Meta top brass to be deposed on Cambridge Analytica scandal

Meta’s Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg, outgoing Chief Operating Officer Shreyl Sandberg and the person set to replace her as COO are getting ready to give depositions on a lawsuit revolving around the Cambridge Analytica scandal that occurred in 2018. Zuckerberg is set to face questions for around six hours, while Sandberg is set to be questioned for five, according to court documents filed earlier this week.

It is unclear if any new, revelatory information will present itself during the depositions. However, the fact that the Meta’s most senior c-suite executives are being called in, is hopefully a step in the right direction, for a case that has been in motion since 2018. The hearings are supposed to start before September 20.

Also Read: Meta to soon allow ‘mature’ content on its Horizon VR platform

Facebook had allegedly illegally shared user data with third party customers and had done little to protect its data from being abused by those seeking to exploit it, according to the lawsuit, which might transform into a class action case should a judge see fit. 

Also Read: Amazon weighing hybrid work, pauses construction of new U.S. offices

The issue came to light after it was revealed that Cambridge Analytica, a British political consultancy firm hired by the 2016 Trump campaign, had scraped the data of millions of users without their consent. While this revelation shocked many, digital marketing firms the world over had already been using similar methods to gather and sell data. 

Also Read: Why Big Tech mergers are bad news for everyday consumers

Following extensive reportage on the scandal, Zuckerberg was asked to testify before Congress in 2018. While he was asked to go into detail about the company’s monopoly given the lack of another competitor and its push to use artificial intelligence to improve its platform, the hearing was ultimately a soft ball for the Meta CEO. While Zuckerberg answered questions in Congress, Sandberg fielded questions from reporters as she explained what the company had done wrong and what it was doing to fix it.