Disney closes $71B deal for Fox entertainment assets

Disney is closing its $71 billion acquisition of Fox’s entertainment business in a move set to shake up the media landscape.

The deal paves the way for Disney to launch its streaming service, Disney Plus, due out later this year.

By buying the studios behind “The Simpsons” and X-Men, Disney aims to better compete with technology companies such as Amazon and Netflix for viewers’ attention — and dollars.

Disney needs compelling TV shows and movies to persuade viewers to sign up and pay for yet another streaming service. It already has classic Disney cartoons, “Star Wars,” Pixar, the Muppets and some of the Marvel characters. With Fox, Disney could add Marvel’s X-Men and Deadpool, along with programs shown on such Fox channels as FX Networks and National Geographic.

Facebook to overhaul ad targeting

SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook will overhaul its ad-targeting systems to prevent discrimination in housing, credit and employment ads as part of a legal settlement.

For the social network, that’s one major legal problem down, several to go, including government investigations in the U.S. and Europe over its data and privacy practices.

The changes to Facebook’s advertising methods — which generate most of the company’s enormous profits — are unprecedented. The social network says it will no longer allow housing, employment or credit ads that target people by age, gender or ZIP code. Facebook also will limit other targeting options so these ads don’t exclude people on the basis of race, ethnicity and other legally protected categories in the U.S., including national origin and sexual orientation.

The social media company is also paying about $5 million to cover plaintiffs’ legal fees and other costs.