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U.S. Federal Trade Commission Approves $5 Billion Fine Against Facebook

posted by martyb on Saturday July 13 2019, @02:58PM   Printer-friendly
from the $15-for-every-person-in-USA dept.

takyon writes:

F.T.C. Approves Facebook Fine of About $5 Billion

The Federal Trade Commission has approved a fine of roughly $5 billion against Facebook for mishandling users' personal information, according to three people briefed on the vote, in what would be a landmark settlement that signals a newly aggressive stance by regulators toward the country's most powerful technology companies.

The much-anticipated settlement still needs final approval in the coming weeks from the Justice Department, which rarely rejects settlements reached by the agency. It would be the biggest fine by far levied by the federal government against a technology company, easily eclipsing the $22 million imposed on Google in 2012. The size of the penalty underscored the rising frustration among Washington officials with how Silicon Valley giants collect, store and use people's information.

It would also represent one of the most aggressive regulatory actions by the Trump administration, and a sign of the government's willingness to punish one of the country's biggest and most powerful companies. President Trump has dialed back regulations in many industries, but the Facebook settlement sets a new bar for privacy enforcement by United States officials, who have brought few cases against large technology companies.

Also at Reuters, CNBC, The Verge, MarketWatch, and CNN.

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  • (Score: 1) by khallow on Monday July 15 2019, @04:20AM (3 children)

    by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Monday July 15 2019, @04:20AM (#867078) Journal
    What makes you think it should be a crime to spy on humans? They're obviously up to no good, right? Why shouldn't we be spying on them?

    That is what the word 'graph' on the cult symbol on zuckerberg's hoodies means. If you have not seen the cult symbols on his hoodie, you need to really look that up.

    So a big part of your proof that he's committed illegal acts against mankind worthy of execution is that he has a dopey Illuminati-like symbol on his hoodie?

    It is espionage.

    No, it's a funny symbol on a hoodie.

    We did the work, the computers did the work, he just did the usual work of suits, take a good idea and ruin it for a quick cash out.

    More than you did, let us note.

    In this case, it threatens the entire species with extinction because it enabled militaristic anti-science fanatics to take hold of power.

    Like you, I am upset that the Russians kept Gary Johnson from becoming our first freedom-loving president. Killing Zuck will make that all better.

    Someone try to convince me I'm wrong.

    Wrong? You're not even wrong. For example:

    and unless you want to argue that everything done on computers is inherently public or that messages labelled private are using a different meaning of the word private.

    If you're doing it on Facebook, it's inherently public. Duh.

    I bet if you saw for one minute the view they are seeing at cambridge anashitica type corporations, how they are mapping out every single subculture and micro-movement, and every statement of people with known higher intelligence, and how they manage this in real time amplifying their friends and poisoning wells of debate, you would want to burn it all with fire.

    No, you'd want them to sell that snake oil to as many corrupt businesses and politicians as possible. The disease is the cure.

  • (Score: 0) by jmichaelhudsondotnet on Monday July 15 2019, @07:21PM (2 children)

    by jmichaelhudsondotnet (8122) on Monday July 15 2019, @07:21PM (#867294) Journal

    You are probably aware of this already, so you should know that your comment is incoherent.