In a series of tweets via her account, Nicki Minaj dished relationship advice while discloing unknown facts about her past relationships. Telling women to know their worth, the rapper stated that she had been proposed to 3 times and been asked by 4 boyfriends to have a baby for them.
According to her:
“Being emotionally, mentally, or physically abused just to crack a fake smile on the gram and show off a ring is not happiness.”
After facing backlash over a controversial post that appeared to criticize musician Davido’s relationship with his girlfriend, Chioma (read here), Gifty has now denied that it was directed at them.
Yees! The Nigerian Water Ski and Wake-Board Federation made history. The Founder & President, Screen Goddess Amb. Rachel Bakam aka Rachel the PIPER and the Federation’s Technical Director Fred Onwe represented Nigeria for the first time ever at the IWWF Cable Wakeboard WORLDCUP which held in Ayla Jordan.
This has never happened before.
The President took to her social media excitedly with these posts all through the competition and outing:
“I am going ahead today and our Special Athelete @fredpharez is coming monday. We are set for the International Water Ski and Wakeboard Federation World Cup”
“HIIIIIIIII. HOPE YOUR DAY WENT WELL. WORDS FAIL ME WHAT A GRAND OPENING IT WAS TODAY OF THE WAKEBOARD WORLDCUP IN AYLA AQABA JORDAN. THE IWWF ARE AMAZING. VERY ORGANISED. THE PEOPLE OF JORDAN ARE SUPER SWEET. THEY LOVED MY BRAIDS AND ANKARA ENSEMBLE BY @cynthiamichaelshouseoffashion. LOADS OF PEOPLE WANTED A PICTURE. OUR NAIJA ROOOOCKS. GOT THE ATHELETES TO LOOK FORWARD TO COMING TO NIGERIA. THEY GREETED IN DIFFERENT NIGERIAN LANGUAGES INCLUDING JUU”
“IT WAS FUUUUUUUN AND OUR ATHELETE FRED O. ARRIVED AND THRILLED EVERYONE WITH HIS CHARISMA. HE IS PARTICIPATING. SOOOOOO HAPPY”
“Great News: The Super atheletes in the picture; World Champion Diego from Columbia and our brother from South Africa Jacque have promised to come to Nigeria to train interested people and other atheletes. They are up there in the picture. Yaaaaaay”
“The only black panther flag flying proudly aside from South Africa in the IWWF CABLE WAKEBOARD WORLDCUP IN AYLA JORDAN HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. Watch live on facebook. Sent you link Above”
“It’s a day to the Finals. Nigeria is the only black skin here. Except for the Rep from Ghana who just came in today but no athelete. We say kudos to us because really this is not usually a black skin sports. It’s extreme sports. We came to see, learn and try. The next one in Shangai, we will play properly there. Rocking a Made in Nigeria ensemble designed by me PIPER’S DYNASTY”
“We appreciate our dear Patron Mr Francis Ogboro the President GB FOODS for the immerse support and making this trip a success. We thank our Patron Mr Uwe Goldstein for spurring us on”
She also posted:
“Marhaba dear Friends from beautiful Jordan. Fun in the middle of the desert at the same place Moses and Abraham lived. Places where we had the striking of the Rod by Moses to produce water from the rock. The rocks there are like pieces of Art work. Jordanians are descendants of Abraham through Ishmael. Nobody steals anything there. Can’t describe it all; Met the Prince of Jordan, Participated in the IWWF CABLE WAKEBOARD WORLD CUP IN AYLA and now we will prepare for Shangai….Watch out for facilities soon. Will keep you posted as to how to participate. I Rode a camel, horses etc. Speed desert convoy driving, mountain climbing and fun, dancing with Jordanians, food, fun, visit to historical Petra, etc Our last day and the rest of our days in Jordan were surreal and amaaaaaaaazing. Will show all on Scintillating Tv programme Rachel the PIPER on AIT 6pm- Saturday. Big thanks to our German partner Mr Uwe Goldstein and the IWWF for the amazing treatment. They made sure I sat on seats like 1F in the plane; all executive and VVIP treatment
Wow really exciting. Congratulations to the NWWF for making history and making Nigeria Proud
DO WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE NIGERIAN WATER SKI AND WAKEBOARD FEDERATION?
