Robert Yezerski

A judge overseeing a $192.5 million settlement in an oil spill class action against PTTEP Australia on behalf of Indonesian seaweed farmers has balked at the “very large” costs sought by Maurice Blackburn for administering the deal, expressing concerns that class action costs are “getting out of control”.

Facebook has agreed to pay a $20 million penalty for misleading consumers by representing that its discontinued Onavo Protect mobile app would keep users’ personal activity data private, when in fact it was being collected for commercial use.

An appeals court has shot down funder Augusta’s challenge to a decision that cut its commission in the Opal Tower class action, putting funders on notice that they will have to marshal compelling evidence to win approval for their returns from an increasingly watchful court.

Google has denied class action that it distorted competition in the app marketplace and left consumers paying higher prices, pointing out in its defence there are alternative app stores on its Android platform.

Telstra and TPG have asked the Competition Tribunal to undo the ACCC’s rejection of their proposed regional network sharing agreement, but fellow telco Optus has warned the deal would kneecap its ability to compete.

Apple has denied it engaged in anti-competitive conduct in operating its App Store in a class action brought over allegedly inflated commissions on certain apps and in-app purchases.

The litigation funder bankrolling two competition class actions against Apple and Google has lost its bid to see evidence filed in a similar case by developer Epic Games, after concerns were raised about its potential use in overseas proceedings against Apple.

App developers can be added as group members in class actions against Apple and Google alleging they engaged in anti-competitive conduct in operating their app stores, despite Apple’s concerns that the law firm running the case will owe conflicting duties. 

The law firm that ran a class action over the 2009 Montara oil spill must compete to administer a $192.5 million settlement, with a judge saying a tendering process is consistent with the court’s “protective and supervisory role” in managing costs deducted from class action settlements.

A judge has blasted the lack of progress in an investor class action against accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers and asset finance lender Axsesstoday over an allegedly misleading $50 million prospectus.