Facebook is now under investigation by the Federal Trade Commission.
The FTC is probing the social media giant’s data privacy practices in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica leak.
Facebook confirmed last week the data research firm, connected to the 2016 Trump campaign, misused personal data from 50 million users.
“The FTC takes very seriously recent press reports raising substantial concerns about the privacy practices of Facebook,” according to the FTC statement.
Government investigators will focus on whether Facebook violated a 2011 consent decree, which requires them to get permission from users to share their data.
A violation carries a hefty penalty of $40,000 per violation.
In a statement to several media outlets, Facebook’s deputy chief privacy officer said, “we appreciate the opportunity to answer questions the FTC may have.”
