> What laws did Facebook break that warranted seizing and publishing internal documents?
Parliament is sovereign. Facebook ignored Parliament. That is tantamount to blowing off an American court order.
More pointedly, Facebook has broken their agreements on keeping WhatsApp and Facebook data separate. These e-mails further show Onavo and Facebook conspiring to hide their intent around data collection users, which likely breaks British privacy and honest trade law.
Parliament is not into enforcing laws - it writes them. Parliamentary sovereignty means it can publish internal documents[1] if they decide it's in the public interest, if not, the MP will be appropriately censured by their peers.
1. In the US, the president (executive) can declassify any classified information, the DOJ or judiciary may publicize (discovered) internal documents for trials/indictments before guilt is established (note: IANAL). In the UK, Parliament is supreme to the executive and judiciary.
It didn't break a law, but it also didn't comply with our sovereign parliament's right to investigate matters of interest to its members. In a manner of speaking in this sense, they are the law.
The law against not screwing your users and not being anti-competitive. The latter is actual law, the former is the kind of thing that leads to street justice.
I'm glad to have the documents, but I have to admit its really sketchy for a government to step in and do that. People are saying 'the sovereign body wanted it', but that's a worrying way to run things.
Parliament is sovereign. Facebook ignored Parliament. That is tantamount to blowing off an American court order.
More pointedly, Facebook has broken their agreements on keeping WhatsApp and Facebook data separate. These e-mails further show Onavo and Facebook conspiring to hide their intent around data collection users, which likely breaks British privacy and honest trade law.