The cited record supports the material proposition.
The FTC said on 24 July 2019 that Facebook would pay a US$5 billion penalty for violating its 2012 FTC privacy order.
- About
- Meta Platforms, Inc.
- Claim made by
- US Federal Trade Commission, regulator statement
- Published
- 24 July 2019
- Evidence score
- 91 How it was scored
- Last reviewed
- 25 October 2026
Why this label
The FTC release states the penalty and the alleged violation of the 2012 orderS2. The Commission voted 3-2 to refer the complaint and stipulated order to the Justice Department for filingS2. A stipulated order needed court approval to take effect. The FTC later reported that Judge Timothy J. Kelly entered the order on 23 April 2020S3. The FTC release contains no admission by Facebook. The violation is an FTC allegation resolved by a stipulated order, not a trial finding.
Current procedural position
Stipulated order entered by the US District Court for the District of Columbia on 23 April 2020S3. Final.
Record supporting the assessment
Facebook, Inc. will pay a record-breaking $5 billion penalty
Judge Timothy J. Kelly entered the order on April 23, 2020.
Conflicting or limiting record
No record located that conflicts with this assessment.
Evidence score: 91 of 100
The score grades how well the record establishes this assessment. It is not a score of Meta Platforms, Inc.. Score = source authority + directness + corroboration + procedural accuracy + currency + reproducibility.
| Component | Points | Max | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source authorityIs the source competent to establish the proposition? | 29 | 30 | FTC releases are competent records of the penalty and the court entry. |
| DirectnessDoes the source state the proposition or only discuss adjacent facts? | 19 | 20 | The releases state the penalty and entry date. |
| CorroborationDo independent records support the same material point? | 11 | 15 | Two FTC releases agree, and the court order was not read. |
| Procedural accuracyDoes the record settle the procedural state the claim describes? | 13 | 15 | Court-entered stipulated order without admission. |
| CurrencyHas the record been checked against later developments? | 9 | 10 | No later change was found. |
| ReproducibilityCan a reader locate the passage and repeat the assessment? | 10 | 10 | Both releases are on ftc.gov. |
| Total | 91 | 100 |
Timeline
Related cases
- United States v. Facebook, Inc.US District Court for the District of Columbia. Civil. Not published.Stage: Stipulated order entered on 23 April 2020.
- Judge Timothy J. Kelly enters the orderS3
Revision history
- Assessment first published with label Supported.
Have a record that changes this assessment? See corrections and responses.
Sources
- S2Tier A FTC Imposes $5 Billion Penalty and Sweeping New Privacy Restrictions on FacebookUS Federal Trade Commission. Regulator press release. 24 July 2019.Supports the penalty and the alleged order violation. It contains no admission.
- S3Tier A FTC Gives Final Approval to Modify FTC's 2012 Privacy Order with Facebook with Provisions from 2019 SettlementUS Federal Trade Commission. Regulator press release. 28 April 2020.Supports the court entry date. It does not state a case number.
Other claims about Meta Platforms, Inc.
- Partly supported76Facebook said on 17 March 2018 that the claim that the Cambridge Analytica matter was a data breach was completely false.Company statement, 17 March 20183 records citedDisclosure
- Partly supported80The SEC said in July 2019 that Facebook misled investors by presenting the risk of misuse of user data as hypothetical after it had learned of actual misuse.Regulator statement, 24 July 20193 records citedDisclosure
- Supported75Outlook Business reported in November 2025 that current and former Meta directors agreed to pay US$190 million to settle the Cambridge Analytica shareholder lawsuit in Delaware.Press report, 23 November 20254 records citedDisclosure