Facebook denies allegations that you make friends on Facebook

Enlarge / The company does admit that it operates a website. (credit: Getty Images | NurPhoto )

Facebook is vigorously defending itself against a lawsuit brought by the attorney general of the District of Columbia—so vigorously, in fact, that it’s basically claiming not to be a social network at all.

DC attorney general Karl Racine filed a lawsuit against the company in December, saying its actions related to the Cambridge Analytica scandal were in violation of DC consumer protection law. Facebook spent the last six months trying to have the lawsuit dismissed, but a federal judge in June rejected those requests and said the case should move forward.

Facebook therefore submitted its response to the complaint (PDF) this week, in which it denies “each and every allegation” in the lawsuit.