Jason Kint Profile picture
Feb 6, 2022 23 tweets 9 min read Read on X
Friday night court filings add to Facebook's horrible terrible week. Judge stepped in and ran over FB affirming expectations on negligent discovery:
1) production of Zuckerberg's notebooks
2) discovery of Zuckerberg/Sandberg
3) details on FB's secret whitelisting data deals
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4) production of 9 plaintiffs' data in Facebook's possession - ALL OF IT (more on this in a second)
5) more depositions
6) production of Facebook's "secret sauce" memo (all revisions)
now some details...
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On the plaintiffs' data ordered for discovery, Facebook's legal team has tries to argue they only have to turn over the data which is accessible or shared. Read what the Judge said about this back to Facebook confirming this is Facebook's position. Which leads naturally to... /3 Image
This entire exchange between the Court and Facebook's legal team (Ms Stein) is something, "it must be that Facebooks collects additional information which is does not want to produce to the named plaintiffs." /4 ImageImage
You can see how Facebook tried to suggest the only data they have to turn over is what is in the "social graph" and "Download Your Information" file. But clearly there is more. With backs against wall, they then argue it's "extraordinarily difficult to find all of it." 👀 /5 Image
If it's too hard ... too difficult ... to pull all of the data Facebook has on a user data protection authorities are all leaning in harder (California/Europe). Even Facebook's own employee isn't signing this section on "sharing data" during deposition... /6 Image
The plaintiff attorneys who are super good and technical jumped all over all of this reminding Court data reciprocity is included in the case and Facebook also "possesses data from data brokers" in addition to inferred data. They want it all, Court rules it's all relevant. /7 Image
"We want a response [from Facebook] admitting that, as well, and an order so that we can tell the jury they took so much data from these nine people they can't even identify it. They don't know where it is, they don't know how it was used." 👀/8 Image
Facebook was also ordered to turn over its communications and audits Zuckerberg promised Congress under oath. Court ordered none of these are privileged since Facebook told the world they would do the investigation to make sure their products were safe. /9 Image
Facebook also filed motion Friday asking to seal the names of two firms that conducted their audits. For some reason, FB really, really doesn't want the world to know who cleaned up the other potential Cambridge Analyticas who have Facebook's user data. /9 Image
These audits are all called the "ADI" (app developer investigation) and it appears there are a whole lot of communications which aren't privileged. AG in Massachusetts also pushed to get these so you've got to expect this is how they will get turned over. /10 Image
These are part of Cambridge Analytica cover-up lawsuits. Facebook successfully wrote a narrative why CA didn't matter but the reality has always been it very much did due to (1) cover-up (securities/governance) and (2) consumer protection (platform was designed to leak). /11
And I'll leave the final words to the Court from their filing last night. Facebook "is far from completing document production. Despite orders from Judge Corley and the Special Master" and the Judge writing this order... /12 Image
"At every turn, Facebook has disparaged Plaintiffs' discovery requests and their efforts to get the information they need. This is a false narrative, belied by the results of Plaintiffs' motions before Judge Corley and the Special Master." /13 Image
This is NdCal (Case No. 18-md-02843-VC-JSC). Gibson Dunn is defending Facebook - not used to being pushed around like this. There was a filing in DC Friday, too, for a parallel case where Court has also lost patience with FB's delay tactics ordering deposition of Zuckerberg. /14 Image
Adding this Order by the Court for this Thursday's NdCal hearing for Facebook's cover-up of Cambridge Analytica related matters threaded above. /15
Incoming... this also just posted. An order from Special Master for case. "MANO" stands for Make America Number One. There's long been questions on extent of Facebook's involvement working alongside Cambridge Analytica employees and campaign. Unlikely much is privileged. /16 Image
Same case, third key filing in like 72 hours. Special Master has ordered the following plaintiff data to be turned over. The question here will be whether Facebook can avoid turning over any user data it has harvested to "tune" its algorithms that's not on the "front end." /17 ImageImage
fwiw, Facebook interrupted hearing then successfully motioned to have the two firms sealed who did their "unprecedented" audits of all potential Cambridge Analyticas. But they came out in a DC lawsuit earlier this week - FTI Consulting and Stroz Friedberg - but shhhhh.... /18 Image
Adding this post as it includes the consultants who worked on the "audits" for Facebook to try to identify where else its data flowed across the universe. Some interesting backgrounds and experience. /19
Bingo. Facebook just filed answer to riddle of which Facebook executive is being sent in response to the Court's order - as the Judge said any other plans should be postponed. It's one of their senior legal execs who has been there more than a decade. /20
Gibson Dunn on behalf of Facebook names the executive but then goes on a six page rant arguing it hasn't delayed and deflected discovery. This paragraph is the most absurd failing to point out facebook covered-up the core issues until 2018 when the lawsuit was then filed. /21 Image
And this order from the Special Master just posted. Everyone/everything in yellow is in a very sensitive position related to the extent of Cambridge Analytics-like abuse of data (and the cover-up). I am telling you...it's getting hot in California. Watch this space. /22 Image

