Sheryl Sandberg, Meta's former Chief Operating Officer, is facing mounting legal challenges related to the Cambridge Analytica scandal as a Delaware judge has sanctioned Sandberg for allegedly deleting emails tied to a shareholder lawsuit, which accuses her and former Meta board member Jeff Zients of violating legal obligations regarding user privacy.

The lawsuit stems from allegations that Sandberg and Zients used personal email accounts to discuss matters related to a 2018 case against Meta (then Facebook). The case alleged that the company's leadership violated fiduciary duties and user privacy laws by mishandling user data. 

According to court findings, Sandberg deleted emails from her personal Gmail account, which was reportedly used under a pseudonym for communications relevant to the case, despite a court order to preserve all relevant records.

The judge noted inconsistencies in Sandberg's responses to interrogatories and to questions from the plaintiffs, suggesting deliberate deletion rather than an automated process. As a result, the court has imposed stricter conditions on Sandberg's defence, requiring her to prove her case with "clear and convincing evidence," a significantly higher burden of proof than the typical "preponderance of evidence." The judge also ordered Sandberg to cover certain expenses for the plaintiffs.

A spokesperson for Sandberg has dismissed the allegations as baseless, asserting that "all work emails were preserved on Facebook's servers," according to a recent report by TechCrunch.

This latest development comes amid broader scrutiny of Meta's leadership during Sandberg's tenure. According to a report by The New York Times, Mark Zuckerberg recently attributed some of the company's controversial policies and internal culture issues to her during a meeting with Stephen Miller, a senior adviser to former President Donald Trump.

The case also revisits long-standing allegations against Meta for violating a 2012 Federal Trade Commission (FTC) order that prohibited the company from collecting and sharing user data without explicit consent. Meta has faced significant penalties for its actions, including a $5 billion fine to the FTC in 2019 and further regulatory sanctions in Europe.