Media News Daily: Top Stories for 04/13/2026

Disney and Google Seek Dismissal of Children’s Privacy Lawsuit

Disney and Google are asking a federal judge to dismiss a class-action lawsuit alleging that children who watched videos on Disney’s YouTube channel had their data improperly collected for ad targeting. The case follows an FTC action accusing Disney of uploading child-directed content, including Mickey Mouse cartoons and clips from films such as Frozen and Toy Story, without properly labeling them as “Made for Kids,” which allegedly allowed targeted ads to be served. Disney settled with the FTC for $10 million without admitting wrongdoing, but both companies now argue the civil complaint does not sufficiently show that any child actually viewed mislabeled videos or that Google knowingly collected children’s data in violation of the law. Read More (MediaPost Rating)

North Carolina Media Outlets Sue UNC Over Withheld Civic Life Report

Six North Carolina news organizations, including NC Newsline, have sued the University of North Carolina System for refusing to release a report on the controversial School of Civic Life and Leadership at UNC-Chapel Hill. The university paid $1.2 million in public funds to law firm K&L Gates to produce the 400-page report, which reportedly involved interviews with 50 people and a review of 200,000 records. The plaintiffs argue that because the report was publicly funded, it qualifies as a public record and should be released. UNC has said the document contains sensitive personnel information and may relate to legal claims, though the lawsuit notes that officials also refused to provide even a redacted executive summary. Read More (NC Newsline Rating)

RSF Condemns Google’s AI Rewriting of News Headlines in Search Results

Reporters Without Borders is criticizing Google for testing an AI-driven feature that rewrites news headlines in search results, arguing that the practice undermines editorial independence and alters journalism without consent. The issue came to light after The Verge reported that article headlines were appearing in Google Search under wording its newsroom had neither written nor approved. According to RSF, this goes beyond the longstanding practice of shortening titles and instead changes the editorial framing of stories entirely. RSF says Google is asserting an editorial authority it does not have and is calling on the company to end the experiment. Read More (Reporters Without Borders Rating)