Attorney General of District of Columbia Sues Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg Over Cambridge Analytica Scandal

Attorney General Karl Racine of Washington DC sued Facebook founder and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg earlier this week over the Cambridge Analytica scandal. In the suit, Racine argues that Zuckerberg was responsible for creating relaxed privacy rules on the platform that allowed Cambridge Analytica, a consulting firm based in the United Kingdom, to collect user data without consent. In total, the data of around 87 million users could been compromised in the scandal. Racine’s suit is his office’s latest effort to hold Zuckerberg personally accountable for the scandal. Last year, Racine attempted to name Zuckerberg in an existing suit against Facebook itself, but the motion was denied when the judge overseeing the case ruled that he had waited too long.

At the heart of Racine’s case against Zuckerberg is the allegation that the Facebook founder was directly involved in the company’s day-to-day activities. Racine contends that Zuckerberg holds a position of great influence at Facebook. Far from being a figurehead, Racine claims that Zuckerberg oversaw product development on the platform and was aware that his actions endangered the privacy of millions of users. Racine alleges that these acts violate the Consumer Protection Procedures Act, making Zuckerberg responsible for paying restitution and damages to the District of Columbia.

Racine’s current suit against Zuckerberg is based on new evidence collected from the District of Columbia’s existing suit against Facebook. In a statement released after the suit was filed, Racine argued that Zuckerberg’s policies put the personal information of millions of American citizens in jeopardy. Racine further contends that Zuckerberg misled users on the extent of the breach and covered up the social media giant’s negligent behavior. Going forward, Racine says that the suit against Zuckerberg is a grave necessity as it will be a message CEOs of other corporations that they will be held accountable for wrongdoing.

Meta has not officially responded to news of the District of Columbia’s lawsuit against Zuckerberg. However, the company’s spokesperson, Andy Stone, sent out a tweet reminding the public that Racine failed in his original attempt to name Zuckerberg in his original lawsuit against Facebook.