California Attorney General Xavier Becerra went to court in San Francisco Wednesday in a bid to force Facebook Inc. to provide more information for an investigation of possible violations of user privacy.
Becerra said at a news conference Nov. 6 that the social media giant's response thus far to two investigative subpoenas and sets of questions has been "patently inadequate."
He filed the lawsuit to enforce the document requests in San Francisco Superior Court. The suit says the investigation began last year as a probe of Cambridge Analytica, the now-defunct consulting company that harvested the data of 87 million Americans allegedly for use in election-related disinformation campaigns.
The probe has now expanded to an investigation of whether Facebook has violated California law by "deceiving users and ignoring its own polices in allowing third parties broad access to user data," the lawsuit says.
Menlo Park-based Facebook, which claims more than 2 billion users worldwide, had no immediate comment on the lawsuit.
The investigation involves "serious allegations of unlawful business practices by one of the richest companies in the world," Becerra wrote in the lawsuit.
Comments
Registered user
Menlo Park: The Willows
on Nov 7, 2019 at 3:33 pm
Registered user
on Nov 7, 2019 at 3:33 pm
I am disappointed that Menlo Park's largest employer is constantly in hot water for its privacy practices and attempt to deflect responsibility for hate speech and political attack ads be they from the left or right, U.S. or international. Such behavior taints their "donations" to the city and gives the appearance of trying burnish a reputation through the purchase of local good will.
Menlo Park: other
on Nov 7, 2019 at 6:07 pm
on Nov 7, 2019 at 6:07 pm
Lawsuits don't matter to those people. They have more lawyers than they know what to do with. The AG needs to send some people to jail. You saw how much the college admission scandal people were freaked out by jail time. Putting Zuckerberg in jail is the only thing that will straighten out that company.
Menlo Park: other
on Nov 8, 2019 at 11:48 am
on Nov 8, 2019 at 11:48 am
How about the AG look into Virginia Chang Kiirly holding 2 elected positions in San Mateo County. One on the Harbor District and the other on the fire District. She is up for re election in both in 2020.