The Nigerian Water Ski & Wakeboard Federation (NWWF) is a Sport organization under the Platform of Nigeria’s Ministry of Sports. It is responsible for water ski and wakeboard sports development in Nigeria and the world. It is also responsible for allocation and organizing Championships aimed at boosting job creation and tourism in Nigeria.
The federation was registered and was Officially Inaugurated by the former Minister of Sports and Chairman National Sports Commission DR. TAMMY W. DANAGOGO. It has also been offered a Letter of recogniition by the NIGERIA OLYMPICS COMMITTEE (NOC). We also pay regularly courtesy visits to the Minister of Sports Bar. Solomon Dalung.
NWWF is on the verge of creating standard Cable Wakeboard and Water ski facilities in Nigeria without which it is impossible to carry out this sport. The INTERNATIONAL WATER SKI AND WAKEBOARD FEDERATION have offered to establish a free training facility on Jabi Lake Abuja as it’s contribution to the NIGERIAN WATER SKI AND WAKEBOARD FEDERATION.
The new planned Cable Park offers the opportunity to expand the sports and tourism branch in Nigeria and of course grant Nigeria an opportunity to host a big international Competition sooner or later.
A Water Ski & Wakeboard Cableway answers many environmental questions. It blends neatly into any outdoor setting and is barely visible from a distance. It is powered by an electric motor, ensuring that the air and water are kept clean. Water cableways contribute to a great extent to regenerate and maintain the biological balance in waters. Since they also do not spoil the landscape, do not cause any noise or pollution of the water by oil, these cableways have become very popular recreation grounds doing no harm to the environment. Furthermore, due to the continuous splashing of water, cable water skiing / wakeboarding also introduces about 200 kg of oxygen into the water on an average day, equals 30 tones of oxygen per annum.
Our slogan/motto is “Discover yourself and shine bright on the water”.
Our Mission is “To be an excellent and outstanding team which discovers talents and forges destinies ahead towards a better Nigeria and the world. ‘A pride of the INTERNATIONAL WATER SKI AND WAKEBOARD FEDERATION (IWWF)’, ‘A pride of NIGERIA, A pride of SPORTS and TOURISM.”
Our Aims and Objectives are:
1) To create awareness about Water Ski and Wakeboard SPORTS.
2)To discover talents through the Water Ski and Wakeboard Sport.
3) To create enablement for destinies to soar.
4) To make Water ski and Wakeboard a very enterprising
sport in Nigeria.
5) To build a very engaging and powerful sport team that
can compete in any part of the world making Nigeria
and the IWWF proud.
6) To develop the sport and open up doors of Tourism
around Nigeria through facilities that will be established.
7)To make Nigeria very attractive to tourists and
international investors.
We look forward to working together as a team towards building a Federation that will add value to lives, destinies, the Sports sector, our leisure, tourism, and investment potentials: A FEDERATION THAT WILL EXCEL AND SHINE BRIGHT IN THE WHOLE WORLD. “A pride of the INTERNATIONAL WATER SKI AND WAKEBOARD FEDERATION (IWWF)’, ‘A pride of NIGERIA’ and ‘A pride of SPORTS and TOURISM.”
Children’s Day is celebrated worldwide on every May 27, and controversial Nollywood actress, Tonto Dikeh, is not left out of the celebration as she did it with her son King Andre in style. The beautiful actress took to her Instagram page to celebrate her son by sharing photos of both of them twinning in same outfits. Tonto and son shares a good laugh below:
Days after confirming that she’s “not single” at the American Idolfinale in Los Angeles, Katy Perry made a quick trip across the pond to support Orlando Bloom, her rumored boyfriend.
According to the popstar’s Instagram Stories, she hit up the actor’s performance of the West End revival of Tracy Letts’ Killer Joe at London’s Trafalgar Studio 1.
