Good morning, here’s your Friday morning briefing to set you up for the day ahead. Look out for these three things happening around the world today.

Six4Three vs Facebook hearing

A judge will today hear evidence in app developer Six4Three’s lawsuit against social media giant Facebook, ahead of a jury trial that is scheduled to begin in April next year.

The developer has accused Facebook of abusing the privacy and conducting mass surveillance of its users. The lawsuit claims that Facebook used the Pikinis app to read text messages, track locations and access photos of its users.

It also claims that Facebook was aware of and frequently exploited the loophole abused by disgraced consulting firm Cambridge Analytica that allowed access to the data of its users’ friends.

The lawsuit dates back to 2014, when Facebook shut down the Friends data API, which allowed third-parties to track the locations, status and interests of their users’ friends.

Facebook has previously denied all allegations made against it in the Six4Three case.

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Edinburgh Fringe gets underway

Edinburgh Fringe, the world’s largest arts festival, kicks off today, with some 3,900 shows to be staged throughout the month.

Everything from cabaret, to comedy, to dance and music will be on display, as thousands of entertainers of all skill levels and experience pack into the city, offering an opportunity to see the stars of the future before they make it big. Everyone from Stephen Fry, to Mike Myers, to Miranda hart, to the late Robin Williams, performed at the Fringe during the early stages of their careers.

The Fringe will get underway today and reach its conclusion on Monday, 27 August.

Last year saw some 2.7m tickets issued throughout the festival. That was up from 2.5m in 2016, with 2018 expected to be another record-breaking year.

See Verdict’s pick of the best free Edinburgh Fringe shows here.

May and Macron meet to talk Brexit

French President Emmanuel Macron will host Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Theresa May in France today.

The pair will head to Macron’s Fort de Brégancon retreat for talks, with Brexit expected to take centre stage once again. This is scheduled to begin at 5:15pm London time. They will then be joined by their partners, Brigitte Macron and Philip May, for dinner.

The meeting is part of a plan to sell May’s Brexit plan directly to leaders of European countries. The UK’s Brexit negotiators hope to persuade those like Macron and Germany’s Angela Merkel to put pressure on the European Union to work with them in order to strike a Brexit deal that works for both sides.


Yesterday’s highlights

Purplebricks share price: Supply slump or cracks in the foundations?

AI to bring cryptocurrency payments to any online store

Those who change jobs are more likely to receive pay rises: report