As State AGs Gather at FTC Event, Still No Action on Facebook

The FTC hosted a roundtable with state attorneys general in Nebraska as the final hearing on competition and consumer protection in the 21st century. More than a year has passed since the FTC reopened the investigation of Facebook after the Cambridge Analytica scandal, but the FTC has not issued a fine, imposed penalties, or even updated the public about the status of the investigation. EPIC Consumer Protection Counsel Christine Bannan testified at an earlier FTC hearing that the FTC's success should be measured by the enforcement of its orders. EPIC launched the #EnforceTheOrder campaign to pressure the FTC to take enforcement action against Facebook. EPIC brought the original complaint to the FTC in 2009 that led to the consent order. Facebook anticipates a $3-5 billion fine from the FTC, but EPIC, Color of Change, and the Open Markets Institute have urged the Commission to use its equitable authorities to improve privacy protection and governance, reform hiring practices, and to spin off WhatsApp and Instagram.