Today EPIC filed an expedited Freedom of Information Act request with the Federal Trade Commission, seeking the public release of the proposed settlement with Facebook. Last week the Wall Street Journal first reported that the FTC approved a $5 billion settlement with Facebook for violating a 2011 consent order that EPIC helped obtain. However, details about the settlement have not been disclosed. In January, EPIC recommended that the FTC 1) impose substantial fines; 2) establish structural remedies; 3) require compliance with Fair Information Practices; 4) reform hiring and management practices; and 5) restore democratic governance. In a series of FOIA cases, EPIC uncovered the biennial audits of Facebook, the number of complaints pending against Facebook at the Commission (26,000), and records of meetings by the chief agency official responsible for overseeing enforcement. EPIC also launched the #EnforceTheOrder campaign.
Former EPIC Advisory Board member Tim Wu will testify this week before a House committee regarding online platforms and market power. EPIC previously told the Subcommittee on Antitrust that "the internet advertising system today is not healthy. Two companies dominate the market. The privacy of Internet users is under assault. The revenue model that sustained journalism is broken. The current model is not sustainable. Privacy rules can help level the playing field." In 2000, EPIC opposed Doubleclick's acquisition of Abacus. In 2007, EPIC told the FTC that Google's proposed acquisition of DoubleClick would lead to consumers being tracked and profiled by advertisers across the web.
In advance of Congressional hearings on Facebook's plan to launch its own cryptocurrency called Libra, EPIC has sent statements to Senate and House Committees stating that "Facebook clearly cannot be trusted with consumers' financial data." EPIC noted Facebook's history of misrepresentations to regulators, highlighting the promises Facebook made when the company acquired WhatsApp regarding user privacy — promises Facebook has since broken. EPIC also discussed the Cambridge Analytica scandal and outlined Facebook's long history of failing to protect user data. As reported, a pending settlement with Facebook would not address proposals made by EPIC and others to strengthen Facebook's protection of user data. EPIC urged Congress to block Facebook's entry into cryptocurrency.
