FTC Confirms Investigation Into Facebook Data Privacy Practices

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) confirmed Monday that it is investigating Facebook's privacy practices following reports that the company allowed personal data to be extracted from users without expressed permission. The investigation was spurred by reports that Facebook allowed political data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica to gain access to the personal information of more than 50 million Facebook users and use that data to craft targeted political advertising campaigns. "The FTC takes very seriously recent press reports raising substantial concerns about the privacy practices of Facebook," Tom Pahl, Acting Director of the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement. "Today, the FTC is confirming that it has an open non-public investigation into these practices." The FTC previously declined to comment on an investigation into Facebook.