The stop was a brief one—tonight the singer is performing herself, hitting up the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam for her Witness Tour on Saturday night. The “Part of Me” singer will also be performing in Amsterdam on Sunday.
While in merry old England, the 33-year-old snacked on a traditional English meal of “beans on toast.”
BACKGRID
They’ve had dates in Tokyo and Rome and met Pope Francis together—despite the the fact that the two had taken “space” at the beginning of 2017.
On Monday night, Katy spilled the beans, basically confirming what we all know—that she’s with Orly—during an on-air encounter with The Bachelorette‘s Becca Kufrin who on-air was promoting her upcoming season.
“Can I be in the running?” the in-awe Kufrin asked Katy, who said, “I’m not single, but I still like you.”
Looks like their on-again romance is in full bloom!
Getty Images
It hasn’t even been a week since news broke that Ariana Grande was seeing Saturday Night Live‘s Pete Davidson and they’re already making us blush.
Earlier today, Davidson commented on his new leading lady’s latest Instagram photo by writing, “Love this caption. Caption queen.”
Naturally, moments later, the “No Tears Left to Cry” singer responded with “King of loving my captions.” We can feel the butterflies from here!
“Normally I wouldn’t comment on something like this cause like f–k you,” he wrote. “But I’ve been hearing a lot of ‘people with BDP can’t be in relationships’ talk. I just wanna let you know that’s not true. Just because someone has a mental illness does not mean they can’t be happy and in a relationship. It also doesn’t mean that person makes the relationship toxic.”
He ended with the following message to his fans and followers, “I’m simply writing this because I want everyone out there who has an illness to know that it’s not true and that anyone who says that is ill and full of s–t. Mental illness is not a joke it’s a real thing. There’s kids out there killing themselves. And it’s f–king horrific. For all those struggling I want you to know that I love you and I understand you and it is going to be okay. That’s all. Love to everyone else.”
Scott Disick‘s 19-year-old girlfriend Sofia Richie has given her main man some love on his 35th birthday. The teen took to Instagram to post a sweet photo of the two while the unlikely duo vacation in St. Bart’s together on Saturday.
The photo shows the twosome in the ocean and snuggling tight. The birthday boy has quite the beard on him and his lady love is rocking a black bikini.
Scott also posted some images on his Instagram from his birthday trip, sharing images of daughter Penelope writing “Dad” in seashells on their porch.
The bearded personality also posted a snap of him and one of his kids, who is wearing a “35 and Alive!” shirt and also from the “Lord’s Lunch,” showcasing a lobster meal.
Scott Disick & Sofia Richie: Romance Rewind
Scott Disick/Instagram
Scott Disick/Instagram
Scott Disick/Instagram
“Scott and Sofia are still going strong and have gotten more serious the past few months,” the insider exclusively told E! News. “They have definitely had their ups and downs, but lately everything has been really good between them.”
It wasn’t until September that Scott seemingly confirmed their relationship status by posting a photo of the two of them in Miami. It was on that getaway that the duo was spotted kissing and partied with Kylie Jenner‘s beau Travis Scott.
Still, it wasn’t clear if this was a long-term romance or a short-term fling. While one source told E! News the two were “inseparable” in September, another insider said the relationship was “not serious” for Scott in October.
These two don’t show any signs of calling it off anytime soon!
The police in Bayelsa said they had rescued two female teenagers, abducted by a gunman in Agbura, near Azikoro village in Yenagoa local government area of the state. In a statement on Saturday, May 26, in Yenagoa by police public relations officer in the state Asinim Butswat, said the girls were rescued by the police in the area, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports. Butswat said that the gunman specialised in stalking his victims to church during night vigil or to their houses with a dummy AK47 Riffle to perpetrate the act.
“On 21st May, 2018, based on actionable intelligence, the police and youths of Agbura community raided a bush surrounded by swamp and fishing ponds, where the lone gunman held his victim captive. “On sighting policemen, the gunman fled and abandoned the two females, who were chained to a makeshift tent and the victims were rescued and taken to Police clinic for medical examination.