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More from @jason_kint

Feb 28
wow. NdCal just denied Facebook's attempt to dismiss securities suit for Cambridge Analytica cover-up. Court says plaintiffs credibly alleged Zuckerberg and Sandberg knew it "possessed over 40mil user profiles" way earlier. 4th amended complaint added/redacted cited evidence. /1 Image
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Count I, II and III now proceed, all alleged (civil) violations of 1934 SEC Act including over $5B in stock sales by Zuckerberg. This is the case Facebook already took up to SCOTUS to be denied cert. In DE, they settled similar case as director Andreessen was set to testify. /2 Image
In this case, the executive defendants are Zuckerberg, Sandberg and CFO Wehner. What is interesting is it's added new evidence squeezed out more recently in courts including Court sanctions against Sandberg for deleting "relevant emails" over a pseudonymous gmail account. /3 Image
Read 15 tweets
Feb 19
Big. A major new law & tech paper takes on the economics of behavioral advertising - the kind that tracks users across multiple businesses and contexts, not just on sites they choose to visit.
It challenges industry’s favorite claim: that tracking is a “win-win” for everyone. /1 Image
Bear with my thread. You may know I've been sharing Google and Meta monopoly abuse concerns for nearly a decade (courts now ruling). That said, I've always said ubiquitous data collection across the web (mostly NOT on the duopoly's own services!) is what fuels their dominance. /2 Image
At the heart of the debate is this Figure 1 - and two very different ways to frame it.
Framing #1 (the industry narrative): Data aka 'signal' -> Better targeting -> More relevant ads -> More revenue -> Free content -> Everyone wins!
Simple. Elegant. But entirely misleading. /3 Image
Read 9 tweets
Jan 5
The 8hr video of Jack Smith’s testimony was released by Congress on New Years’ Eve in between Epstein and Venezuela. It’s an extraordinary display of Smith’s integrity and attention to justice and fairness on 1/6. Allison Gill deserves praise for curating the key clips. 1/4
Smith clearly represents all who worked towards justice and public interest, expressing his confidence and rationale he had the evidence to prove Jan 6th case to a jury. He also shows his gratitude to those retaliated against - in just doing their jobs. This stood out to me. 2/4
I must say I’m impressed by Covington & Burling law firm who has stood strong during this retaliation. This is just 1/6 - they’ve worked with Smith to be cautious to not discuss any confidential details in his classified docs report still sealed by Judge Cannon. (1.3x to fit) 3/4
Read 4 tweets
Nov 30, 2025
So many mind blowing sentences in this just incredible Wall Street Journal report. Starting here, “Witkoff, who hasn’t traveled to Ukraine this year, is set to visit Russia for the sixth time next week and will again meet Putin. He insisted he isn’t playing favorites.” /1
“Inside were details of the commercial and
economic plans the Trump administration had been pursuing with Russia, including jointly mining rare earths in the Arctic.” /2 Image
“European official asked Witkoff to start speaking with allies over the secure fixed line Europe's heads of state use to conduct sensitive
diplomatic conversations. Witkoff demurred, as he traveled too much to use the cumbersome system.” /3
Read 5 tweets
Oct 19, 2025
Saturday’s “No Kings” protests have filled front pages across America with impactful visuals and headlines of peaceful protests. Many included the eye popping NYC Times Square shot. Here in the Dothan Eagle (Alabama). But everyone turned out. See Montana in its Missoulian. /1 Image
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Plenty of big city energy from St. Louis, Missouri to Chicago, Illinois. /2 Image
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Midwest with Cleveland, Ohio to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. /3 Image
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Read 13 tweets
Sep 24, 2025
US v Google remedies: Nothing groundbreaking from return of DOJ’s star economist this morning. Court tested if his concerns over solely behavioral remedies assume distrust in Google (won’t follow court orders). I don’t think it mattered relative to where we were last night... /1
Yes, some will read as leaning against structural-remedy interest. I took it simply her clarifying she doesn’t need to lean on distrust if structural is shown tech feasible. Although witness pointed out distrust harms competition investment levels. /2
Court also very much nodded head when witness Lee explained why he didn’t do “but for” analysis to a dollar amount. Mehta also determined in search it was infeasible and unnecessary so cross that out of Google’s defense imho. /3
Read 6 tweets

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