Facebook’s $5 Billion Privacy Settlement Wins Court Approval

A judge approved Facebook’s $5 billion settlement with the Federal Trade Commission over privacy violations—overruling objections that the deal didn’t adequately punish the company. Judge Timothy Kelly of the US District Court for the District of Columbia greenlighted the deal reached in the summer of 2019, which included the $5 billion fine, restrictions on some aspects of Facebook’s business decisions, and ongoing oversight of the social media giant. FTC and Facebook had urged the court to approve the deal, while privacy advocates argued it brushed aside some of Facebook’s illegal actions and pressed the court to reconsider it. The judge’s approval was expected, though it came ten months after the deal was announced last July—and only after the judge allowed detailed arguments from the interested parties.