“Efforts have been intensified to arrest the fleeing suspect. Members of the public should assist the police with useful information about suspicious movement of a lanky male adult, dark in complexion within Agbura community, who displays pedophilic behaviour.”
Oil marketers have appealed to the Federal Government to pay them over N650 billion subsidy arrears to reverse the gale of retrenchment sweeping across the sector and sustain their operations.
The marketers under the aegis of Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) made the appeal in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Saturday.
NAN reports that members of the association are: Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN); Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association (DAPPMA) and Independent Petroleum Products Importers (IPPIs).
The Executive Secretary of DAPPMA, Mr Olufemi Adewole, said the failure of the Federal Government to pay the money had a negative effect on the operations of oil marketers.
He said while many marketers were forced out of business, others were struggling to survive.
Adewole also said the delay in settling the subsidy arrears was threatening investment in the downstream sector.
The DAPPMA scribe said although the federal government had earmarked money to clear the debts, the marketers were yet to be paid.
“We have written many letters to the government on the need to salvage the downstream sector from total collapse by paying marketers’ the huge debts owed them but nothing has been done as I speak with you.
“We are told that both the legislature and executive are working on the payment which government had for long promised.
“In 2017, the government told marketers that the money had been approved for payment. Up till now, marketers have not received a dime,” he said.
According to him, oil marketers, faced with increasing burden of borrowing to pay salaries had no option than to embark on retrenchment.
Other marketers who spoke to NAN on conditions of anonymity, said majority of the marketers were indebted to banks because they had to borrow to pay workers’ salaries.
“Retrenchment became necessary as some marketers have already closed their depots, while others have reduced workers’ salaries by 75 per cent due to their inability to sustain the payments.
“It is a difficult time for the oil marketers because we are currently facing the headwinds in the oil market,’’ one of the marketers who pleaded anonymity told NAN.
The marketers, therefore, urged the Federal Government to expedite action on the payment of the subsidy arrears to sustain investments in the sector.
The Chairman of South-West Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Mr Tayo Aboyeji, confirmed to NAN that oil marketers had been disengaging workers due to non-payment of their subsidy arrears and other factors.
Aboyeji said the situation had made some depots to convert workers into contract staff.
“Government should find a way to pay the marketers as all parties had reconciled the accounts and agreed on the payment model,” he said.
A source at the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) who declined to be mentioned told NAN on phone that the agency had prepared and sent what was due to marketers to the Debt Management Office (DMO).
“We have long prepared and submitted their outstanding claims to the DMO office. The DMO should be in a better position to to give an update to the payment,” the source said.
Mrs Patience Oniha, Director General, DMO, told NAN that President Muhammadu Buhari had last month requested approval from the National Assembly to issue promissory notes to pay all areas to contractors, including oil marketers.
“The President has approached the National Assembly to give approval to issue promissory notes to oil marketers and others owed arrears by government but it has not been approved,” she said.
The market capitalisation of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) lost N416 billion in five trading days due to exit of foreign investors following delay in 2018 budget passage.
Market statistics obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) showed that the market capitalisation which opened trading on May 21 at N14.660 trillion shed N416 billion or 2.84 per cent to close trading on May 25 at N14.244 trillion.
Similarly, the All-Share Index within the period dipped 1,148.83 or 2.84 per cent to close trading on 39,323.62 compared with 40,472.45 it opened for the week.
Commenting on the persistent market lull, Prof. Sheriffdeen Tella, Professor of Economics, Olabisi Onabanjo University Ago-Iwoye, Ogun attributed the development, in an interview to uncertainties in the economy which affected foreign investors confidence.
Tella said the negative trend in the stock market in the last two weeks arose from the lack of money in the economy.
He said that investors were taking profits to get cash for spending which led to selling pressure.
Tella said that delay in the passage of the budget affected foreign investors’ confidence in the nation’s economy.
He explained that the delay witnessed in the passage of the budget affected government spending, noting that our economy was public-sector driven.
