Court Rules Out Legal Action Against Meta in Connection to Cambridge Analytica Affair
On Thursday, a Superior Court judge dismissed a privacy lawsuit filed by Washington, D.C. against Meta Platforms Inc, the owner of Facebook, in 2018. The judge concluded that the company did not deceive consumers regarding the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
According to the lawsuit, the district’s consumer protection law was violated.
In 2018, the social media company faced worldwide scrutiny when it revealed that a third-party personality quiz, which was shared on Facebook, collected profile data from 87 million users across the globe and then sold it to the British political consulting firm, Cambridge Analytica.
“While the District may disagree with Facebook’s approach to the situation, Facebook has no legal basis to do otherwise,” Judge Morris Ross of the District of Columbia Superior Court said in his decision.
According to the judge, Facebook’s policies explained how third parties can obtain user data, and the social media platform also gave instructions on how to limit information sharing.
“Facebook did not materially mislead consumers in their response to Cambridge Analytica,” the judge said Thursday.
The District of Columbia District Attorney’s said it disagrees with the court’s decision and is considering alternatives.
Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
