Suing Zuckerberg Is Easy. Making a Privacy Case Stick Is Harder

The extent of Meta Platforms Inc. CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s personal liability for the Cambridge Analytica data scandal is being tested in a new lawsuit accusing him of playing a central role.

D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine (D) sued Zuckerberg under a local consumer protection law. Under the District’s Consumer Protection Procedures Act, Racine needs to show that Zuckerberg actively participated in or had the authority to control the privacy lapse.

The challenge for Racine will be getting around a corporate law tradition of shielding executives from liability, especially at larger companies where decision-making is often layered.

“The whole purpose of ...