Meta’s Former COO Faces Sanctions Over Deleted Emails
In a significant blow to Meta’s former Chief Operating Officer, Sheryl Sandberg, a Delaware judge has imposed sanctions on her for deleting emails related to the Cambridge Analytica privacy scandal. The ruling, handed down by Vice Chancellor Travis Laster, makes it more challenging for Sandberg to defend herself and avoid liability in the upcoming trial.
A Pattern of Deletion
Evidence presented in court showed that Sandberg used a personal email account under a pseudonym and erased messages that were likely relevant to the shareholder lawsuit. This move has raised suspicions that the most sensitive and probative exchanges are now gone, making it difficult to uncover the truth.
Consequences of Deletion
As a result of the sanctions, Sandberg will face a higher standard of proof to defend herself against allegations of wrongdoing. The judge has also ordered her to pay the expenses incurred by the shareholders, including California’s massive teachers’ retirement system, CalSTRS.
Background of the Case
The lawsuit, filed in 2018, alleges that Facebook’s directors and officers, including Sandberg, harmed investors by violating a 2012 consent order with the Federal Trade Commission to protect users’ data. The case came to light when it was discovered that Facebook allowed data from millions of users to be accessed by Cambridge Analytica, a political consulting firm that worked for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in 2016.
Allegations of Wrongdoing
Shareholders claim that the company’s board negotiated a larger fine of $5 billion with the FTC in 2019 to avoid personal accountability for founder Mark Zuckerberg. The lawsuit also alleges that the company’s officers, including Sandberg, selectively deleted emails to conceal evidence of wrongdoing.
Other Key Players
Mark Zuckerberg is expected to be deposed for a second time before the trial, according to court records. Additionally, shareholders had requested sanctions against Jeffrey Zients, a former Meta board member and President Joe Biden’s chief of staff, who also used and deleted personal emails. However, the judge ruled that Zients’ messages were less pertinent since he joined the Meta board after the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
A Case of Colossal Scale
In 2023, Vice Chancellor Laster refused to dismiss the lawsuit, describing it as a “case involving alleged wrongdoing on a truly colossal scale.” The upcoming trial, scheduled for April, is expected to shed more light on the extent of Meta’s involvement in the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
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