US trade commission opens non-public probe into Facebook privacy

The US Federal Trade Commission said on Monday it takes very seriously recent press reports raising substantial concerns about the privacy practices of Facebook. “Today, the FTC is confirming that it has an open non-public investigation into these practices,” said Tom Pahl, acting director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. The official said the FTC is “firmly and fully committed to using all of its tools to protect the privacy of consumers.” Among these tools “is enforcement action against companies that fail to honor their privacy promises,” including failure to comply with Privacy Shield, or engaging in unfair acts that cause substantial injury to consumers in violation of the FTC Act, according to Pahl.