SHAREHOLDER ALERT - Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC Notifies Investors of Class Action Against Facebook, Inc. (FB) & Lead Plaintiff Deadline: May 21, 2018

NEW YORK, March 23, 2018 -- Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC notifies investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Facebook, Inc. ("Facebook" or the "Company") (NASADAQ:FB) and certain of its officers, on behalf of shareholders who purchased Facebook securities during the period between February 3, 2017 and March 19, 2018, both dates inclusive (the “Class Period”). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm’s site: http://www.bgandg.com/fb.

This class action seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

The complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, defendants made materially false and misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Facebook violated its own purported data privacy policies by allowing third parties to access the personal data of millions of Facebook users without the users’ consent; (2) discovery of the foregoing conduct would foreseeably subject the Company to heightened regulatory scrutiny; and (3) as a result, Facebook’s public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

On May 16, 2017, Reuters reported that France’s Commission on Informatics and Liberty (“CNIL”) had fined Facebook €150,000—the maximum amount then allowed within the CNIL’s authority—for “failing to prevent its users’ data being accessed by advertisers.” The article stated that the fine was said to be “part of a wider European investigation also being carried out in Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Germany into some of Facebook’s practices.” Following this news, Facebook’s share price fell $5.34, or 3.55%, over two trading days, to close at $144.85 on May 17, 2017.

On March 17, 2018, the New York Times published an investigative report entitled “How Trump Consultants Exploited the Facebook Data of Millions,” revealing that Cambridge Analytica, a firm that worked to target voters online in connection with the 2016 presidential campaign of Donald Trump, used the data of 50 million people obtained from Facebook without proper disclosures or permission. Following this news, Facebook’s share price fell $12.53, or 6.76%, to close at $172.56 on March 19, 2018.

On March 19, 2018, post-market, Bloomberg published an article entitled “FTC Probing Facebook For Use of Personal Data, Source Says,” disclosing that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) is “probing whether Facebook violated terms of a 2011 consent decree of its handling of user data that was transferred to Cambridge Analytica without [user] knowledge.” Under the 2011 settlement with the FTC, Facebook “agreed to get user consent for certain changes to privacy settings as part of a settlement of federal chargers that is deceived consumers and forced them to share more personal information than they intended.” The article further stated that “if the FTC finds Facebook violated terms of the consent decree, it has the power to fine the company more than $40,000 a day per violation.”

On March 20, 2018, several media outlets reported that the U.K. Parliament had summoned Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg to give evidence over the scandal involving London-based Cambridge Analytica.  In a statement, the U.K. House of Commons committee on Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee said: “The Representatives from Facebook previously gave evidence to the inquiry in Washington DC on Thursday 8th February. However, Facebook has since failed to supply requested supplementary evidence to the Committee by the deadline of 14th March. Subsequent information about Facebook’s connection to Cambridge Analytica raises further questions which the Committee intends to put to Facebook to answer in full.”  The British lawmakers stated they want to “hear from a senior Facebook executive with the sufficient authority to give an accurate account of this catastrophic failure of process.”  Zuckerberg was asked to respond by March 26, 2018. Following these news reports, Facebook’s share price fell $7.73, or 4.48%, to close at $164.83 on March 20, 2018.

A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint you can visit the firm’s site: http://www.bgandg.com/fb or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Investor Relations Analyst, Yael Hurwitz of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 212-697-6484. If you suffered a loss in Facebook you have until May 21, 2018 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff.  Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.

Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a corporate litigation boutique.  Our primary expertise is the aggressive pursuit of litigation claims on behalf of our clients.  In addition to representing institutions and other investor plaintiffs in class action security litigation, the firm’s expertise includes general corporate and commercial litigation, as well as securities arbitration.   Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

Contact:
Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC
Peretz Bronstein or Yael Hurwitz
212-697-6484 | [email protected]