Facebook will pay $5bn fine over privacy violations

It is the largest fine the FTC has ever levied, and includes commitments from Facebook on its privacy practices, but does it go far enough?

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has reached a $5bn settlement with Facebook Inc over its year-long investigation into allegations of widespread mistreatment of consumer data.

The settlement, announced on Wednesday, commits the social media behemoth to restructuring its approach to users’ privacy, and setting up tools to allow the FTC to monitor its practices. The penalty is the largest privacy fine in history, but is also equivalent to around the amount Facebook makes in a month.

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William Gritten

William Gritten is a London-born, New York-based strategist and writer focusing on politics and international affairs.