Court filing demanding subpoenaed docs reveals California has been probing Facebook's disclosure of user data to Cambridge Analytica and others for 18 months
What this court filing adds is a state layer: California has been quietly investigating Facebook's disclosures to Cambridge Analytica and other partners for 18 months — meaning it started around the same time as the federal probes — and is now fighting in court to compel documents. It follows the DC AG's filings arguing Facebook knew about the misuse months before it was reported, and the NY grand jury subpoenas to at least two device-maker partners.
First-order effects
Facebook must now respond to subpoena demands from yet another jurisdiction, and the filing publicly confirms a state investigation that ran in parallel with federal ones for a year and a half.
Facebook's data-sharing partners — already exposed by the New York grand jury subpoenas to device makers — face the prospect of California's probe pulling their arrangements into further scrutiny.
Second-order effects
With the FTC, DOJ, SEC, FBI, DC AG, and now California all examining the same disclosure decisions, Facebook's legal exposure compounds across jurisdictions, raising pressure toward settlement or consent-agreement terms rather than fighting each probe separately.
Other states watching California's subpoena fight gain a template for pursuing their own consumer-protection claims against platform data-sharing, multiplying the fronts Facebook must defend.
Third-order effects
If federal and state enforcers keep converging on how platforms disclosed partner access to user data, the practical standard hardens into an enforceable permission boundary — what users were told versus what apps actually received — reshaping how any platform structures data-sharing deals.
The pattern points toward data-disclosure enforcement becoming a standing, multi-agency fixture for large platforms rather than a one-scandal response, with states as permanent second front alongside Washington.
The trend: Oversight of platform data-sharing is shifting from a single federal scandal response to a durable, multi-jurisdiction enforcement regime in which states independently probe how user data was disclosed.
NEW: California reveals it's been investigating Facebook for months over privacy issues in a court filing that complains the company has failed to comply with multiple requests for information: https://twitter.com/...
We face two threats to democracy, Trump and corporate monopolies. Trump: I am above the law. And my people have no obligation to answer your public questions. Facebook: Us too. Our people can answer the questions they like, not the ones they don't. https://www.nytimes.com/...
California is conducting its own investigation of Facebook's data management practices. They are also suing the social media giant to obtain documents the company refuses to provide. https://www.politico.com/...
Facaebook has refused to participate in various investigations of its practices around the world. Stonewalling the California AG seems like a really bad idea- but not if you believe you are more powerful than an American state government or any number of other governments. https:…
NEW: Facebook tells CNBC that it “has cooperated extensively” with California's probe and has “provided thousands” of documents so far (via @JBoorstin) https://www.cnbc.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Facebook has refused to comply with subpoena's in California's privacy case. State AG going to court for an order forcing Facebook to comply. https://twitter.com/...
So much Facebook news today. An important new leak of critical documents. And now this: California Attorney General investigating Cambridge Analytica scandal reveals Facebook refusing to comply with subpoenas. The eternal question: what's it got to hide? https://www.nytimes.com/.…
Facebook's home state of California has so far stayed out of the chorus of other states/gov agencies investigating the company, at least publicly. But no mention of antitrust in today's disclosure of the state's investigation... https://www.theinformation.com/ ...
“If Facebook had complied with our legitimate investigative requests we would not be making this announcement today. But our work must move forward. We are left with litttle choice but to seek a court order compelling [it] to faithfully comply with our duly authorized subpoenas.”
At a press conference, Becerra cites standard practice not to disclose an investigation unless there's legal action that makes it public. This is one of those times, he says.
FACEBOOK is so committed to privacy that it is refusing to expose data to the prying, meddling eyes of California state government. Yet haters will jump on this as another excuse to criticize and belittle privacy's strongest champion https://twitter.com/...
(1) According to docs, this Facebook exec was in group who knew about other data leakage six years ago. (2) Facebook covered-up Cambridge Analytica for 2.5+ years rather than auditing the date leak / sale. (3) Why would anyone publish or believe anything they say at this point? h…
Wow. A cache of leaked Facebook documents shows how the company CEO oversaw plans to consolidate the social networks power & control competitors by treating its user data as a bargaining chip. The documents were obtained & published by @NBCNews News. https://www.nbcnews.com/...
Today we find out that was a complete and utter lie, orchestrated as a knowingly false story for press. Execs who concocted this repulsive abuse of user trust gave it a cutesy internal nickname in emails, the “Switcharoo Plan.” https://www.theguardian.com/ ...
Facebook has incredible power over the economy and our political life. It harvests the data of 228 million Americans and, over and over, uses this sensitive information in dangerous ways. What we need is vigorous antitrust action and to break Facebook up. https://www.nbcnews.com/…
Going through these docs, it's fascinating to see Sheryl Sandberg and the FB policy team brag about their control over both the Freedom Caucus AND the ACLU. https://twitter.com/...
The emergence of nearly 7,000 pages of company emails and executive documents comes as Facebook faces multiple investigations into possible antitrust violations by regulators around the world. https://www.reuters.com/...
FACEBOOK: “these documents were taken out of context” EVERY REPORTER FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS: “Well what's the context?” FACEBOOK: “how dare u” https://www.reuters.com/...
leaked documents “show how Zuckerberg ... found ways to tap Facebook users' data — including information about friends, relationships and photos — as leverage over the companies it partnered with” https://www.nbcnews.com/...
@mariaressa Reuters first out of the block reporting on leaked internal Facebook documents establishing even more evidence of antitrust concerns. This clearly highlights the connection between data policy and competition policy which the world is awakening to quickly. https://www…