Mark Zuckerberg Named Defendant in Facebook Privacy Lawsuit

Zuckerberg Added to Facebook Privacy Lawsuit

The Attorney General for Washington D.C., Karl Racine, has expanded a lawsuit against Facebook to include Mark Zuckerberg himself.

This action stems from concerns regarding breaches of consumer privacy connected to the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

Details of the Allegations

Racine stated that the investigation uncovered evidence of Zuckerberg’s direct participation in choices concerning Cambridge Analytica.

Specifically, these decisions involved Facebook’s alleged shortcomings in safeguarding user data.

The Attorney General’s office has meticulously examined a vast number of documents – totaling in the “hundreds of thousands” – since the initial filing of the lawsuit in 2018.

Furthermore, numerous depositions have been conducted with former Facebook employees to gather comprehensive information.

Background of the Lawsuit

The original lawsuit was initiated in 2018 after reports surfaced indicating that Facebook permitted Cambridge Analytica, a British political consulting firm, to acquire data from over 50 million Facebook users.

This data collection occurred without the users’ explicit consent.

Significance of Naming Zuckerberg

The inclusion of Zuckerberg as a defendant is particularly significant.

It potentially subjects the Facebook founder to personal legal accountability for the first time in a case brought forth by a U.S. governmental body.

Racine’s Statement

“This lawsuit is about protecting the data of half of all District residents and tens of millions of people across the country,” Racine emphasized.

He further added that his office views its duty to investigate misconduct with utmost seriousness and expects Facebook to demonstrate a comparable commitment to user data protection.