“So, when government starts spending on infrastructure, communication, and other sectors that will impact on production, foreign investments in both direct and portfolio will start returning,” Tella said.
According to him, things will change as soon as the budget is fully approved for implementation and confidence returns to the economy.
The economist said that the fluctuation would likely continue in the next four to five weeks.
Mr Ambrose Omordion, the Chief Operating Officer, InvestData Ltd. , said that foreign portfolio investors that positioned the market in mid 2017 were exiting their positions ahead of the upcoming general elections.
Omordion said that they were running for safety as the political risk surrounding the coming 2019 elections were already playing out.
He called on investors to invest for long-term or go for stocks with good fundamentals to minimise loss.
Mr Sola Oni, Stockbroker and the Chief Executive Officer, Sofunix Investment and Communications said that Nigeria still remained a good investment destination for any investor regardless of any challenge.
Oni said that investors must appreciate the fact that the stock market moves in a circle all over the world.
He said that investors were at liberty to realise profit anytime the market was upswing, adding that, profit taking leads to bearish trend.
Nigeria recorded a total investment commitment of 83 billion dollars between January 2017 and March, Mr Okechukwu Enelamah, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, said.
Enelamah spoke in Abuja on Tuesday at the opening session of the Direct Investors Summit Nigeria, expected to attract over 190 investors from 40 countries in key sectors of the economy.
The summit was organised by Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC).
“The country secured a total investment of 66 billion dollars in 2017 while the balance of 17 billion dollars investment was secured in the first quarter of this year.
“The investment commitments of 83 billion dollars were secured in three key sectors of the economy, namely oil and gas, manufacturing and real estate,’’ he said.
According to him, the summit is appropriate as it will help to translate the 83 billion dollars investment commitment into actual investments.
He said that the present administration had taken a number of steps to genuinely engage stakeholders in order to unlock investment opportunities in the country.
“The country has had a fair share of adversity in the past but this government has identified the challenges and solving them through partnerships.”
On the African Continental Free Trade Zone, the minister said the government had yet to assent to the agreement as consultations were still on-going.
Enelamah said the consultations were being done to ensure that the government signed a pact that would be beneficial to the general interest of the Nigerian economy.
In her speech, Ms Yewande Sadiku, Executive Secretary of NIPC, said the government was committed to attracting investments.
“The government is committed to attracting fresh investments in key sectors of the economy, the aims of the summit is to bring together investors both local and foreign to unlock potential investments,’’ she said.
Sadiku said the commission was working with state governments to improve national competitiveness as there was a need for the states to be receptive to attract investors.
“The states must be receptive to attract investors because investors go to where they can get attention and a friendly environment,’’ Sadiku said.
She said the commission was working with key stakeholders to see more Nigerians invest in the country.
During a panel discussion titled “Doing Business in States: Opportunities and Incentives’’, Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El Rufai, called on the Federal Government to assist the state address insecurity.
El-Rufai said his administration had put in place a lot of measures, such as tax holidays, establishment of one- stop investment shop, among others to attract investors to the state.
“We have about 500 million dollars domestic and foreign investments in my state,” he added
Other members of the panel were Osun Governor, Rauf Aregbesola; Anambra Governor, Willy Obiano, represented by his Deputy, Nkem Okeke, and Ogun Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, also represented his Deputy, Mrs Yetunde Onanuga.
They said there was a need to promote the ease of doing business to attract investments.
According to them, the economic diversification agenda may not yield rapid success except there is a strong commitment on the part of the Federal government to assist in tackling the problems of insecurity, power and poor infrastructure.
The event was attended by the Ministers of Budget and National Planning, Sen. Udo Udoma, the Minister of Works Power and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola; the Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika, among others.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday threatened to impose the “strongest sanctions in history” against Iran if it did not accept a sweeping series of US demands, including effectively giving up its nuclear ambitions, curtailing its ballistic missile program and ending its expansionist behaviour.
