--- title: "The U.S. is About to Hit Facebook With a Multi-Billion Dollar Fine" description: "The Federal Trade Commission and Facebook are negotiating over a \"multi-billion dollar fine\" to settle the FTC's privacy investigation." date: "2019-02-14" modified: "2019-02-14" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/ftc-facebook-multi-billion-fine" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "cambridge analytica" - "facebook" - "ftc" - "mark zuckerberg" --- # The U.S. is About to Hit Facebook With a Multi-Billion Dollar Fine ![The Federal Trade Commission and Facebook are negotiating over a "multi-billion dollar fine" to settle the FTC's privacy investigation.]() *\Image: Christophe Morin/IP3/Getty Images/Tag Hartman-Simkins\* ## Massive Fine Facebook's sketchy history with users' privacy rights is finally starting to catch up with it. The *Washington Post* [reports that]() the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Facebook are negotiating over a "multi-billion dollar fine" to settle the FTC's investigation into the social network's shady privacy practices. The Commission's investigation [began almost a year ago](), when the Cambridge Analytica scandal landed: a UK data mining company found to be [involved]() with Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, accessed data about millions of its users without permission. The FTC accused Facebook of not being transparent enough about its data sharing practices. While the two sides still have to agree on an exact amount — details surrounding the fine are still sparse — it could become the largest-ever fine the FTC has ever imposed on a technology company. ## Reaching an Agreement There have been some examples of massive fines for tech giants in the recent past. In July of last year, Google was hit with a giant [$5 billion]() fine by the European Union for breaking antitrust laws. Facebook has two options: broker a deal and agree to alterations of its business practices. Or Facebook could take the FTC to court. But as the *Post* points out, that could end up hurting both sides significantly. **READ MORE:** [The U.S. government and Facebook are negotiating a record, multibillion-dollar fine for the company’s privacy lapses]() \[*Washington Post*\] ***More on Facebook and the FTC: [It’s Official: The FTC Is Investigating Facebook]()*** ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()