Meta Leaders, Mark Zuckerberg Settle Landmark $8 Billion Privacy Suit

WILMINGTON, Delaware — Mark Zuckerberg and current and former directors and officers of Meta Platforms have agreed to an undisclosed settlement, ending an $8 billion trial over alleged damages caused by repeated violations of Facebook users’ privacy. The agreement was reached on Thursday, just as the high-profile trial was set to enter its second day.

Shareholders had sought to hold Zuckerberg, billionaire venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, former Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, and other officials personally liable for billions in fines and legal costs Meta incurred, including a $5 billion Federal Trade Commission (FTC) fine in 2019 related to the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

The settlement, which came together quickly according to plaintiffs’ lawyer Sam Closic, led to the immediate adjournment of proceedings by Judge Kathaleen McCormick of the Delaware Court of Chancery. The unexpected resolution means Zuckerberg, Andreessen, and Sandberg, who were all scheduled to testify, will no longer take the stand.

While the agreement brings relief to the parties, critics like Jason Kint of Digital Content Next expressed concern that it represents a missed opportunity for public accountability regarding Meta’s data privacy practices. Meta declined to comment on the settlement details.

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