Facebook is Being Grilled for Potential Cover Up of Data Abuses in Biggest Court Case No One is Watching

Northern District of California Consumer Privacy Case Unmasking Manipulation of Court System; Judge Calls Out Facebook’s “Sanctionable” Conduct

11 February — The Real Facebook Oversight Board issued the following statement for attribution about development’s regarding IN RE: FACEBOOK, INC. CONSUMER PRIVACY USER PROFILE LITIGATION, a class action lawsuit focused on Facebook’s alleged misuse of consumer data in the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

“For years, Facebook has been using procedural delays, obfuscations and stall tactics across multiple courts around the world to avoid answering difficult questions about the extent, failure and coverup of their abuses of consumer data. In a blockbuster suit with potentially far-reaching impacts in California’s Northern District, District Judge Vince Chhabria has had enough.

Grilling Facebook and its attorneys over their ‘sanctionable discovery conduct,’ Judge Chhabria has ordered Facebook to participate fully in depositions and discovery that could finally reveal the extent of their coverup of massive data breaches. Facebook has been ordered to turn over within 21 days critical documents related to their own internal investigation of Cambridge Analytica, and ordered Facebook to make top level executives available for trial and deposition.

If Facebook’s appointed representative ‘needs to run anything up the flagpole, as he repeatedly claims, then ‘the flagpole needs to attend,’ Judge Chhabria told the courtroom.

The proceedings are a black eye for Facebook and their outside law firm partners, who are risking sanctions as well for their conduct in this matter.

At the heart of ‘In Re: Facebook’ is the full timeline of Facebook’s continued efforts to mislead Congress and the American public. Like the testimony of whistleblowers like Frances Haugen and Sophie Zhang, litigation like ‘In Re: Facebook’ is pulling back the curtain on Facebook’s delay tactics, and forcing Facebook’s potential illegal behavior into public view.

This case is a significant lever for accountability, and unmasks Facebook’s corrupt actions in Cambridge Analytica and their ongoing efforts to hide the extent of consumer data privacy issues. We urge attention and scrutiny on this case, from press and reform advocates. This is the biggest case no one is watching — but could change everything for Facebook and consumer data privacy.

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For more information, we encourage reviewing Jason Kint’s Twitter thread on the proceedings. More is available here as well from Judge Chhabria. Statements do not reflect the individual positions of all Real Facebook Oversight Board Members. Contact us at media@the-citizens.com.