At trial, Meta investors, Zuckerberg face off on alleged data violations
Al Jazeera2 days
Meta Faces $8B Trial Over Cambridge Analytica Data Breach
Above: Jeffrey Zients (2nd L) arrives at Leonard L. Williams Justice Center on July 16, 2025, in Wilmington, Delaware. Image copyright: Alex Wong/Getty Images
The Spin
Democratic narrative
Meta must face punishment for its corrupt practices in the Cambridge Analytica scandal. It clearly violated the FTC agreement by allowing data harvesting, misleading investors, and enabling political manipulation. Zuckerberg's insider trading and executives' use of auto-deleting emails show reckless disregard for accountability. The $5B FTC fine and $8B investor lawsuit demand justice for betraying user trust and democratic integrity.
Republican narrative
Meta has already owned its mistakes, paid a $5 billion FTC fine, and invested billions in privacy since 2019. Zuckerberg and executives hired consultants to comply with the 2012 FTC order, showing good faith. Democrats, meanwhile, like former Obama advisor Cass Sunstein, who pushed data manipulation for voter influence, should be the ones facing scrutiny. Punishing Meta alone ignores their role and risks stifling innovation.
Establishment-critical narrative
Big Tech has manipulated U.S. elections for years, favoring both parties to maximize influence and profit. Google's algorithms shifted millions of votes toward Democrats in 2016 and 2020, while X boosted Trump in 2024. Meanwhile, Meta's XCheck program and biased content moderation have skewed the scales in favor of those who align with their agenda. This isn't a partisan issue; it's about the powerful elites against regular American voters.