Facebook fails in bid to derail $15 bn privacy suit

The US Supreme Court on Monday declined to consider an appeal by Facebook that would have derailed a $15 billion lawsuit over whether it illegally tracked users about a decade ago.

The nation’s top court issued an order denying a request by the leading social network to review a California federal court’s decision to allow the litigation accusing Facebook of violating wiretap laws.

Facebook did not respond to a request for comment.

It had argued in court filings that it was a legitimate “party” for exchanges involving digital content received from software tools such as “like” or “share” buttons plugged into other websites.

“Rather than eavesdropping on a separate communication, the communication with Facebook contained distinct content intended for Facebook,” the leading social network said in a legal filing.