POLICY
POLICY
POLICY
FTC could require Facebook to appoint privacy executive, oversight committee
New details have emerged about Facebook Inc.’s looming settlement with the Federal Trade Commission over its mishandling of user data.
Late Wednesday, the New York Times and Politico reported that the FTC could require the social network to hire new executives to supervise privacy efforts.
One of the most significant proposals said to be on the table is the formation of an “independent” oversight committee. The panel, which sources indicated may include Facebook board members, would meet quarterly and prepare reports about the company’s handling of user data.
The Times reported that the social network has accepted the proposal for the committee. Facebook reportedly also agreed to hire a privacy executive, or “assessor,” who will have to be approved by regulators before taking up the position.
It appears that the FTC envisions this official to have a similar role as the privacy committee’s. The assessor will reportedly submit biannual reports about Facebook’s privacy policies to the agency, as well as to the company itself.
The third and potentially most significant change said to have been floated is the appointment of a “designated compliance officer” to oversee privacy efforts. According to the sources who spoke with the Times and Politico, Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg may himself take on the role. This would make the CEO personally responsible, at least to a certain degree, for how the social network protects user data.
The proposed organizational changes will come on top of a $3 billion to $5 billion fine that Facebook expects to receive. Once signed, the settlement will see the FTC end its more than yearlong investigation into the social network’s privacy practices. Officials opened the probe early last year in response to the revelation that Cambridge Analytica, a political consulting firm, collected personal information on up to 87 million Facebook users.
But Facebook won’t be out of the woods once the investigation concludes. The company is facing similar probes in New York and Ireland, as well as the prospect of a lawsuit from Canada’s federal privacy watchdog.
Image: StockCatalog/Flickr
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