Hindsight · review build · data not yet validated
Litigation, of which there has been a great deal, has placed some constraints on the widespread distribution of personal data.
Grader A: hit
Privacy litigation did constrain data sharing. The Lane v. Facebook class action over Beacon led Facebook to shut the service in September 2009 and pay $9.5 million. Other suits and settlements had similar effects. Regulation also played a large part, but the claim of 'some constraints' from litigation holds.
Test: Existence and effect: class action directly ended a major data-sharing product (Facebook Beacon, shut 21 Sep 2009).
Grader B: hit
Privacy litigation did place some limits on distribution of personal data by 2009. The Lane v. Facebook class action over Facebook Beacon, which shared users' purchases, ended in a $9.5 million settlement in 2009, and Facebook shut Beacon down on September 21, 2009. The claim is modest ('some constraints'). Most constraints came from statute, but litigation clearly contributed.
Test: Not an adoption claim. Test: privacy litigation measurably constrains data sharing by 2009. Example: Beacon shut down (Sept 2009) with a $9.5M class-action settlement.