FTC may ban Facebook from monetizing data from children

The FTC has twice before settled with Facebook over privacy violations.

The first time was in 2012. Facebook agreed in 2019 to pay a record $5bn fine to resolve allegations it had violated a 2012 consent order by misleading users about how much control they had over their personal data. That order was finalized in 2020.

Meta is one of several social media giants to face scrutiny in recent years over potential harms its products pose to children.

Meta leaders testified in front of Congress after revelations from whistleblower Frances Haugen that the company knew it steered young users towards damaging content that could have severe mental health impacts.

Other social media firms have also faced increasing pressure surrounding the inability to control misinformation and hate speech on their platforms, an issue that was the subject of multiple congressional hearings in recent years. Still, little concrete action has been taken by Washington to address the concerns.