Former Meta COO and board member Sheryl Sandberg has been sanctioned by a Delaware judge for allegedly deleting emails related to the Cambridge Analytica privacy scandal. The decision comes in response to a case brought by Meta shareholders against Sandberg and another former board member, Jeff Zients, who also allegedly used personal email accounts to discuss issues related to a 2018 shareholder lawsuit.
The lawsuit accuses Facebook leaders, including Sandberg and Zients, of violating the law and their fiduciary duties by failing to protect users’ privacy. The judge found the accusations against Sandberg to be convincing, leading to sanctions and raising the legal standard for Sandberg’s defense.
Sandberg must now prove her defense with “clear and convincing” evidence rather than a mere preponderance of evidence. The judge has also awarded plaintiffs certain expenses as a result of the charges.
In response to the sanctions, a spokesperson for Sandberg stated that the plaintiffs’ claims have no merit and that all work emails were preserved on Facebook’s servers. The case at hand revolves around allegations that Meta officials violated a 2012 Federal Trade Commission order by sharing Facebook users’ personal data without consent. Meta settled with the FTC in 2019, paying $5 billion in fines.
This development is just the latest in a series of legal battles Meta, formerly known as Facebook, has faced over privacy violations and data sharing practices. Sandberg’s involvement in the case raises further questions about the company’s handling of user data and its compliance with regulatory orders.
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