On July 24, 2019, the FTC said Facebook would pay a $5 billion civil penalty under an agreement addressing alleged breaches of a prior privacy order.
True
The FTC said on July 24, 2019 that Facebook would pay a $5 billion penalty to resolve privacy charges.
FTC Gives Final Approval to Modify FTC’s 2012 Privacy Order with Facebook with Provisions from 2019 Settlement | Federal Trade Commission
Source: search.ftc.gov
At a glance
Verified August 31, 2026Key Evidence
The FTC’s July 24, 2019, announcement specifically identified a $5 billion penalty for Facebook and connected the payment to alleged breaches of the company’s 2012 privacy order.
A contemporaneous FTC press-conference statement, along with Reuters’ July 24 coverage, characterized the payment as part of an agreement addressing Facebook’s privacy practices.
The FTC subsequently stated that the 2019 agreement had been incorporated into a revised privacy order, further confirming the completed action.
The reporting
What the Evidence Shows
On July 24, 2019, the Federal Trade Commission said Facebook would pay $5 billion and comply with broader privacy safeguards. The agreement concerned allegations that Facebook had misled users about their control over personal-data privacy and had breached a 2012 FTC order.ftc.govftc.govFTC Imposes $5 Billion Penalty and Sweeping New Privacy Restrictions on Facebook
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