Ends Robocall Suit with $16 Million Settlement

Wells Fargo has agreed to pay out a little over $16 million to settle claims that it illegally robocalled customers’ cell phones. It is believed that each member of the proposed class – which could be as large as 3 million people – will receive between $25 and $75. The suit claimed that the bank violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act because it never received consent to make the automated calls.

More Than 3M Toyota Vehicles Recalled

It’s a double whammy for Toyota this time. The car maker is recalling 3.37 million cars because of problems with both the airbags and the emissions. Unrelated to the Takata recalls, the new Toyota airbag recall affects 1.43 million Lexus and Prius models. Cars being recalled over the fuel emissions control unit are certain Lexus, Corolla, Auris, Zelas, Lucas and Prius models.

Mary Kay Suit from Beauty Consultants Dismissed

On Wednesday, a New Jersey judge dismissed a case alleging that Mary Kay misclassified its beauty consultants as independent contractors and made them purchase company merchandise as part of their agreements. U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo said that the consultants’ contracts required any legal disputes be handled in Texas – not New Jersey. She claimed that for the plaintiffs to have a case in New Jersey, they would have had to prove that this clause was unenforceable.

Advocate to Pay Out $4.75 Million to Settle Health Care Workers’ Overtime Claims

A judge has granted final approval to a $4.75 million settlement that will put to rest claims that Advocate Healthcare Network failed to pay its home health care aides proper overtime wages. According to the settlement agreement, each worker is expected to receive about $13,400 on average. The suit claimed that Advocate wrongly classified the workers as exempt from overtime pay.