Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_18-cv-01881/USCOURTS-cand-3_18-cv-01881-5/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 370
Nature of Suit: Other Fraud
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Fraud

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

LAWRENCE OLIN, et al.,

Plaintiffs,

v.

FACEBOOK, INC.,

Defendant.

Case No. 18-cv-01881-RS (TSH)

DISCOVERY ORDER

Re: Dkt. Nos. 153, 156

We are here on Plaintiffs’ motion to compel with respect to their Requests for Inspection

(“RFIs”) Nos. 1, 4 and 5. ECF No. 153.

A. RFI 1

Plaintiffs have asked to inspect the complete source code repository for the Facebook 

Messenger app. ECF No. 153 at 2. In ECF No. 156, they clarify they mean the source code 

created on or between January 1, 2014 and March 27, 2018 for the Android operating system. 

Facebook takes issue with the scope (not the dates), seeking to limit the inspection to the source 

code that relates to the call and text history uploading feature that is at issue in this case.

For today’s purposes, Plaintiffs have not shown that the inspection of all of the Messenger 

app source code is relevant and proportional. Plaintiffs offer a single theory for why all of the 

Messenger app source code is relevant: “As Plaintiffs’ programming expert Jason Frankovitz 

makes clear, any meaningful code review in this case will necessarily require access to the 

complete source code repository.” ECF No. 153 at 2. Frankovitz’s declaration describes in 

paragraphs 9-12 how source code files are often related to each other to constitute a program. 

ECF No. 155. For example, it is normal for a variable to be declared in one file, an interface to be 

declared in a second file, and a method of using the variable and the interface together in a third 

Case 3:18-cv-01881-RS Document 161 Filed 06/11/20 Page 1 of 3
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United States District Court

Northern District of California

file. The gist of Plaintiffs’ argument is that to understand the source code that relates to the call 

and text history uploading feature, they need to see all of the source code for the Messenger app 

given the interrelated nature of source code.

However, Frankovitz’s declaration is too general and unpersuasive. While it is true that 

computer files in an application are rarely free-standing and do typically relate to each other, it is 

not true that in a complicated application an expert cannot understand the source code for one or 

more functions without seeing all of the source code for the entire application. Facebook’s Louis 

Boval has submitted a declaration explaining that Messenger has thousands of features and 

functions that are unrelated to the call and text history uploading feature. ECF No. 157. The 

Court finds Boval’s declaration persuasive.

Accordingly, for the time being the Court orders Facebook to make available for 

inspection only the source code that relates to the call and text history uploading feature. See 

Uniloc USA, Inc. v. Apple Inc., 2018 WL 2002979, at *3 (N.D. Cal. April 30, 2018) (ordering 

production of relevant portions of source code, not all of it); Nazomi Communications, Inc. v. 

Samsung Telecommunications, Inc., 2012 WL 1980807, at *3 (N.D. Cal. June 1, 2012) (same). 

However, this ruling is without prejudice to Plaintiffs seeking reconsideration once their experts 

have had the opportunity to inspect this source code. The Court realizes that Frankovitz’s 

declaration may have been very general simply because he hadn’t seen the Messenger app source 

code yet, so all he could do was talk about software generally. Once he and Plaintiffs’ other 

experts have reviewed the source code for the feature at issue, Plaintiffs might be able to identify 

specific portions of that code that don’t make sense without reference to other portions that they 

were not able to inspect, and they may also be able to specify what other source code is needed. 

This order does not preclude Plaintiffs from asking for additional source code to inspect after they 

are in a better position to make the type of relevance showing they haven’t made yet. Further, if 

Plaintiffs can make a specific and factual showing why certain other source code is relevant to 

understanding the call and text history uploading feature, it is likely the parties can resolve such a 

request through meeting and conferring. Cf. Uniloc, 2018 WL 2002979, at *3. 

Case 3:18-cv-01881-RS Document 161 Filed 06/11/20 Page 2 of 3
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B. RFIs 4 and 5

RFI 4 asks for all internal manuals and technical documentation concerning the Messenger 

app source code, and RFI 5 asks for inspection of Facebook’s bug tickets for the Messenger app. 

Consistent with the Court’s ruling on RFI 1, the Court finds that RFIs 4 and 5 are massively 

overbroad because they are not limited to the feature at issue in this case. The Court orders the 

parties to meet and confer further over RFIs 4 and 5 in light of this ruling. For example, during 

the June 11 hearing, Facebook indicated there might be some technical materials about the feature 

at issue that are responsive to RFI 4. Plaintiffs indicated that once they review the source code for 

the feature at issue, they may be able to make more targeted requests for items responsive to RFI 

5, and Facebook indicated there is some search capability in the bug tracking system. The parties 

should be able to work out something concerning RFIs 4 and 5, and if not, at least present a 

narrower and more focused dispute for the Court to resolve.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: June 11, 2020

THOMAS S. HIXSON

United States Magistrate Judge

Case 3:18-cv-01881-RS Document 161 Filed 06/11/20 Page 3 of 3