Weeks after the United States pulled out of an international nuclear deal with Iran, Pompeo spelt out a hardline approach towards the Islamic Republic, potentially setting Washington and Tehran on a deeper confrontation course.
“The sting of sanctions will only grow more painful if the regime does not change course from the unacceptable and unproductive path it has chosen for itself and the people of Iran,” Pompeo said in his first major foreign policy speech since becoming secretary of state.
“These will be the strongest sanctions in history by the time we are done,” he added.
Pompeo took aim at Iran’s policy of expanding its influence in the Middle East through support for proxy armed groups in countries such as Syria and Yemen.
He warned that the United States would “crush” Iranian operatives and allies abroad and told Tehran to withdraw all forces under its command from the Syrian civil war where they back Syrian regime leader Bashar al Assad.
Iran is unlikely to accede to the US demands. President Hassan Rouhani accused Washington of ‘sham’ democracy.
The tension between the two countries has grown notably since US President Trump this month withdrew from the 2015 nuclear agreement aimed at preventing Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Pompeo warned that if Iran fully resumed its nuclear programme Washington would be ready to respond and said the administration would hold companies doing prohibited business in Iran to account.
“Our demands on Iran are not unreasonable: give up your program,” Pompeo said, “Should they choose to go back, should they begin to enrich, we are fully prepared to respond to that as well,” he said, declining to elaborate.
‘No alternative’ to Iran deal
The EU’s foreign policy chief warned there was “no alternative” to the Iran nuclear deal, after Pompeo vowed unprecedented sanctions against Tehran.
“Secretary Pompeo’s speech has not demonstrated how walking away from the JCPOA (nuclear deal) has made or will make the region safer from the threat of nuclear proliferation or how it puts us in a better position to influence Iran’s conduct in areas outside the scope of JCPOA,” the European Union’s foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said.
In a statement, she stressed “there is no alternative” to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, as the deal is officially known.
Mogherini also called on the US to keep its commitments as part of the agreement signed under Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama.
“The JCPOA is the result of more than a decade of complex and delicate negotiations, based on dual track approach and therefore the best possible outcome, striking the right balance,” Mogherini said.
“This deal belongs to the international community, having been endorsed by the United Nations Security Council. The international community expects all sides to keep the commitments they made more than two years ago.”
She reiterated that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had confirmed already 10 times that Iran has implemented “all its nuclear related commitments” under the agreement.
Iran leaders
The speech did not explicitly call for regime change but Pompeo repeatedly urged the Iranian people not to put up with their leaders, including President Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
“At the end of the day, the Iranian people will get to make a choice about their leadership. If they make the decision quickly, that would be wonderful, if they choose not to do so we will stay hard at this until we achieve the outcomes I set forward,” said Pompeo.
He laid out 12 demands for Iran and said relief from economic sanctions would only come when Washington had seen tangible shifts in Iran’s policies.
He called on Iran to stop uranium enrichment and never to pursue plutonium reprocessing, including closing its heavy water reactor.
It also had to declare all previous military dimensions of its nuclear program and to permanently and verifiably abandon such work, he said.
Pompeo’s demand that Tehran stop uranium enrichment goes even further than the nuclear deal. Iran says its nuclear work has medical uses and will produce energy to meet domestic demand and complement its oil reserves.
Gareth Bale scored one of European football’s great goals to help Real Madrid overcome Liverpool and win their third successive Champions League title as goalkeeper Loris Karius suffered a personal nightmare.
Bale made his mark on another Champions League final with a magnificent overhead kick to put Real 2-1 up after 64 minutes.
Liverpool had already suffered the devastating blow of losing top scorer Mohamed Salah midway through the first half – with a shoulder injury sustained in a challenge with Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos – when calamity struck for Karius.
Six minutes after half-time, the German inexplicably threw the ball against Karim Benzema, who was not even challenging with urgency, and watched in horror as the ball rolled behind him into the net.
Liverpool recovered from the shock to equalise through Sadio Mane before Bale stepped off the bench to score his wonder goal.
