The bankrupt British political consulting firm accessed and misused the personal data of the social media giant’s 87 million users. Cambridge Analytical allegedly used the data to help Donald Trump win the 2016 presidential election.
Reactions to the reported settlement between FTC and Facebook
In a statement, U.S. Mark Warner (D-VA) commented, “Given Facebook’s repeated privacy violations, it is clear that fundamental structural reforms are required. With the FTC either unable or unwilling to put in place reasonable guardrails to ensure that user privacy and data are protected, it’s time for Congress to act.”
In a series of tweets, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), tweeted that the financial penalty against the social media giant is “barely a tap on the wrist.” He called the FTC “foolish and fool hardly” for relying on money alone to punish the company given its “decades of past privacy violations & ongoing profiteering.
This reported $5 billion penalty is barely a tap on the wrist, not even a slap. Such a financial punishment for purposeful, blatant illegality is chump change for a company that makes tens of billions of dollars every year.
— Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) July 12, 2019
The FTC is foolish & foolhardy to rely on money alone to punish decades of past privacy violations & ongoing profiteering. https://t.co/D6jf2yicG4
— Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) July 12, 2019
The FTC must be held accountable for this seemingly inadequate, unconscionably delayed, & historically hollow result. There must be Congressional hearings.
— Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) July 12, 2019
