From The Verge · Richard Lawler · · 1m 20s
Meta's 'privilege' hats mock child safety lawsuit
Lawyers suing Meta over teen harm say company ordered baseball caps reading 'a/c priv' to mock attorney-client privilege claims used to hide research.
In brief
Lawyers suing Meta over teen harm say company ordered baseball caps reading 'a/c priv' to mock attorney-client privilege claims used to hide research. Meta faces criticism for ordering hats mocking attorney-client privilege while using that same privilege to withhold documents in lawsuits over teen safety harm…
Meta hides evidence behind privilege claims
Meta's lawyers argue certain evidence should be withheld from public view using attorney-client privilege in lawsuits over alleged teen harm.
Team ordered 'a/c priv' baseball caps
The Instagram Teen Accounts team, called Project Nido internally, ordered baseball caps simply reading a slash c priv, recently unsealed documents show.
Lawyers call it mocking privilege abuse
Plaintiffs' lawyers say the hats exemplify a culture of privilege abuse at Meta aimed at keeping internal teen harm research hidden from public view.
“culture of privilege abuse at Meta”
Judge already questioned Meta's claims
US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers called some of Meta's privilege redactions entirely inappropriate, citing a case where business concerns, not legal advice, drove secrecy.
“entirely inappropriate”
Meta delayed releasing sixty-five thousand documents
Meta de-designated about sixty-five thousand previously withheld documents in April twenty twenty-five, after discovery, too late for plaintiffs to use in depositions.
Neutral reviewer sought for remaining redactions
Meta requested time through year-end to re-review privilege redactions, but plaintiffs' lawyers say a neutral party should lead the review, paid for by Meta.
What it means
Meta faces criticism for ordering hats mocking attorney-client privilege while using that same privilege to withhold documents in lawsuits over teen safety harm.
