Former Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg is facing sanctions from a Delaware judge for allegedly deleting emails related to the Cambridge Analytica scandal, just days after being dumped by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. The sanctions were imposed as part of a shareholder lawsuit accusing Sandberg and former Meta board member Jeff Zients of using personal email accounts to discuss Facebook’s privacy practices in violation of the law. Shareholders claimed that Sandberg and Zients used personal email accounts, including Gmail, to discuss privacy issues, breaching their legal responsibilities to the company.
The lawsuit alleged that Sandberg selectively deleted emails from these personal accounts, even after a court order mandated their preservation. The judge found these allegations credible and highlighted Sandberg’s use of a personal Gmail account under an alias to discuss the case. The ruling also cited inconsistencies in Sandberg’s responses to questions from the plaintiffs, suggesting she selectively deleted emails rather than relying on automatic deletion settings.
As a result, the judge raised the standard of proof for Sandberg’s defence, requiring “clear and convincing” evidence. The court ordered certain legal costs to be covered for the plaintiffs. Sandberg’s spokesperson denied the allegations, stating that all work emails were preserved on Facebook’s servers. The lawsuit centers on Meta’s alleged violation of a 2012 FTC order regarding user data collection and sharing, including selling data to Cambridge Analytica, which led to fines from regulators. Sandberg’s role at Meta and her public perception have been scrutinized in light of these developments.
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