There was to be no comeback from Liverpool this time and Karius’s misery was complete when he fumbled Bale’s hopeful 30-yard shot behind him to seal Real’s win.
It sealed Real’s record 13th win in this competition, and their fourth in five seasons to give coach Zinedine Zidane this third triumph in three years.
For Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, it was disappointment again – he lost his third successive final since arriving at Anfield, having suffered defeats in the League Cup and Europa League finals of 2016.
Complaints have been filed against Facebook, Google, Instagram and WhatsApp within hours of the new GDPR data protection law taking effect.
The companies are accused of forcing users to consent to targeted advertising to use the services.
Privacy group noyb.eu led by activist Max Schrems said people were not being given a “free choice”.
If the complaints are upheld, the websites may be forced to change how they operate, and they could be fined.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a new EU law that changes how personal data can be collected and used. Even companies based outside the EU must follow the new rules if offering their services in the EU.
In its four complaints, noyb.eu argues that the named companies are in breach of GDPR because they have adopted a “take it or leave it approach”.
The activist group says customers must agree to having their data collected, shared and used for targeted advertising, or delete their accounts.
This, the organisation suggests, falls foul of the new rules because forcing people to accept wide-ranging data collection in exchange for using a service is prohibited under GDPR.
“The GDPR explicitly allows any data processing that is strictly necessary for the service – but using the data additionally for advertisement or to sell it on needs the users’ free opt-in consent,” said noyb.eu in a statement.
“GDPR is very pragmatic on this point: whatever is really necessary for an app is legal without consent, the rest needs a free ‘yes’ or ‘no’ option.”
Privacy advocate Max Schrems said: “Many users do not know yet that this annoying way of pushing people to consent is actually forbidden under GDPR in most cases.”
Image copyrightREUTERSThe complaints were filed by four EU citizens with local regulators in Austria, Belgium, France and Germany.
Analysts and regulators had expected complaints to be filed shortly after the introduction of the law, as organisations and privacy advocates argue over how the law should be interpreted.
Some companies based outside the EU have temporarily blocked their services across Europe to avoid falling foul of the new legislation.
However, others such as Twitter have introduced granular controls that let people opt out of targeted advertising.
Companies that fall foul of GDPR can be – in extreme cases – fined more than £17m.
Facebook said in a statement that it had spent 18 months preparing to make sure it met the requirements of GDPR.
Google told the BBC: “We build privacy and security into our products from the very earliest stages and are committed to complying with the EU General Data Protection Regulation.”
A US court has ordered South Korea’s Samsung Electronics pay $539m (£403m) in damages for copying features of Apple’s original iPhone.
The jury’s decision is the latest step in a long-running legal battle between the world’s top smartphone makers.
It began in 2011 when Apple argued Samsung had infringed on some patents.
Apple was awarded $1.05bn in damages a year later but the rivals have fought over the final amount ever since.
In the latest court ruling, most of the damages payment – $533.3m – was awarded for infringing three Apple design patents. The remainder was for violating two patented functions.
In a statement, Apple said it was pleased that the members of the jury “agree that Samsung should pay for copying our products.”
“This case has always been about more than money,” the tech giant said, adding that it was important that it continued to protect the “hard work and innovation of so many people at Apple”.
But Samsung said the decision “flies in the face” of the unanimous Supreme Court ruling in its favour on the way the design patent damages are calculated.
Samsung had argued that it should only have to pay $28m in damages – limiting the sum to profits directly related to the components or features covered by the patents.
Apple argued for a much bigger figure, calculated on the profits made from an entire iPhone.
“It is not a clear win for either firm because Apple had asked for $2.5bn in damages in its original claim”, according to Kiranjeet Kaur, tech analyst at research firm IDC in Singapore.
And Ms Kaur added that the possibility of another appeal by Samsung “cannot be eliminated”.
“It is clearly not the verdict Samsung wanted or expected, and apart from the damages it has to pay, it points out that indeed designs were copied,” she said.
She added the ruling should serve as a warning to smaller players to be “more wary of overstepping [patents], especially in markets like the US”.
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