Mark Zuckerberg and Meta shareholders settle $8B Facebook privacy lawsuit
What's the story
Mark Zuckerberg and other current and former executives of Meta Platforms have settled an $8 billion lawsuit. The lawsuit was filed by a group of Meta shareholders over alleged damages caused by the executives' role in repeated violations of Facebook users' privacy. The case stemmed from the Cambridge Analytica scandal in 2016, where data from millions of Facebook users was harvested by the now-defunct political consulting firm. However, details of the settlement have not been made public yet.
Allegations
Lawsuit accused execs of breaching FTC agreement
The lawsuit accused Zuckerberg, former Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, and other Meta executives of intentionally breaching a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) agreement. The shareholders alleged that they shared user data with third-party apps without the consent of Facebook users. In 2019, the FTC had fined Facebook $5 billion for violating a 2012 agreement to protect users' personal data.
Witnesses
Trial expected to see Zuckerberg, Sandberg testify
The trial was expected to see testimonies from Zuckerberg, Sandberg, billionaire venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, and Netflix CEO Reed Hastings. Meta investors had alleged that former and current board members failed to ensure the company's compliance with the 2012 FTC agreement. They claimed that Zuckerberg and Sandberg knowingly ran Facebook as an illegal data harvesting operation.
Conclusion
Settlement means Zuckerberg, Sandberg won't testify under oath
The settlement brings an end to a trial that was expected to run through next week. It also means Zuckerberg and Sandberg won't testify under oath. Jason Kint, head of Digital Content Next, a trade group for content providers, said "this settlement may bring relief to the parties involved, but it's a missed opportunity for public accountability."