WASHINGTON — In response to a report by The Washington Post that a Massachusetts judge has ordered Facebook to turn over data about thousands of apps that may have mishandled their users’ personal information, Open Markets Director of Enforcement Strategy Sally Hubbard makes the following statement: 

We congratulate Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey on her court victory against Facebook, which had refused to provide evidence demanded in her office’s subpoena. Healey is among those attorneys general across the country who are taking a stand by investigating Facebook’s privacy violations, which are intricately related to its monopoly power. Facebook lacked any justifiable legal basis for hiding this data from the Massachusetts attorney general, who works on behalf of the people of the state. This court decision makes clear that Facebook is not above the law and must be accountable to democratic institutions. 

For more information:

Open Markets: Congress Should Investigate Federal Trade Commission’s Failure to Fix Facebook

Sally Hubbard for CNN Business: Facebook needs more than a $5 billion fine. It needs a new business model