America ’s top consumer watchdog will face questions from congressional lawmakers this week concerning a bona fide laundry tilt of privacy - related incidents , include many that will be concentrate around Facebook ’s own protracted serial of failure .
The House Energy and Commerce Committee is sustain its first oversight hearing for the Federal Trade Commission ( FTC ) in nine months , and the first since the Democrats won ascendancy of the House last fall . secrecy concerns , stemming from major security department incidents over the retiring two years , including Facebook ’s Cambridge Analytica incident and the commission ’s ongoing investigation into the Equifax datum rift , will mostly dominate the conversation .
to boot , Wednesday ’s audience will focus around the long - vocalise , two-party calls for comprehensive data security statute law ; specifically , with an oculus on expatiate the FTC ’s rulemaking sanction when it comes to bodied negligence on privacy .
Agency officials will also front questions around their handling of the repeated privacy mishaps at Facebook . The FTC has been investigate the in public embattle , and yet ever - profitable social connection for more than a yr . The government agency is reportedly brace to slap the company with a historical fine on the belief that it violate a liquidation Facebook reached with the watchdog days ago .
In 2011 , the commission ruled that Facebook had engaged in “ unfair and deceptive ” practices after it allowed advertizer to secretly glean personal entropy about its users . As part of a colony , Facebook agreed to regular privacy audits and vow to expressly inform its user when their personal data was being partake . The FTC ’s five commissioners are say to be mostly in accord that Facebook break that resolution ; namely , when Cambridge Analytica , a political consulting firm that work for the Trump campaign , unsuitably acquired data on millions of Facebook user for the purpose of targeted political message .
In April , Facebook disclosed that itexpects to be finedanywhere between $ 3 billion and $ 5 billion .
On Saturday , the New York Timesreported , cite multiple germ with cognition of the matter , that the commission is more divided that externally appears ; not only on the dollar amount of the mulct , but on whether Facebook ’s primary executive , Mark Zuckerberg , should be held personally liable .
In addition to its rulemaking authority , Democrats are seek to enhance the FTC ’s enforcement power . At present , the mission ca n’t impose civil penalty on first - prison term violators of rules against unfair human action or practices .
After the drive - portion out company Uber suffered two data point breaches — one in 2014 and one in 2016 — and admitted to paying a drudge to keep the latter breach under wraps , the FTC re - negotiated a settlement that says Uber could be dependent to penalties if it again fails to notify the FTC about any future breaches . The company must also posit to even privateness audit .
The only hunky-dory Uber ultimately yield came in September as the result of an investigation carried out not by the federal government , but by a one - time confederation of state attorneys oecumenical . ( The company settled for$148 million . )
craft new rules at the FTC requires its members to jump through an inordinate turn of hoops . Unlike the Federal Communications Commission ( FCC ) , whose streamlined procedures ask only public notice , comply by public - comment period prior to a vote , the 1975 Magnuson - Moss Act place legion other bureaucratic hurdles on the FTC ’s rulemaking way . The FTC prescribed position has been , at least in twelvemonth ’ past tense , that any future data certificate legislation require to simplify its rulemaking process , so as not to immediately hamstring the agency ’s ability to enforce it .
The commissioners are also expected to be interview over business organisation about the agency ’s lack of technological expertness . The FTC is ofttimes - criticise for what some privacy hawks see as a complete nonstarter to keep up with its European counterparts . Democrats on the Energy and Commerce Committee noted in a memorandum last week , for instance , that the FTC only has 40 full - time staff devoted to privacy . This , equate to the 500 secrecy staff member working for the U.K. Information Commissioners ’ Office .
“ Although privacy and security investigations often necessitate significant technological expertise , the agency only has five full - time employee classified as engineer , ” the Democrats said .
In a letter of the alphabet last month to the commission ’s death chair , Rep Frank Pallone Jr. , FTC Chairman Joseph Simons reportedly stated that it would cost about $ 50 million in additional funding to hire 160 unexampled full - time employees . The delegacy has only requested a $ 6 million gain in its 2020 budget , most of which is allocated for IT advancements and expert witnesses .
“ FTC needs more enforcement power , rulemaking authority , and resources to effectively safeguard Americans ’ privacy and data point surety , ” suppose Pallone in a joint statement with Commerce Subcommittee chair Jan Schakowsky . Wednesday ’s listening would serve as a “ decisive step ” towards craft comprehensive legislation , the couplet asserted .
Congress must act , they conclude , “ to assure that FTC has the tools it needs to protect consumer . ”
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