Facebook ran multi-year charm offensive to woo US state prosecutors

The emails show that Facebook offered to produce, distribute and promote public service messages for the state prosecutors. It hosted high-level meetings between the AGs and company executives. It also donated to the state prosecutors’ political campaigns and at times worked through them to craft state laws that might affect the company’s practices. — Reuters

Sheryl Sandberg’s schedule was packed as the Facebook Inc chief operating officer arrived in Portland, Oregon, for a summer forum of state prosecutors who were meeting to talk shop and share ideas with one another.

Sandberg was slated to chat with the state officials about corporate citizenship in the digital age during a private morning session that Facebook had organised at the downtown Hilton Hotel in June 2018. She had a meet-and-greet with Utah’s attorney general, Sean Reyes, who had been considered the year before for the chairmanship of the Federal Trade Commission. Later, in another Facebook-organised meeting, Sandberg and other company managers talked about digital privacy with the state legal chiefs.