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Facebook is reportedly under FTC investigation over its handling of user data

Facebook is reportedly under FTC investigation over its handling of user data

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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

The Federal Trade Commission is investigating whether Facebook violated a government privacy agreement by allowing Cambridge Analytica to obtain users’ personal data, according to a report from Bloomberg.

Facebook agreed to the settlement in 2011

“We remain strongly committed to protecting people’s information,” Facebook’s Deputy Chief Privacy Officer Rob Sherman said in a statement. “We appreciate the opportunity to answer questions the FTC may have.”

Facebook agreed to the settlement, known as a consent decree, in 2011, after allegedly deceiving users over how much personal information they were sharing. The FTC argued that Facebook had misled users by not explaining, among other problems, how much data third-party apps received. As part of the settlement, Facebook agreed to rules governing its users’ privacy, including receiving express consent before using data beyond privacy settings.

“We are aware of the issues that have been raised but cannot comment on whether we are investigating,” an FTC spokesperson said in a statem. “We take any allegations of violations of our consent decrees very seriously as we did in 2012 in a privacy case involving Google.”

After news broke last week that Cambridge Analytica obtained information on 50 million Facebook users through a seemingly innocuous app, starting in 2014, some former FTC officials behind the 2011 order speculated yesterday in The Washington Post about whether Facebook had violated the decree. If the FTC ultimately decides Facebook did violate the agreement, the company could be open to millions in fines, according to the Post — not to mention even more public outrage for violating the landmark privacy deal.

Facebook is expected to address the scandal at an internal meeting this morning.

Update, 11:42 AM ET: Includes statement from Facebook.

Update, 12:27 PM ET: Includes statement from FTC.