Theranos-Related Wire Fraud Allegations (Indirect Involvement)
- Date: 2018–2022
- Details: While not directly charged, Meta (then Facebook) was implicated in the broader Theranos scandal through its advertising platform. Theranos used Facebook to promote its fraudulent blood-testing technology. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Department of Justice (DOJ) charged Theranos executives with wire fraud, and some evidence suggested Meta’s platform facilitated the spread of misleading claims. Meta itself was not criminally charged, but its role raised questions about liability for hosting fraudulent ads.
- Outcome: Theranos executives were convicted; Meta faced no direct criminal charges but settled related civil claims.
Cambridge Analytica Data Misuse and FTC Violation (2019)
- Date: Indictment finalized July 2019
- Details: Meta was not criminally charged, but the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) imposed a $5 billion fine for violating a 2012 consent decree by allowing Cambridge Analytica to harvest data from 87 million users without consent. The FTC alleged deceptive practices under federal law, which could border on criminal fraud if pursued further. Several states investigated potential criminal violations of privacy laws, but no criminal charges were filed against Meta itself.
- Outcome: Record-breaking civil penalty; no criminal indictment.
Washington State Campaign Finance Violations (2022–2024)
- Date: Judgment finalized December 2022; appealed through 2024
- Details: Washington State sued Meta for violating the state’s campaign finance transparency laws by failing to disclose details about political ad buyers on its platform. In December 2022, a judge ordered Meta to pay $35 million ($24.6 million in penalties plus $10.3 million in legal fees). The state alleged over 800 violations of the Washington Commercial Electronic Media Act, a civil statute with potential criminal implications for willful noncompliance. Posts on X in late 2024 noted this as a significant legal hit.
- Outcome: Meta paid the penalty but appealed; no criminal charges, though the scale suggested potential for escalated action.
New Mexico Child Exploitation Lawsuit (2023–2025)
- Date: Filed December 6, 2023; arrests announced May 2024
- Details: New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez filed a lawsuit against Meta, alleging its platforms (Facebook and Instagram) facilitated child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and human trafficking. Undercover operations led to the arrest of three men in May 2024 for soliciting minors via Meta’s platforms, with charges including child solicitation and attempted sexual penetration of a minor. The lawsuit claims Meta knowingly failed to remove CSAM, violating state consumer protection laws and potentially federal statutes like the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). While Meta itself faces civil charges, the criminal acts of users tied to its platforms intensified scrutiny.
- Outcome: Ongoing as of March 26, 2025; no criminal charges against Meta, but executives like Mark Zuckerberg are named.
Multistate Lawsuit for Youth Mental Health Harms (2023–2025)
- Date: Filed October 24, 2023
- Details: A coalition of 33 state attorneys general, led by California’s Rob Bonta, sued Meta in federal court, alleging it designed addictive features on Instagram and Facebook to harm children’s mental health, violating COPPA and state consumer protection laws. The lawsuit accuses Meta of deceptive practices and data collection from users under 13 without parental consent—acts that could imply criminal negligence or fraud if proven willful. Washington AG Bob Ferguson and others unsealed further evidence in November 2023.
- Outcome: Ongoing; civil case with potential for criminal referrals if evidence escalates.
Ireland Criminal Complaint for Surveillance (2023)
- Date: Filed November 2023
- Details: Privacy advocate Alexander Hanff filed a criminal complaint with Irish police (Garda) against Meta, alleging illegal data interception via tracking tools like Meta Pixel under Ireland’s Criminal Justice (Offences Relating to Information Systems) Act 2017. Hanff claimed Meta’s surveillance violated computer abuse laws, potentially carrying criminal penalties for executives.
- Outcome: Investigation status unclear as of March 26, 2025; rare instance of a direct criminal complaint.
Contempt of Congress Threat (2023)
- Date: July 2023 (proposed)
- Details: Posts on X claimed Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg faced a contempt of Congress charge for failing to provide documents on Meta’s communications with the judiciary, potentially carrying a one-year prison sentence. This stemmed from a House Judiciary Committee investigation into content moderation. No formal charge was filed, but it reflects a rare push toward criminal accountability.
- Outcome: Threatened but not executed; investigation ongoing.
Copyright Infringement via AI Training (2024–2025)
- Date: Lawsuit developments reported March 2024
- Details: Authors and publishers sued Meta, alleging it illegally downloaded over 80 terabytes of copyrighted books from pirate sites (e.g., LibGen) to train its Llama 3 AI model, violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Posts on X in March 2025 highlighted internal Meta documents confirming the practice. DMCA violations can carry criminal penalties (up to 5 years imprisonment), though this remains a civil case for now.
- Outcome: Ongoing; potential for criminal escalation if willful infringement is proven.