FTC Launches Facebook Probe

What’s the story?

• The Federal Trade Commission confirmed in a statement on Monday that it is investigating Facebook’s privacy practices in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

• The Trump-linked data-mining firm improperly obtained personal information on as many as 50 million Facebook users.

• "The FTC takes very seriously recent press reports raising substantial concerns about the privacy practices of Facebook. Today, the FTC is confirming that it has an open non-public investigation into these practices," the agency said in a statement.

Why does it matter?

• Members of Congress and privacy advocates have called for the FTC to investigate whether Facebook violated a 2011 consent decree with the agency.

• Democratic Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts tweeted on Monday:

.@FTC is investigating whether Facebook violated a binding agreement, which could cost $40k PER VIOLATION. When Zuckerberg says "breach of trust" vs “breach of privacy” it’s not just semantics. The distinction may be the difference between no punishment and millions in penalties.

— Ed Markey (@SenMarkey) March 26, 2018

• "We remain strongly committed to protecting people's information," Rob Sherman, Facebook's deputy chief privacy officer, said in a statement. "We appreciate the opportunity to answer questions the FTC may have."

What do you think?

Is the FTC investigation enough? Should Congress call Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify personally in his company’s role in the data leak? Should Cambridge Analytica be barred from working for campaigns in the United States? Hit Take Action and tell your reps, then share your thoughts below.

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—Josh Herman

Related Reading

• Do We Need a Digital Protection Agency?

• Zuckerberg "Willing" To Appear Before Congress

  (Photo Credit: RiverNorthPhotography / iStock)