Facebook Is Being Sued by DC's Attorney General Over 'Failure' to Protect User Privacy
The 21-page complaint in D.C. Superior Court alleges “lax oversight and enforcement of third-party applications.”
December 19, 2018 at 01:37 PM
2 minute read
The original version of this story was published on The Recorder
A giant thumbs-up button marks the entrance to the Facebook campus, located at 1601 Willow Rd. in Menlo Park, California. Photo: Jason Doiy/ALM
The District of Columbia is bringing suit against social media giant Facebook Inc. over the company's “failure” to “honor its promise” to protect the personal data of users.
The 21-page complaint, filed in the D.C. Superior Court, alleges that Facebook's “lax oversight and enforcement of third-party applications” demonstrates how the company falls short of its commitment to its users, citing the Cambridge Analytica scandal as “just one example.” The issue of third-party app sharing separately arose last week after the company announced that outside companies may have had access to the private photos of nearly 7 million users.
A Facebook statement indicated the company was responsive. “We're reviewing the complaint and look forward to continuing our discussions with attorneys general in D.C. and elsewhere,” the statement read.
The lawsuit claims that the policies and business practices are in violation of D.C. consumer protection laws, citing Facebook's “failure to adequately disclose” data compromises its users, as well as its surreptitious sharing of data with third parties while overriding specific privacy settings.
“Facebook could have prevented third parties from misusing its consumers' data had it implemented and maintained reasonable oversight of third-party applications consistent with its representations in its public statements, terms of service, and policies,” the complaint says. “The District brings this case to ensure that Facebook is held accountable for its failure to protect the privacy of its consumers' personal data.”
Read the Complaint:
D.C. is far from the only front on which Facebook is running into legal trouble over its handling of user data. The company is currently facing multidistrict litigation stemming from the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Meanwhile, the Irish Data Protection Commission recently launched an inquiry into Facebook under Europe's General Data Protection Regulation over the company's security bug that potentially shared data with third-party app providers. A fine under the GDPR could potentially lead to a $1.63 billion penalty, or about 4 percent of Facebook's global revenue.
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