Facebook

About 530 million people had some personal information leaked, including, in some cases, phone numbers.

A digital privacy group is preparing to take a case to the Irish courts on behalf of EU citizens affected.

Facebook denies wrongdoing, saying the data was "scraped" from publicly available information on the site.

Antoin Ó Lachtnain, director of Digital Rights Ireland (DRI), warned other tech giants its move could be the beginning of a domino effect.

"This will be the first mass action of its kind but we're sure it won't be the last," he said.

Previously the board only heard appeals from users about content they felt had been unfairly removed - or referrals which came from Facebook itself.

The board has the power to overrule Facebook's original content decisions.

Its 20 members include former Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt and ex-Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger.

Anyone can submit content to the board for re-review, providing it has been reported to Facebook in the first instance.

The live stream is a collaborative partnership with the Samoa Alliance of Media Practitioners for Development, WTmedia - Samoa, communications expert Jordan Kwan and graphic design experts Thomas Sauao.

Vaasiliega Iupati Lagaaia and the OEC Public Relations Officer working closely with Wtmedia and partners, to coordinate the live stream.

This is an effort to ensure that our communities are informed and kept up to date with the outcome of the election.

This latest hearing is the first since the storming of the US Capitol.

Politicians believe that was a tipping point for greater regulation.

They have said they plan to change the legislation that protects online platforms from liability for content posted by third parties.

The session began in combative style with the chair Mike Doyle asking all three executives whether they felt they bore responsibility for the events in Washington. None were prepared to give a one word "yes" or "no" answer as he demanded.

The deal has been secured just weeks after Australia passed a controversial world-first law aimed at making tech platforms pay for news content.

News Corp has not disclosed the value of the three-year contract in Australia. Last month, it clinched a global deal with Google.

Mr Murdoch's media empire began with his Australian newspapers.

The deal covers all of News Corp's content in the country - which is a significant amount.

The tech giant has blocked news to Australians on its platform since last Thursday amid a dispute over a proposed law which would force it and Google to pay news publishers for content.

Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg had told him the ban would end "in the coming days", after the pair had talks.

Mr Frydenberg said amendments would be made to the law.

"Facebook has re-friended Australia," he told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.

Australia wants tech giants like Facebook and Google to pay for the content reposted from news outlets.

The social media giant said the proposed law "fundamentally misunderstands the relationship between our platform and publishers".

Australia previously called Facebook's threats of such a ban "misconceived".

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) says it drew up the new rules to "level the playing field" between the tech giants and publishers.

The Australian government says it will put the legislation to a vote in the coming weeks.

The alleged failings were revealed in the Cambridge Analytica scandal, where harvested data was used for advertising during elections.

Journalist Peter Jukes, leading the action, claims his data was compromised.

Facebook told BBC News there was “no evidence" UK or EU users’ data had been transferred to Cambridge Analytica.

But the case against the technology giant, expected to last for at least three years, will argue a “loss of control” over users' personal data warrants individual compensation.

The ‘I Am Digital’ social media online safety campaign will run for five weeks from 1st February, in Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tonga, and feature educational materials in English, Fijian iTaukei, Fiji Hindi, Samoan, Tok Pisin and Tongan. Music producer Jawsh 685, singer Mia Kami, children’s TV show presenter Lei, comic artist and pro-wrestler Michel Mulipola, and artist and magazine founder Aysha Nanai-Leifi are amongst the well-known names backing the campaign to educate and empower Pacific Island teenagers and young people to have safer and more positive online experiences.

 The UK is the second market to get Facebook News, which launched in the United States last year.

Several major news publishers, including Channel 4, Sky News, and The Guardian have signed deals with Facebook to provide content.

It comes as the tech industry's relationship with the media comes under increased scrutiny.

Google last week threatened to pull out of Australia if forced by law to enter commercial agreements with news publishers - something about which Facebook has also expressed concern.